Barking, but your dog will understand

Most foreign language courses teach French or Spanish to prospective tourists keen to learn the local lingo before their holiday.

But Peterborough council has taken translation to a new level by offering lessons in how to understand the barking of dogs.

The free masterclass in understanding woofs, squeals and growls is being offered by a council desperate to cut down on noise pollution. They will teach techniques to doting owners, hoping that this will result in superior communication with their dogs and fewer complaints about barking. The different noises made by dogs have been identified as grunts, whines, yelps, screams, howls, growls, coughs, barks, tooth snapping and panting.