In our experience and our observations over the years, dogs have as many personality traits as those we perceive in human beings. We've had the experience of our own dogs, of course, but because we walk our dogs daily in a wooded ravine we come across other people and their dogs. People whose lifestyle includes dogs as companions are often more given to extending themselves physically to ensure that their dogs have sufficient exercise. As vitally necessary for the canine species as it is for any other.

In the decades that we have been hiking through this forest on its many trails, intersecting a very wide suburban neighbourhood, we have come across countless dogs. Some infrequently, some often. Some of these dogs have become quite familiar to us, others not so much. But we have been able to observe interactions between our dogs and others. And it's clear that dogs seem kind of stolid in their reactions to other dogs. They do evince curiosity, particularly at first meeting, and then acceptance is the fallback. And with some, the relationship is different; they anticipate and look forward to seeing one another.

There is a very small contingent of dogs that are extremely emotive. They become emotional when encountering other dogs with whom they are familiar and they express that emotion through excited yelps, or more familiarly, squeaks. Our first encounter with such a dog was almost thirty years ago when we had two little dogs ourselves, a miniature and a toy poodle. The other dog, a part husky breed was named 'Crook' because it had an actual crook in his tail. Whenever we came across one another Crook would emit high-pitched excited sounds even before we actually saw him, frolic excitedly back and forth in an excess of happiness, and then proceed to ingratiate himself with our two.

After Crook there was a very small Schnauzer called Kia, and she loved her tennis ball and would run happily after it wherever it would be thrown or rolled within the confines of the ravine, unerringly seeking it out and triumphantly returning with it. She, like Crook before her emitted a combination of trill and squeak of pure  joyous expectation whenever she sighted someone familiar and more particularly their dogs. But Kia, though excited and joyful to see familiar dogs, was more devoted to her ball than she was to actually playing with other dogs.

Now there's a white German Shepherd puppy named Nova who has developed just such a mannerism, emitting excited squeals certainly felt to be uncharacteristic utterances for such a large breed, but when he sights our two little black rascals whom he is rapidly outgrowing in size by a large margin, he becomes absolutely absorbed with canine affection for their presence, inviting them to play with him while he continues to sound like an overgrown mouse on steroids.