My Border Collie puppy is 4 months old now and everyday I am amazed at her literacy skills.  I know, a dog and literacy, yeah right, but you would be surprised.  According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, "'Literacy' is the ability to identify, understand, interpret ... communicate, [and] compute ..."  Lucky Lu does all of these and more; she is already able to identify all of her toys by name, understand and compute commands, interpret tones and communicate back to me her wants and needs.  I have learned that literacy is even broader than I can imagine and the ability to use language and communication can apply to anyone (or thing).