Despite her best efforts, Helen could not communicate with her dog or make the pet a friend as she did with Martha Washington. Why was this?

Before Annie Sullivan came to teach Helen, the little girl struggled to communicate.  Helen wanted to communicate with everyone around her, but her hand signals and gestures were crude and sometimes difficult to understand.  The family's dog, Belle, "was old and lazy and liked to sleep by the open fire rather than to romp with" young Helen.  Helen made many attempts to communicate with the animal.  The child tried on numerous occasions to teach her hand signs to Belle.  Helen described the dog's reactions to her attempts at communication as being "dull and inattentive."  Sometimes Belle's reactions to Helen's signs confused her.  Occasionally Belle "started and quivered with excitement, then she became perfectly rigid, as dogs do when they point a bird."  Helen got very upset and frustrated when Belle did not respond the way she wanted.  

When Helen was disappointed with Belle, she ran off to find Martha Washington.  Martha was a little girl who was the cook's daughter.  Helen's signs were understood by Martha and they became friends.  Unfortunately, Helen was very bossy with Martha.  If Martha did not do as Helen wished, she would be the victim of "a hand-to-hand encounter."