Many people don’t really believe that animals can understand what we say to them. “Do you really believe that they can understand?” “You mean that I talk with them just like I talk to a person?” ” I feel silly talking to my dog.”
Are you one of these people who mutters to their pets so no one can hear? Are you embarrassed to tell people that you say more than “don’t”, “come here”, stop barking”, “go to–“,etc.? Yes, you are in good company. Lots and lots of people share your point of view. AND many others are just as convinced as you are not that your friend who doesn’t speak your language, really gets what you are saying.
Conduct a survey. Ask anyone and everyone whom you come into contact with during the course of a day, week, month, or whatever. You are bound to hear some stories. People love to talk about their animals almost as much and sometimes more than they like to talk about their kids. You might hear “I told my little dog to go and get the red ball and he goes and gets the red ball.” You are more likely to hear the standard “we spell w-a-l-k so that yours truly doesn’t get too excited and expect to be taken outside for her favorite activity.” It also wouldn’t be too unusual to hear a story about telling a dog to go and say hello to and mention the person’s name.
Now, I have to admit that I don’t often hear people telling their cat or rabbit to go up to a person and witness the animal do so. No, these creatures are more likely to saunter up to the person in a very obvious way as to show that they were taking a stroll and just happened to stumble on the person. However, that is not to discount the cats who go running up to someone without any hesitation or embarrassment.
Speaking of cats, I did hear one story, a very long time ago, that I have not been able to forget. Although I don’t remember who told me the mother and daughter who told me the story, I remember the excitement in their voices as they shared how the cat said “mama.” What can I say. My cat used to say something like “out” when she stood by the door to be let out into the world. Now she doesn’t event bother looking up at me. Instead she patiently waits by the door
No Comments