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Original poster

Talking away at your dog - is it counterproductive?

80 replies

AtlasPine · 14/01/2022 21:58

Do you think chatting away to your dog is confusing or counterproductive? I do this all the time but have started wondering if it makes it harder for the dog to separate out the words he knows from what must feel like gobbledegook he may think he’s supposed to understand. He head tilts at me a lot.

And perhaps I should only speak when it’s a clear message - time for a walk now, you can jump up on here etc. which he does understand.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 14/01/2022 22:05

“Do you think chatting away to your dog is confusing or counterproductive?”

Not unless you expect him to understand it?

When I want a dog to do something I’ll use one word, but if I’m just talking for the sake of talking then I chat away.

Original poster
AtlasPine · 14/01/2022 22:10

Certainly don’t expect him to understand - it’s totally indulgent on my part as it feels companionable. I was just wondering if it is fair on him or frustrating if he’s working to try to get information from my words as he would if I was giving a command or letting him know something is about to happen eg getting in the car which he understands.

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user313213521 · 14/01/2022 22:13

I talk to mine in full sentences and sometimes I'm sure he knows what I'm on about (even if he chooses to ignore my pleas of "don't be a twat")

I think we all use a slightly different tone when giving a command, which they pick up on.

Dogs tend to understand sign language better though - it's much more consistent as it removes tone, accent, sex, emotion etc etc which would normally be heard in the voice. Mine can hear fine but I taught him both sign and verbal commands. He can do his repertoire of tricks with sign language alone but isn't nearly as good with verbal commands alone.

Waynemanor · 14/01/2022 22:14

I have been wondering this recently. I find myself chatting to my dog. Asking her if she is having a good day or saying “didn’t you have a good play this morning with x dog” “it won’t be long til x and x get home” and she tilts her head and then looks a bit excited / confused / worried that perhaps I have given a command and she hasn’t understood it properly. Sometimes she looks away and looks like she is hanging her head in shame that she can’t understand . And I have kind of been coming to the conclusion that it probably isn’t fair to do it

Honeyroar · 14/01/2022 22:17

I chatter to mine all the time. I do wonder if it’s counter productive too. My husband chatters much less. I think they pay more attention when he does speak!

tabulahrasa · 14/01/2022 22:17

Mine head tilts at music, some dogs do it more than others - I’d just go with, he’s paying attention in a nice way rather than it’s frustrating him.

FazedNotPhased · 14/01/2022 22:19

I chat to my dogs and I have really noticed how much they've picked up. Just simple stuff like upstairs / downstairs / out / let's go / hungry / but not anything I've actively taught and yet they understand. So valuable to me anyway!

Original poster
AtlasPine · 14/01/2022 22:19

@Waynemanor

I have been wondering this recently. I find myself chatting to my dog. Asking her if she is having a good day or saying “didn’t you have a good play this morning with x dog” “it won’t be long til x and x get home” and she tilts her head and then looks a bit excited / confused / worried that perhaps I have given a command and she hasn’t understood it properly. Sometimes she looks away and looks like she is hanging her head in shame that she can’t understand . And I have kind of been coming to the conclusion that it probably isn’t fair to do it
This is exactly what’s I mean. Am I being fair? It’s so nice to chat away with him - he’s utterly lovely - but has been trained well to respond to commands and understands probably about 20 to 30 words (and hand signals) which he may be trying to find in the talk. Especially when it’s directly aimed at him as he looks at me.
OP posts:
sparkypupp · 14/01/2022 22:19

I narrate a lot to mine, she will give me head tilt, or zone me out and snooze. Commands are single words in a different tone and often combined with a hand signal so she instantly picks up on needing to do something.

EssexLioness · 14/01/2022 22:20

@user313213521 I agree re sign language and as an added bonus if they do lose their hearing when older then it is less stressful for them as they can still communicate with you as they always have. We have found the benefits of this now our dog has lost his hearing in old age. I would always recommend teaching dogs sign language

Waynemanor · 14/01/2022 22:22

Atlaspine what breed do you have? Wayne pup is a border collie and she has a really strong desire to do the right thing that I ask of her. I think other breeds are maybe a bit more laid back and chill. If I talk my dog looks at me desperately trying to work out what she is supposed to do next

vodkaredbullgirl · 14/01/2022 22:25

Mine understand the words food and carrots, mention them and they go nuts.

Original poster
AtlasPine · 14/01/2022 22:28

He’s a working cocker who does want to get it right - and I also feel he’s sometimes agonising over what I’m saying as if to think - what does she want me to do/ how should I be reacting to this??!!

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Waynemanor · 14/01/2022 22:33

Yeah that’s the same feeling I get. Perhaps over time they really do work out a fair bit of what you are saying. I have read other collie owners saying they speak in whole sentences and their dogs understand. My pup is still quite young though so not reached that stage yet.

RedLemon · 14/01/2022 22:33

Mine chats back sometimes. Especially if he has been aggrieved by something. Like an insufficiency of cheese or ear scratches.

Definitely hears me when I say “down”, his name, “cheese” or “fridge” though so I think the rambling in between is fine.

Also- see Gary Larson.

Talking away at your dog - is it counterproductive?
Original poster
AtlasPine · 14/01/2022 22:41

If I say something like - we’re going in the car to the forest today - it’s so sunny! Aren’t we lucky. And Ange is coming over later - you like Ange.

He probably understands car - forest - Ange.

Which is fine but if I say - wasn’t that nice yesterday. We went in the car to the forest and saw Ange - he’s going to think these things are going to happen. So it’s confusing when they don’t. Maybe.

OP posts:
Waynemanor · 14/01/2022 22:50

Yes sometimes if I say something like that she starts looking around a bit excited trying to find ange. Even if we just got back from a walk with ange and I talk about how much fun it was, she might still look a bit alert and look around as if to say “what, are we going again?”

Original poster
AtlasPine · 14/01/2022 22:51

@Waynemanor

Yes sometimes if I say something like that she starts looking around a bit excited trying to find ange. Even if we just got back from a walk with ange and I talk about how much fun it was, she might still look a bit alert and look around as if to say “what, are we going again?”
Grin Our poor dogs!
OP posts:
Waynemanor · 14/01/2022 22:53

Yes maybe I need to stick to petting her and “what a good girl you” over and over - that always goes down well !

certainshepherdpups · 14/01/2022 23:34

I have always talked to my dogs a lot. I don’t think they find it confusing or distressing, though sometimes they seem to be trying to work out exactly what I’m on about.

I also sing to them. Blush With my last dog I often sang my own version of a hymn called “A Mighty Fortress is our God” with revised lyrics beginning “A mighty puppy is our dog.” I sing a song based on his name to my current puppy. The dogs have never objected to my (not exactly brilliant) singing voice. Grin

ApolloandDaphne · 14/01/2022 23:39

I chunter away to my dog constantly. She seems to understand the important stuff ... Food, walk, bed. Everything else she takes in her stride.

liveforsummer · 15/01/2022 00:45

It's probably much like having Alexa. Mostly just white noise but the occasional word recognised when it's not been meant. No real problem unless you are at very early stages of training

ThesecondLEM · 15/01/2022 01:03

I'm a veterinary nurse and I witter away to my patients, when they are in recovery, hospital kennels or when I'm holding or doing something with them. It calms them down, and gets me through the day. I'll tell them about my plans or tell them about their treatment. I keep a fairly low boring tone and it definitely works.

Obviously I avoid words like walk, out etc and they don't understand a word I say.

The best part of my day is where I'll say, oh mummy's here now and take them back to their owners. They light up and it gets me right in the feels.

villainousbroodmare · 15/01/2022 01:09

Well, if you want them to pay attention when you speak, and act on your words then yes, probably an endless stream of wallpaper noise that they are not expected to understand or react to is not helpful. But if that doesn't worry you, then just talk away!

Dancingonmoonlight · 15/01/2022 01:19

I chat when I’m alone with our dog but in the past couple of weeks, he has been trying (presumably?) to talk back as he sits right in front of me and barks and yelps. Tbh I’m finding it very annoying now. It’s like having one of the children constantly saying ‘mum’ ‘mum’ ‘mum’. He does it throughout tv programmes too to the extent I tend to say goodnight far earlier than I want to, just to escape upstairs as he settles down to bed when I’m not there.

I don’t want to have to bring my laptop upstairs though.

For that reason I wouldn’t encourage chatting.

If anyone has any advice how to stop the incessant chat from my dog, I’d be grateful to hear.