Do you talk in complete sentences to your dogs?

Or does that just sound weird to you?

When I read Pukka’s Promise by Ted Kerasote, I might not have agreed with all his conclusions, but I felt an immediate connection. First, he capitalized all dog breeds, not just people or place named dogs, but Poodle, Beagle and the rest. More important, he also talked to his dogs in complete sentences and they answered him back in complete sentences.

It seemed normal to me, but I seldom hear about it.

I got my first dog, Mickey, when I was three, the age when we are learning to talk and enjoying having someone to talk to. She answered back. It all started then and has become part of my interaction with dogs from that time.

It is most effective when we don’t have the distraction of other people around. Sometimes a human will look at me strangely -- as maybe some of you are right now.

Or I get, “Mom, you are trying to use logic on a dog.”

But babies or dogs, how else are they going to learn language if you talk to them only in monosyllables? If a child enters kindergarten and has heard only “sit,” “down,” “no,” “good boy,” “good girl,” they are not going to have good verbal skills.

I don’t know how many words my dogs understand, a lot of nouns I’m sure and no doubt some verbs and adjectives. I would guess that they don’t have a mastery of prepositions and conjunctions but those are incidental to important communication anyway.

Since they live only in the moment and can’t grasp the concept of abstract words, a sentence like:

I’m going to cook some hamburger tomorrow.

They would hear:

I’m going blah cook blah hamburger blah.

And they would do a happy dance, looking at the stove.

We know that dogs are far better at reading body language than humans. They may not grasp all the nuances of the spoken language, but they certainly get the tone of voice. I am sure they get the message I am conveying. They just lack the physiology to produce words themselves.

 

This all makes me think of a strangely beautiful short story that became part of our family lore years ago, Desertion by Clifford D. Simak.

It is about an old man at a base station on Jupiter whose job it is to send young people to explore the unknown atmosphere of the planet. Five have gone out and none has returned.

All of the data has shown that human life could be sustained on the planet. Still none returned. The old man fears they have all died.

Finally not wanting to risk another young life, he decides to disobey orders and explore the planet himself. Rather than leaving his old dog, Towser, behind, he takes him along.

As the two step from the base station to explore the planet, something strange and unexpected happens. Instead of death in the atmosphere of Jupiter, they discover that they are on a higher plain of existence.

Suddenly feeling much younger and stronger, the old man and the old dog are experiencing life as they have ever known it on earth even when they were young.

“You’re talking to me,” the man says.

“I’ve always talked to you,” Towser replies, “but you couldn’t hear me.”

Jupiter, they find, is a place of incredible magnificence and a higher level of understanding and existence. Now they know why no one returned.

“I can’t go back,” the man says.

“Nor I,” agrees Towser. “They would turn me back into a dog.”

“And me into a man.”

Comments

[selkie]

I always say that my boy, Llyr has an opinion (usually a protracted and heavily debated one) about EVERYTHING. He ALWAYS talks back (at length)- he also complains a lot (and believe me, you KNOW he is bitching about something). I'm not talking barking but intricate, very voluble conversations! His buddy Finn, on the other hand, only yells if she wants you to throw the stick!

[selkie]

Just wanted to add... their vocabulary is scary - and not at all dependent on tone or gestures - we have been literally struck dumb at times when we have said something to each other and had the dogs react as they should!

[Heather]

Some of my best conversations are with the dogs :) I love the story!!

[Becky]

My son tells me I use to many words when talking to my dogs; he does the same thing.

[selkie]

here's a video of Llyr talking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I34vfiaHJc

I keep meaning to post more - we've had some really fascinating conversations!

[Jan]

That is priceless!! And there is not much to argue with after that.

[Donna]

Awwwww....I never heard of that story about Jupiter.

I talk to my dogs in complete sentences, and I am sure they understand a lot more than they let on.

One that sticks in my head is "Toby if you don't stop begging I'm going to give chicken to the girls and not you."

He hears that and he dashes to his mat pronto. :-)

[selkie]

well, it's really cool because I rescued Llyr when he was already 3.5 years old - he was a backyard chained dog- put on a chain and at 8 weeks and left in the yard for the next 3+ years of his life. He was initially super silent (and super aggressive LOL)- now he never shuts up and is a teddy bear!

[Jackie Bouchard]

I definitely talk to my dog in complete sentences! So much so that my husband often asks, "What?" "Oh,nothing... just talking to the dog."

I love dogs who talk back - Rita sometimes does. It's so cute!

[Colby]

Love that story! I may have to get the book now. I talk to my dog in complete sentences. My girlfriend's Dad talks to his little Yorkie in incomplete sentences. I always thought it was funny watching him carry around his little Yorkie like Paris Hilton, but then watching him baby talk with the little pup is priceless!

[Linda]

I know dogs talk...when Fuzzy went to get his stitches out he had his back to the Vet so she could clip the stitches and removed them. As soon as she was done Fuzzy turned around and put his paw on her arm and looked her straight in the eye and made a sound that sounded ever so much like THANK YOU. Our vet was so wonderful she reached down and petted him and told him what a wonderful old gentleman he was...and he was most welcome!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

[Karen Friesecke]

That short story sounds cool. I'm going to read it when I get a minute.

[Dog Care]

i really love the story and it sounds cool. sometimes i used many words when i talk to my beloved dog but just a little sometimes.

[Ruth H.]

I never realized that speaking complete sentences to a pet was weird until I got to college. I have always spoken to my dogs almost as if they were people, and they seem to love it. Thanks for recommending the short story--can't wait to check it out soon!

[Cecilia]

I always used to talk to my older pit bull in full sentences. He was like my child! I am currently looking at pit bull puppies for sale to see if I can find another. Glad to know I am not the only one!

[yellowdoggranny]

I want to read that book.

[Jodi]

What a great story! Yes I talk to my dogs in full sentences and I'm not at all surprised by how much they understand. Sampson especially recognizes so many words and cocks his head and responds accordingly. I haven't heard them answer me back though. :-)

[Steve]

I'm pretty sure that my miniature poodle is actually human.

[mena]

nice story.. before when i have my dog i am talking to the dog, in cat also. hehe