by Cathy M. Rosenthal
“That dog is mean!”
I’ve heard those four words many times.
Usually, they’re spoken by a child who has just seen a dog barking from behind a fence. Sometimes, it’s because a dog growled when someone reached for his toy. Other times, it’s because a shy shelter dog backed away instead of greeting visitors.
Children aren’t trying to be unfair. They’re simply doing what all of us do when we don’t understand behavior. We make assumptions.
One of the first things I teach children in my humane education programs is that animals are always communicating with us. They may not use words, but every bark, growl, wagging tail, flattened ears, tucked tail, hiss, purr, or quick retreat has meaning. Animals are constantly telling us how they feel, what they need, or what they’re about to do.
The challenge isn’t that animals aren’t communicating.
It’s that most of us have never learned how to listen.
That’s why I encourage children to stop asking, “What’s wrong with that dog?” and begin asking, “What is that dog trying to tell me?”
A barking dog may not be aggressive. He may be excited to greet you, protecting his home, frustrated because he’s behind a fence, or frightened by something unfamiliar. A cat that walks away isn’t necessarily unfriendly. She may simply be asking for space. A rabbit that freezes isn’t being stubborn. Freezing is one way rabbits protect themselves when they feel uncertain or afraid.
When children begin to look for the reason behind a behavior rather than reacting to it, they become curious. And curiosity changes the conversation.
Instead of judging, children begin observing. They notice a tucked tail, ears pinned back, or a stiff body posture. They start looking for clues before drawing conclusions.
I’ve watched this happen hundreds of times over the years.
A child who moments earlier insisted a dog was “mean” suddenly says, “Maybe he’s scared.”
That’s not just a lesson about dogs.
It’s a lesson about understanding.
I think we sometimes make compassion more complicated than it needs to be. We tell children to “be kind” or “show empathy,” but those are abstract ideas. Understanding is something children can practice.
They can learn why a cat flicks her tail. Why a dog offers a play bow. Why a frightened animal chooses to walk away.
Every lesson helps children replace assumptions with understanding.
What’s fascinating is that this lesson doesn’t stop with animals.
Children who learn to pause and ask, “What is this animal trying to communicate?” begin developing a habit of looking beyond behavior. They become more likely to wonder what another person might be feeling instead of immediately judging their actions.
Animals become the teachers, not because they’re teaching compassion directly. But because they give children an opportunity to practice one of compassion’s most important building blocks: understanding.
To me, that’s the true power of humane education. We’re not simply teaching children about dogs, cats, rabbits, or birds. We’re teaching them to slow down, observe, ask questions, and understand another living being before making assumptions.
When understanding comes first…compassion follows.
