This week I'm posting some of my "drafted" post. This post, written last summer got lost somewhere down the line, but still holds true to this day.
I am rather quiet, shy, introvert. I don't like crowds or being at large gathers and most of the time I prefer to stay in as I dislike shopping and I am nervous in restaurants. I am not a good communicator, I prefer to write than talk. I have lived most of my life in silence which brought me to an understating of dogs at a different level than most at a very young age. When I am out with my dogs, I tend to stick to places where we are primarily alone. This private time is sacred to me. While I love witnessing and experiencing the packs in their entirety, there is something precious about communing in the solitude with a beloved dog and soaking in the calm that surrounds. Most of my communication with my dogs is through body language where I find myself most in tune with them and I use hand gestures and eye contact to convey what feel. I do talk to the dogs, but we rarely have long, vocal conversations.
There are times I have found myself feeling a little guilty not talking to dogs more, but when my husband is home he makes up for the silence in the house and then some. He is a pretty gabby guy and carries on with the dogs like they are long, lost friends after a long day at work. When he takes one or two for a car ride he engages them in lengthy conversations, mingle with cute talk. He sings to them all of the time, making up songs about them and every night he sings "Rock-A-Bye-Baby" to each and every one. He can not talk to them enough.
So which are you the silent communicator or the jabber jaw when it comes to talking with your dog?
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12 comments:
I think I swing back and forth - I too am an introvert and am comfortable with long periods of silence, yet sometimes the dogs are great sounding boards when I'm trying to work through something.
Mum talks to me all the time and obviously I reply. It gets really complicated when KC joins in too! Deccy x
I'm a mix of both. When it comes to interacting with people, you could've been describing me as well. But I do talk to the dogs, often in long sentences and conversation. Maybe it's because so much of the obedience and agility involve communication that it transitions over to daily life? I've always talked to my dogs though and it helps them learn a lot more vocabulary. But at the same time, I don't talk for the sake of talking, I don't use baby-talk (not even for babies) and we enjoy comfortable silence as much as we enjoy our talks!
I talk to the dogs a lot. And I sing to them. But I enjoy how easy it is to be silent with them when I don't feel like talking. It's never awkward!
But when we're training, it all depends on the dog. I'm very vocal with praise with Maggie & Sadie and encourage them throughout. But with Hurley, I am pretty silent. He works best with hand signals and body language and limited talk.
The way you describe your own quiet and introverted nature makes me feel much less alone/weird. I'm the same way around crowds and people I don't know. I feel as though a very small percentage of my thoughts actually make it out of my mouth. And I'm also the same way with taking Portia places, we avoid the dog park during it's busy times. I tend to sing to her a bit, and talk a bit, but most of our 'conversation' is sitting together and loving on each other. My fiancé is the gabby one of our duo, what a similar household we seem to have!
I don't think there is a right or wrong way to talk to our pets...but I guess even though I do it both ways, I am more like your hubby. Sometimes I think my cats wish I would shut up, lol.
I think I'm some of both! Generally, if alone with one of the dogs, I talk to them quite a bit, and at certain times I do a lot. Morgan is really pushy for my attention at times and thinks she can boss me around. I do talk to her during those times, partly to keep my blood pressure down! lol I am also very content to be out with them and just be. We can be on the couch together and enjoy that, or out hiking, we really don't have to talk much to enjoy the sights and it's better for enjoying the sounds if you're quiet! :)
I'm not a fan of crowds or parties with large gatherings and have always preferred to stay in the background, so I think we're probably a bit alike in that area.
When I take the dogs on walks, I like to go to an area where there's no one around. I like the solitude and quiet. On the trail I go on, there's a bench beside a pond and I like to sit there for a spell with the dogs and just watch them. I talk to them sometimes, but mostly just sit and take in everything there is to see, hear, and smell. Our communication is like yours where we talk more with body language and eye contact than me sitting and having a conversation with them other then telling them how good they are. I'm more apt to have a conversation with a couple of my cats that like to talk back.
The dogs are happy just being with me and words aren't necessary for them to know how important they are to me. They know by how I treat them.
I am a total jabber jaw, at least when I am talking to the dogs! Sherman has actually gotten up and walked away from me right when I was in the middle of talking to him.
My kids are all grown and on their own and my dogs are my "family". Even though I live alone, I am never lonely. I talk to my dogs all the time and they give me a reason to get out of bed and keep on going throughout the day. I can't imagine my life without dogs.
I talk to the girlz all day long!! My husband said if anyone heard me they would think I'm crazy! But, I do believe that they understand me. They will sit and listen for hours!! Happy Easter to you and your family!
I loved this draft that finally made it to a post. I think your silence is probably why you do connect so well with your dogs.
I'm an extrovert and like to speak and write, but with my dogs it totally depends. If I am playing with them then I am a talker, using lots of praise and encouragement.
But sometimes, just hiking with my dogs and enjoying the solitude of those special moments is all I need. It fills me up. You know?
BTW - don't feel guilty not talking to your dogs. I seem to remember hearing that sometimes we talk too much to our dogs. I think there is truth in that.
I really need to get back to reading blogs like yours. I love your thoughts. You are a terrific writer. :)
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