Willow Read Us Like a Book

A month or so ago Anna and I started watching a special NPR about groups of animals and their interactions of with each other.

The production crew kept up with a tribe of monkeys or apes, a bunch of hyenas, and a couple more species which I forgot.  They all had one thing in common:  Heredity royalty.  The leader of the group's children are also expected to be the leaders when they become of age. 

What I was most impressed with was their interactions and communications skills.  Take for instance a pack of wolves on a deer hunt.  Each member knows his position.  One knows to be waiting in a clearing to black off the deer if it starts to run that way, and each escape route is carefully guarded.  Each canine knows its duty.  How did that leader assign the positions?  The only explanation  I can come up with is body language.

Take our late Willow for instance.  When we awere planning or discussing something that will involve her she is right in between us intently listening and studying our body language.  Even like a simple act of going shopping, when we get up to go, before we are out the door she is out of the room in her sleeping area bedding down for a good nap.  I think in many cases she knew what we would do before we did.