The Family Arrrooos

Contains many videos. Watch at website.

Like most families with pets, we are in love with our four-legged critters. Mocha especially has all of us enamored. I’ve been trying to capture her three forms of communication and with Yessa’s help, finding videotaped the most elusive verbalization; the “arrrooo.”

She has 3 ways she talks with us:

1) A bark: She very seldom barks. A car driving too fast on the road at the end of our block will sometimes get a barking reprimand from her or if someone knocks on our front door unexpectedly, that may do it. I didn’t videotape this because you all know what a dog barking sounds like.

2) The grumble: This happens consistently and was easy to capture on video. If she thinks it’s dinner time and you are just sitting on the couch, that will get you a grumble. If it’s the middle of the night and she’s ready to have me open the door into our bedroom to let her in; grumble. If she’s been sleeping on her bed in our bedroom and is now ready to be welcomed up onto the bed, she’ll stand next to the bed and rumble deep in her throat until one of us pats the bed and welcomes her with loving encouragement.

In the video below, her first grumble is about 15 seconds in.

3) The Arrooo: This was the most elusive though it happens more frequently than the barking and about the same frequency as the grumble.

I was able to capture everyone in the family “arrooing” in an attempt to encourage her to perform for the camera. I can’t find the video of Monkey, but here’s everyone else.

And finally…

I’m so grateful to have captured these moments. I’m forever sorry I don’t have video of Brandie barking at the wall; Chip licking Chance’s ears; Nutmeg fetching pieces of paper; or Brandie cracking into cat food cans, but I did find a quick video of Chance and his love of plastic bags.