Stormy's moderate sense of taste is dwarfed by her ability to use her nose and ears. She can smell a treat in your pocket, find an odoriferous sock, or locate some vile-smelling stuff to roll in with scarcely a moment's notice. She can hear a refrigerator door opening or a can opener working, and she can tune out the most frantic calls and commands at her pleasure. Her senses of smell and hearing can be used to advantage or become maddening distractions in training. Fluffy's sense of touch can be a major player in her learning style if she is not accustomed to walking on a variety of surfaces, if she startles at the touch of strangers, or if she is so insecure that she leans on Mom's leg during training class.
Dogs do communicate, but they do so in a foreign language.
Their barks, roars, howls, whimpers, whines, and growls can be distinguished and understood with a little effort. Owners must learn the difference between these words and songs and the growls that indicate dominance or aggression and the chatter that accompanies stress. Like children, dogs are eager to learn. They may not want to learn what you prefer to teach, but they will learn something from every lesson you give even when you are not trying to teach them anything. Along with species' differences in learning style, dog owners have to contend with breed differences and individual differences.