I agree with K9Paw.........if you are a nutter then so are the rest of us

Our last dog used to talk back....and some of the time I definitely understood what she was saying! I talk to Jimmi, and he just looks blankly at me, but he does seem to like it.

Ooooh, now you've reminded me of something! I once met a woman who had two stunning Irish Setters - litter brothers. She would talk to them in a happy sing-song tone and their eyes would light up and tails wag and happy smiles appeared, but her actual words were: "I'm going to have you put down! Yes I am! I am, I'll have you both put to sleep!"

It sent cold shivers up my spine!

On the general thing about talking to dogs, at the first training classes I ever went to (circa 1982, run by ex-police instructor) we were told to keep talking to our dogs, sing nursery rhymes if necessary, to keep their attention. I'm not sure it does do that, it's probably just like this Larson cartoon:


But there again, a clever dog that knows words will filter out the drivel and just wait for the words it knows to appear. Like...... when your dog is asleep, you can stand in the middle of the room and shout BANANAS! and it won't twitch an eyelid, but whisper "walkies" in sotto voce and the dog's on its feet amd standing at the front door in milliseconds!

Your right there about not much speech needed....one thing about Tess she responses really well to hand signals so at least she understands me there

Mojo sits on the floor infront of me and whines, yaps sings etc., back to me.... it goes something like...

'does your mom love you'....whining, singing and yaps back
'And do you's love your Mom'...whining sings and yaps back

etc etc etc., Pat just sits here laughing

All the time her head is tilting one way then the other she cracks me up

I love it!

Bitz was not quite so loving, but then that was just her.
I would talk away to her as she glared at me from her corner on the sofa, and she would start a soft crooning growl..........it sort of went " yes I do like you, but don't go getting soppy, and don't even THINK about cuddling me or else.........". Funny thing was, if I was unhappy or upset she would talk to me non stop in a totally different "voice" and would cuddle up with her nose jammed into my ear

I dont see an issue with talking to your dogs i talk to each of my dogs on a regular basis

Thankyou for all your replies, the cartoon is very good have cheered me up x

I think the problem is when you start believing they know everything you say to them!

My 86 year old Mum believes Cherry and Parker know every single word she says to them and she is very chatty!

I told her what they actually hear is "BLAH BLAH, Cherry, BLAH BLAH, Parker, BLAH BLAH BLAH" ad infinitum but she is not convinced!

tis not true Apparently they have a vocabulary of around 150 words and no more, so they do understand a lot of the words you say. I know if I say to Zena, do you want a carrot, her ears prick up and she rushes straight to the fridge! If she comes a pestering when I'm flat out on the recliner, I tell her to go and kiss daddy and over she goes, pins him to the back of the chair and slobbers all over him! Maybe I've just got an exceptionally clever dog here though

I talk a lot to mine but I think things are getting a bit silly as before this afternoons walk caught myself saying out loud:

Right then girls, shall we go?
Better get my coat.
Oh dear, forgot my scarf.
Better put your coat on Jasmine as it's raining.
Need my wellies on.
Lets put your collars on.
Where's my keys?
Right, shall we go?

If they could talk they probably would have said "just shut up and get a move on you sad, silly woman".

During all this chatter they were running around me getting all excited and of course they understood everything I said