It started off slowly. A little bump of the nose here, another there. Now, it’s becoming a thing. I think because I responded to it. (Who is training whom?) But it really is a good communication method, for an animal who can’t talk. There is the bark, and the tiny growl (never towards me), and sometimes some “talking” noises with no words. And the nose bop (a.k.a. boop), a communication tool of the herding breeds.
Pepper used to nose bop me when I was getting ready to go for our walk. I never moved quickly enough for her. She was saying “hurry it along, we have places to go, people to meet, things to see!”
I’m not sure I ever remember Koda nose bopping me. Maybe she got me to understand her in enough other ways that she didn’t feel like she needed to use it. I’m sure it was in her repertoire.
Buddy has started using it a lot. Boop. “Hello!” Boop. “Go over here.” Boop. “Food dish this way.” Boop. “Don’t forget to put on your slippers.”
I’m not kidding on that last one. That is why I’m writing this post. It’s winter, my feet get cold, I wear slippers. Then, when I go outside, I take them off, put them on a shelf, and put on my boots. When we come back in, I take off my boots and put on my slippers. This morning, as I walked near the slippers, Buddy said “Boop. Don’t forget your slippers.”
“I didn’t forget them, Buddy, but thanks for the reminder.”
BUDDY BOOP!