While humans are far from discussing the economy with their beloved pets, that doesn't mean
they can't have meaningful conversations with them.
Every pet parent has dreamed of the day they'd be able to talk to their dog, have them respond
back, and all that - but, who's to say you haven't already been communicating with your
pouch?
Sure, you can't maintain an actual conversion with them like with humans, but in their own
canine way they've been communicating with you.
And remember, not all communication has to be verbal
Today, we're taking a look at ten science-backed ways you can talk to your dog.
Let's get started!
10.
Dog-Directed Speech Versus Infant-Directed Speech
You might have noticed the pitch of your voice changes when talking to different age groups.
You wouldn't be talking in a high-pitched voice with your boss, and you wouldn't be
assertive when talking to a toddler.
The way we subconsciously change the pitch of our voice when talking to different age
groups is referred to as infant-directed speech.
Scientists have determined that this method of speech is actually quite necessary to be
able to form a strong bond with a toddler.
Now, scientists have conducted research that shows that talking to a puppy in the same
high-pitched way would form a bond with them too.
This is known as dog-directed speech.
Does dog-directed speech actually work?
According to studies that have been conducted, pet parents who spoke to their pets using
dog-directed speech were more likely to get a favourable response back from them.
The speech works on the principle that dogs will respond, or be willing to, when you speak
to them calmly and lovingly.
9.
Understanding Your Pet's Vocabulary The cat goes meow, the cow goes moo, but the
dog can go rowf, bow-wow, woof, and a lot more!
Science has shown that given canines' close relationship with humans, well over eighty
thousand years of it, they've developed a more vast vocabulary when communicating with
humans.
Yes, their language is still foreign to us and their vocabulary is by no means exhaustive.
However, scientists are quite hopeful that humans can and will be able to communicate
a lot more effortlessly with pets in the upcoming years.
You might have noticed that some pet parents are able to communicate with their dogs a
lot more easily than others.
Why is that so?
Because they're able to understand their dog's vocabulary.
Not necessarily understand the meaning behind woof, but more likely to grasp the possible
meaning of it given the situation.
8.
Body Language You can tell a lot about a dog from its body
language.
In fact, up until recently, that's all we had to communicate with our dogs.
For example, you know a dog with its paw raised wants your attention, one sitting on all fours
is waiting for you to feed it, and one with all of its teeth out is probably in a bad
mood.
Communication via body language is not only easy to comprehend, it's also easy to reply
with.
For example, you can stand tall to be assertive, maintain eye contact for adoration, and of
course pet your pouch for a job well done!
However, based on how easy it is for pets to understand body language, pet parents have
an added responsibility to not be in a bad mood all the time.
Your pet will pick up on how often you get angry and will probably hide from you because
of all that negativity.
Animals are great at picking up signals, or are more likely to be conditioned to circumstances
with the repeated signals - in this case, even one you're not necessarily directing
towards your pet.
7.
Conditioned Behaviour Perhaps one of the first experiments to have
ever been conducted to establish communication with pets was the way in which we condition
them towards a particular act.
This experiment would usually consist of a signal followed by an act.
For example, ringing a bell each time you'd fill up their bowl with food.
Conditioning your pet towards a particular act might seem easy, but it takes a while
before they're able to subconsciously associate the signal with the act.
But, once they're able to associate the two, it's all smooth sailing!
This isn't limited to conditioning them to eat their meals, it could also be when it's
time to go outside, time for bed, and so forth.
6.
Picking Up On Signs Your Pet Is Giving So far, we've talked about signs you could
give your pet to help them communicate with you.
But, what about the signs they're already giving you?
Are there any signs?
There sure are!
Your pet has been giving you signs, and you've picked up on them too.
For example, some pets would raise their paws at the television screen to get you to change
the channel.
This act isn't common behaviour amongst all pets, but it's something some of them do.
While you might not have been able to understand it the first time around, you eventually picked
up on it.
In a way, your pet has been conditioning you!
It might be frustrating for you to not be able to communicate effectively with your
pet, but it's probably a lot more frustrating for them given how they rely on you for sustenance
and cuddles.
5.
Eye Contact Is Key They say in order to get anyones attention
you need to be able to make eye contact with them.
In this case, you need to establish eye contact with your pet every time you're trying to
talking to them to get their attention.
You can't just yell out a command like sit and not be looking directly at your puppy.
While one might argue that pets have learnt their names over time, that doesn't mean their
apt enough to learn other words and commands without you directly looking at them.
Eye contact is also necessary when you're trying to show your pet adoration.
Your pet tends to respond to you when they feel like you're their safe space.
Isn't it the same way with humans too?
4.
Keep It Short And Simple When you want your pet to give you its paw,
you'll say 'paw' while raising your hand out, as opposed to saying 'would you please give
me your paw?'
Dogs are more likely to respond to you when you keep it short and simple.
They won't be able to pick up on long sentences.
Instead of trying to hold conversations with your pet, you need to keep it straight to
the point.
3.
Positive Reinforcement No, you don't need to bribe your pet every
time you want them to do something - but it sure helps!
Dogs are a lot more likely to pick up on commands where they feel like a reward is attached.
For example, if you pet your puppy every time it comes down the stairs when you call out
its name, it'll be a lot more eager to come down.
2.
Tail Language What do you do when you can't articulate the
words you're trying to say?
You use signs to represent them instead.
Now, what if you're a dog without fingers, and unaware of human signs?
You use tail signs instead!
Tail language has been well researched and documented.
We now know that an erect tail is a greeting, a low tail shows sadness, and a wagging tail
means your pet is in a great mood.
Again, tail language is sometimes unique to individual dogs.
It's your job as a pet parent to pick up on these signs and understand your pet better.
1.
The Situation What separates a pet owner from a pet parent?
Quite literally, an owner would look at their dog as something they possess, but a parent
would look at their dog as if it were an extension of themselves.
Pet parents need to be able to read the situation and environment their pet is in and respond
to them.
Maybe there's a trigger in the environment your pet is in and they're trying to get your
attention.
Maybe they're happy with something in their surroundings.
An effective way to communicate with your puppy is to be able to scan their surroundings
and read their body language accordingly.
Alright, how do you communicate with your puppy?
Let us know in the comments down below.
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