Talking to animals

MJ23

Now I dont mean "here boy" or "sit". You know the loons who have a conversation with their dog. I called in to see my aunt there a few weeks ago, went into the sitting room and we sit and have tea and a bit of a chat. Next minute the dog comes into the room and jumps up on the sofa, and she starts then.........
"get down off the sofa charlie"
"were you out playing outside were you"
"did you hear the car drive in did you"
"are you in looking for a biscuit now are you"
"i think you want your dinner do you, I'll be lighting the fire soon charlie, dont worry"

Now I know she's my aunt, and she's alright and all, but come on now. She was talking more to the dog than she was to me.
This cant be normal behaviour.

Micky Dolenz

it's obvious, she hates you.

PanchoVilla

MJ23 wrote: »

Now I dont mean "here boy" or "sit". You know the loons who have a conversation with their dog. I called in to see my aunt there a few weeks ago, went into the sitting room and we sit and have tea and a bit of a chat. Next minute the dog comes into the room and jumps up on the sofa, and she starts then.........
"get down off the sofa charlie"
"were you out playing outside were you"
"did you hear the car drive in did you"
"are you in looking for a biscuit now are you"
"i think you want your dinner do you, I'll be lighing the fire soon charlie, dont worry"

Now I know she's my aunt, and she's alright and all, but come on now. She was talking more to the dog than she was to me.
This cant be normal behaviour.

Maybe the dog is just more interesting? Pets are companions, I don't see what's so strange about talking to them. Some people reckon pets can actually understand what you're saying after a few years anyway.

recylingbin

It's obvious. She's bat**** crazy.

Pyr0

I do it a good bit If I'm just in the door and he comes down to me.

"You better not have been on my bed, or I'll throw ya outside and leave you to freeze, ya ****"

He waggles his little stump of a tail, none the wiser.

MJ23

PanchoVilla wrote: »

Maybe the dog is just more interesting? Pets are companions, I don't see what's so strange about talking to them. Some people reckon pets can actually understand what you're saying after a few years anyway.

The same could apply to furniture or a car.

Kiwi_knock

The dog sounds more interesting than you.

AnonoBoy

Ah old batty Aunt Doolittle.

I have one of them too!

pwd

Dogs and humans can communicate very well. There was a documentary on bbc called The secret life of the dog, which discussed this, and it is worth a look if you're interested.

Of the examples you give, most of the meaning could be inferred from context, tone, and understanding of a few words [biscuit/charlie/dinner]. I think dogs are capable of understanding all these things, and so I think she probably can communicate with her dog pretty well.

alwaysadub

I never had a dog, and don't remember talking to my cat, but me and the goldfish used to have a great laugh all the same.

Little Acorn

I chat away to the dog. I definitely do believe they learn to recognise or understand certain things too [not just to do with food, commands].
Well the smart ones do anyways, the less smart/younger ones can be annoying, but lovable too.

I get the impression they like being chatted to, probably just because of the attention on them, but also my boyfriend's dog reacts accordingly to what you are actually saying, like if you were moaning about getting soaked in the rain, or in a bad mood about something, he'll just lie at your feet, or else stand and plonk his head on your knee, staring intently at you, like he's listening.

If you're in a great mood, he's all over you,wagging the tail, rolling on his back, and trying to jump onto your knee [he can't though cos he's way too big!:)]
I know it's probably more to do with the tone of my voice and demeanour, but it's nice that they can sense moods.

They might get lonely or sad, if nobody ever spoke to them.

PandyAndy

alwaysadub wrote: »

I never had a dog, and don't remember talking to my cat, but me and the goldfish used to have a great laugh all the same.

Hahaha

I talk to my dog sometimes. Although I think she only responds to my tone though. For instance if I say 'stay' excitedly and pat my chest she'll jump up, and if I say 'stay' sternly and point at the ground she will lol :D

policarp

I also had an aunt who used to talk to animals, and the parrots used to talk back...

deman

So, we've got the OP, his aunt and a dog in a room together.

And one of them is a bit weird.

The OP thinks his aunt is mad for showing her dog the attention that dogs seek. So that rules out the aunt.

The dog receives the attention it needs and therefore is a well behaved dog. So that rules out the dog.

Who's left?

Little Acorn

deman wrote: »

So, we've got the OP, his aunt and a dog in a room together.

And one of them is a bit weird.

The OP thinks his aunt is mad for showing her dog the attention that dogs seek. So that rules out the aunt.

The dog receives the attention it needs and therefore is a well behaved dog. So that rules out the dog.

Who's left?

The person who's actually jealous of the attention a dog gets.:p

Asphyxia

I know a fella who adores his cat more than his wife and he is not afraid to admit it either. He is a complete freak.

PanchoVilla

Pocketfizz wrote: »

I know a fella who adores his cat more than his wife and he is not afraid to admit it either. He is a complete freak.

Sounds like the majority of married couples.

byhookorbycrook

I talk to my horse all the time, he knows walk, trot,canter and most importantly whoa.He also knows what I mean if he is kicking the door and I growl at him.

star-pants

I talk to my dogs all the time, they get what I'm saying

Jeboa Safari

I talk away to my dogs, plenty of people do, even people I wouldn't have thought do

easyeason3

I chat away to my dog all the time there's nothing wrong with it.

I know he knows what I'm saying.

bellx1

I talk to my dog every evening, usually around 6.30pm. And I swear he does understand the words "boss" and "bastard".
Have to rant to someone

I talk to our dogs. Mostly nonsense, it's more about the tone of voice. Although they do understand some words, and one is too clever for her own good.

I gave them a couple chewy treats one day and had another in my hand to split for when they finished the first ones. Kiki sees it in my hand and drops the in-progress treat to come over and wag and hope for the fresh one. So I said "no kiki you haven't finished your first bone yet, I'm not giving you this one yet"
She looks over at the first one, picks it up, runs behind the couch JUST out of my line of sight, drops it, then comes back looking for the new one

kylith

I talk to my dogs. "Are you looking for more rubs, ya attention hoor ya?" That kind of thing. It's slightly less mad than talking to myself.

admiralofthefleet

op and his auntie were sitting in their cell in dundrum one day when the op was bouncing an orange off the table, 'what you doing to that banana? says the auntie.
'its not a pear its an apple' says the op

gurramok

I do talk to the neighbours cat who drops in now and then, only thing is that she's deaf but i'm certain she pretends to be deaf so not as to give the impression that she does NOT rule!

The Scawgeen

I give the spiders in my house a days notice if I intend cleaning down any cobwebs, they always get the message.

deman

I had a Goldie back a couple of years ago but unfortunately had to give him away due to unforeseen reasons. We still dogsit him once a year while the new family go on holiday.

But the funny thing is, is he still understands everything I say even though his new family speak Finnish to him and I spoke English. He never forgot his English. Guess you could say he's bilingual.

anniehoo

MJ23 wrote: »

You know the loons

Well im definitely an out and out loon then. Have ye ever had a pet OP?Theyre great craic and can respond (in their own little way) to loads of things you say. I couldnt care less if anyone thinks im nuts, i used to chat away to the dog all the time ....better than talkin to meself i s'pose Now im not talkin about full blown conversations but i dont know one single cat or dog owner who walks in the front door and says absolutely nothing to them.

easyeason3

deman wrote: »

I had a Goldie back a couple of years ago but unfortunately had to give him away due to unforeseen reasons. We still dogsit him once a year while the new family go on holiday.

But the funny thing is, is he still understands everything I say even though his new family speak Finnish to him and I spoke English. He never forgot his English. Guess you could say he's bilingual.

Fish?

BickNarry

It's human ignorance to assume that a dog can only communicate through its tail or its balls. I can tell ya right now that a dog can communicate through the oscillation of its cornea in its eye.

Now I was in a boating accident a few years ago involving a flare and it damaged my eye and allowed my cornea to resonate at the same frequency as a dogs cornea, so that's how i can communicate with them- canine cornea communication.

anniehoo

Sorry to side track but im after pressing something on my keyboard and the text is reeaaallly tiny....any idea how to get back to normal size??:p

anniehoo

anniehoo wrote: »

Sorry to side track but im after pressing something on my keyboard and the text is reeaaallly tiny....any idea how to get back to normal size??:p

Ctrl + scrollwheel?

anniehoo

bluewolf wrote: »

Ctrl + scrollwheel?

Laptop...no scrollwheel!

anniehoo

anniehoo wrote: »

Laptop...no scrollwheel!

It was ctrl - then

do ctrl +

kowloon

My Gran used to sit out in the garden chatting constantly. Sit, roll over, who's a good dog? etc.

We didn't have a dog.

30txsbzmcu2k9w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK63nIFtKZs

Tell your aunt to get a parrot

marzic

... and when the op left, the conversation continued...

Auntie: "charlie, why dont you ever talk when MJ23 is here? you dont have to be shy of him, you know?

Charlie: "he's a fcukpig, I hate him"

Auntie: "oh charlie, I wish you wouldnt use that language... come on, i'll get you some dinner.

Charlie: "sorry... well,what are we having?"

Auntie:"a shepherds pie for my little sheep dog!"

Charlie:"oh yes, I love shepherds pie" *wags tail*

stovelid

I talk to my cat sometimes. She's a better intellectual and conversational bet than half the people I meet.

Cat Melodeon

Pocketfizz wrote: »

I know a fella who adores his cat more than his wife and he is not afraid to admit it either. He is a complete freak.

I only married my husband because his dog is so cool.