Yes, You Can Talk to Your Pets

All animal lovers believe that their pets understand most of what they say to them, but it is a proven fact that both dogs and cats are capable of learning human language, not to the extent a child does, of course, but enough to be able to communicate.  Your pets will never have the same extensive vocabulary as people, but they are capable of learning dozens if not hundreds of words. Yes, you can talk to pets.

Your pets love to interact with you, and talking to them often gives them the chance to be a part of your world and feel a lot closer to you.

Your pets crave the sound of your voice. They enjoy the attention you are giving them when you talk to them. The natural rhythm of conversation soothes them and pets detect the love and affection in your voice.

People tend to change their tone and use very simple words when they speak to their pets, just like they do when they speak to children. However, there is no need to restrict your vocabulary since they are very good at understanding what you are saying. Obviously, they don’t understand the words immediately, they need a little coaching to be able to understand what you’re saying. They need to be taught a little.

At first, talk to them with simple and short words, but you don’t have to use only childish vocabulary. The more extensive vocabulary you use, the more words your pets will learn, and they will also learn to understand your voice inflections a lot better, so there’s no need to talk with an overly infantile voice as we tend to do…. you know: “Who’s momma’s baby? Who’s the baby?”  Our tone of voice is important, however. If we use a high pitched, happy voice, it will get them excited. If we lower our pitch and speak calmly, we’ll be able to sooth them, if we use s stern and harsh tone, they will know they did something wrong. Keep in mind that even though pets are capable of understanding words and phrases, they can’t relate them to something that they can’t see. You can’t scold your cat for something he did 10 minutes ago, but he will understand if you scold him  at the very moment he’s caught doing the bad deed.

One thing that’s important is that both dogs and cats need to hear the same words and phrases repeatedly to learn them. Just like when you say to your family “Dinner’s ready”, somehow they know what’s coming because they have experienced that whenever you say that phrase, food’s on the table. This means that in order for them to really understand the meaning of a word or phrase, it has to be followed by an action. If you tell your cat “come here”, he won’t know what you’re talking about unless you coach him to come to you in some way. It’s very important that the first word you use when you talk to your pets is their name, that’s the way to get their attention, but once you get their attention, you need to follow up with some action so that they won’t start tuning out knowing that nothing happens when they turn to see you.

You can also use hand signals and body language to communicate with your dog or cat. For instance, when you want him to stop, stand still and give them a palm-out signal. If you want them to come to you, bend down and pat your knees.

Another thing you can do to communicate is learn their language. With dogs it’s a little harder. If you try to bark or growl they’ll just look at you as if you’re crazy, dog language has a very distinctive accent, you might say. But your cats are a different story. If you approach a cat using cat language, look at her sideways and blink your eyes to give a peaceful greeting. If you want her to relax, purr, or if you want to scold her, hiss.

Whatever language you decide to use, whether it’s body language, hand signals, cat language dog language or human language, it’s important that you communicate with your pets. It will definitely deepen your bond and make your life together a lot more interesting.

Photos courtesy of:

Bubblejewel96

patti haskins

Should I Choose a Dog or a Cat as a Pet?

You want to adopt a pet, but how do you decide if you want a dog or a cat? Well, the obvious answer lies within you: are you a “dog person”, or a “cat person”? Most people already know this, but if you really never thought about it, let’s see what advantages or disadvantages each species has to help you decide.
Cats and dogs have different needs and characteristics.  One thing that applies to both is that they all need attention, you need to budget for their veterinary care, food and emergencies, you need to clean after them, and you have to love them unconditionally.

Now, for the differences.

Dogs:

Your lifestyle will definitely determine  if you should have a dog or a cat as a pet. If you like to travel a lot, or work all day, a dog is not for you.

-Different breeds have different characteristics, you should choose one that matches your personality and lifestyle.

-If you travel, boarding a dog is quite expensive.

-A dog needs company and attention. If you have a dog and leave him home alone all day, you will have a very unhappy pet.

-Dogs need exercise. More or less depending on the breed.

-You need to walk them at least a couple of times daily for them to do “their thing”.

-Dogs need to be trained, socialized and housebroken.

-Dogs like to play. They need to be stimulated and love to play with their masters.

-Some dogs shed a lot. You have to be prepared  to clean after them constantly.

-Dogs need to be groomed often. You need to brush their coat, bathe them, and brush their teeth.

-A small dog is a little easier to take care of, but it still needs walks, play and attention. A big dog obviously needs more space.

-A small dog eats very little, but a big dog will eat a lot. You have to be ready for the expense of feeding.

-Dogs love to ride in the car and go hiking, swimming and all kinds of outdoor activities.

-A dog will greet you happily every time you come home, he will want to sleep with you, and in general, share everything  with you.

-There are many dog parks where you can take your pet to run and play.

-Dogs are protective of their humans and will be faithful forever.

Cats:

If you work outside your home or travel a lot, and the pet needs to be alone for many ours, a cat might be for you.

-If you travel, boarding a cat is not as expensive, depending on the facility. They could be left at home with a pet sitter visiting once or twice a day.

-All cats have different personalities. Some are affectionate lap cats, and others are more energetic and don’t like to be petted as much. Choose carefully.

-A cat can be left alone to sleep most of the day.

-Cats are independent, but that does not mean you can live them alone all day and not pay any attention to them. They do love company.

-Cats need to play and be stimulated. They entertain themselves more easily without being destructive.

-Cats are very easily trained to use their litter box, which requires cleaning at least once a day.

-There’s no need to walk them, though some cats like to walk on a leash.

-Some cats are easily trained to do tricks. Some are very good at fetching.

-Cats eat very little depending on their size, but never as much as a dog.

-Cats don’t need to be bathed, but they do need to get brushed and you need to brush their teeth regularly.

-You can get a cat used to car rides, but they mostly prefer to stay at home.

-Cats can live in small apartments. It’s actually better to always keep them indoors.

-Contrary to popular belief, cats will greet you at the door and follow you around like a dog.

-Cats are playful and a delight to watch as they jump and run and chase.

-You need to have space for a litter box in a well ventilated area, away from kids and out of site.

-Cats like to have scratching posts or kitty condos.

-Cats love to cuddle.

-Cats can be very protective of their humans and will be faithful forever. They do get attached to their owners.

I am one of those strange people that is a cat person and a dog person. I love them both with all my heart and enjoy their different personality traits. I have never had two cats with the same personality, it’s always an adventure to get to know them. And dogs for me, are the best company you can ever ask for. But one thing is certain, both species are incredible, and everybody should have the experience of living with one or both of them at some point.

Control Your Dog’s Excited Urination

Who has not come across a dog that pees on cue as soon as you approach him or her to greet them?  This is what is called submissive or excited urination

What is submissive or excited urination and why does it happen?

A submissive urinator is a dog that cannot help urinating in situations of extreme excitement or stress – he’ll go on the floor, on himself on you, on your furniture or on your guests!

Puppies are a perfect example of submissive urinators. They’ll pee whenever they’re excited to see you or when they meet a stranger. But sometimes very timid or sensitive adult dogs can have the problem too. It’s very typical of a dog that has been abused to exhibit this behavior.

This problem can happen in many situations:

-When they meet you after a prolonged absence
-When they’re playing
-When your guests arrive
-When there’s a stressful situation at home
-When you scold him or correct him
-Loud noises like a thunderstorm or fireworks

But don’t despair. It is really not difficult to fix this problem of submissive/excited urination.

First of all, take him to the veterinarian to make sure there’s no medical reason for the issue. Diabetes or a bladder infection can have the same effect.

Then you can follow some simple steps:

-Limit his intake of water. This doesn’t mean that you should restrict his water intake, but if, for example, you are expecting guests, or you will soon have a play session, take his water bowl away for a little while before the event happens.

-Don’t make your coming home a big event. When you come in the door, ignore him, go about your business and don’t get him worked up. The more excited he is, the harder it will be for him to control his bladder. I know I have a hard time not saying a warm hello to my baby, but you can always ignore him for the first few seconds and then crouch down and greet him calmly.

-Keep in mind the importance of NOT punishing or yelling at your dog when he has his “accident”. Remember he cannot control it and above all, he’s not doing it on purpose. When you catch him in the act, interrupt him with a firm “No!”, and praise him when he stops, but never punish him. Keep calm and be understanding: he doesn’t mean to do it.

-When he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when you are scolding him for another reason, try to maintain an authoritative and firm tone, but don’t get angry. Keep in mind that in all probability, you are dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog, so, if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will definitely get worse.

-When the problem happens with loud noises like fireworks, if you show a reaction yourself and pet him for being scared, you will only be rewarding the behavior and training him to repeat it, and you don’t want that. You can try and make it a game. When you hear a loud bang, say, “what was that!” Make it a search game and give him a treat or a toy. You can also make no reaction whatsoever, or fuss or comfort him. Give him the down and stay commands, give him a treat and tell him he’s a good boy.

Always remember that when you have a dog, you must treat him with respect and understanding. Almost every “problem” has a solution, and with a little patience, you can do it without the need of expensive training. A few hours working on a problem, can give you many years of enjoyment with your best friend.