Core77's Sarah Cox wrote a lovely article after talking with Liz Danzico about her thoughts on interaction design, life with her dog Lucy and communicating simply and humanly. Below is her summary of what dogs can teach us about interaction design.
1. It's important to know who is in charge. Just like training a pet, a designer need to establish a rapport with clients that mixes trust and expertise.
2. Pay attention to the tail. A dog's tail communicates emotions silently, but it's easy to miss this detail if you are not paying attention. Interaction designers need to be aware of customer data for clues.
3. Keep gestures simple. Complicated hand gesture confuses a dog, and complicated language confuses users. Simplicity is best.
Good advice for communicating with humans and dogs alike. Read more on Core77.
http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/dogs_on_design_danzicos_obedient_vizsla__16733.asp