THERE is more to your pet than four paws and a happy tail. Pets are as individual as their owners, with personalities and moods we come to predict and grow to love. Anyone owning a pet, however, knows there are limits to what our language can communicate. Were that not the case, a simple ''quiet'' would silence the most bothersome barker, and a ''shoo'' would intimidate the most tenacious counter cat.

Dogs and cats have unique views on life and separate languages. Since we are the ones with the overactive cerebrum, it is our responsibility to understand them.


Anyone living with a cat quickly learns that cats follow one agenda: their own. Respect that and your cat will adore you. Order them about or impart excessive discipline and you will wind up with tension or fearfulness. A miserable cat leads to an unhappy owner. Sharing life with a cat should be an experience of fascination and happy cohabitation. Observation tells the story of an animal with tremendous dignity and self-respect.

To judge a cat's mood, simply glance at the body language. Tail raised and slightly twitching, eyes staring at you as they softly blink, ears relaxed in an upright or side posture are all signs of adoration and acceptance -- a high honor in the cat world. Threatened, a cat will drop its tail, whipping it back and forth, as its eyes focus into a narrow stare. A cat also communicates mood by positioning the ears. Erect, they convey curiosity or aggression. Flattened back signals either an attack mode or a sign of fear; rested to the side communicates either restlessness or utter contentment, depending on the situation.

Of all the ways cats ''talk,'' perhaps the clearest message is the feline version of ''I have had enough of you.'' or ''This situation is beneath me.'' What are the signs? Bodies proud and relaxed, they turn away, keeping themselves obtrusively present or mysteriously scarce. Grooming is a secondary sign of self-pride; a nap, the ultimate turn-off switch.

Many people are put off by the presence of a cat. Why? It is well known that cats do not respond when demands are forced on them. If it is to happen, it must be their decision. Perhaps it is this inability to ''will'' the cat to do one's bidding that separates advocates from opponents.


Dogs are unique in the animal kingdom. They are the only species that will accept another species as its own. Translation? Dogs view humans as other dogs -- a compliment that also brings a challenge. To train a dog, life must be viewed from a dog's perspective. Communication canine style: words do not carry the same weight, feelings cannot be discussed or explained.

Think of an infant reacting to its basic needs, learning to repeat things based on what gets attention. Like a child, dogs are more comfortable when someone else is in charge, but that is where the similarities end. Dogs will not develop the same social skills or language capabilities. Their life revolves around a hierarchical structure, with messages conveyed through eye contact, body language and tone. Master these elements and your dog will take note. Order a dog around with words or emotional reactiveness and your dog will turn you off like a radio with unbearable static.

Dogs focus on what gets attention; negative or positive does not seem to matter. Watching a sock thief high-tailing around the dining room table, or shouting and shoving the animal at the front door guarantees a repeat performance. Angry, loud tones also inflate a dog's reaction, interpreted instead as excited play or prize envy. Of equal importance is the message conveyed through body posture. Play, tension and relaxation all have distinctive meaning. If something arouses your dog and you get excited trying to calm down the pet, what has happened? Who is copying whom? A dog cannot be expected to stay composed when you are out of control. Calm, confident postures demand respect.

What is the moral? Focus on bad behavior and that is what you will get. Focus on things like the chewing of appropriate objects or learned responses to directional commands like ''sit'' and ''stay'' and your dog will be more likely to cooperate. Dogs, like humans, respond in direct relation to their environment. Chaos breeds chaos. Frustration results in manic confusion. Aggression often leads to aggression.

On the flip side, gentle control and training lead to understanding. Structure to a sense of belonging. Praise to a feeling of worth. Many who own them say that dogs, blind to the failings of those around them, are more steadfast and constant than most human companions. Patient is their heart, unconditional their love.