Do you talk to your pet?

Do you talk to your dog? Not just in a baby voice but do you have full-on conversations with your dog like they are a person? Maybe about the weather or about the latest gossip in entertainment or politics? Apparently talking to your dog — or cat, or plants, or pretty much anything that isn’t a person — is called anthromorphizing, which is the attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to animals, natural phenomena or inanimate objects.

This is good to know because we see people talking to their pets constantly. Asking them questions about their day, if they missed us, about their favorite toys and whether or not they would like a treat. Based on the looks your pet gives you, these conversations are probably confusing for the most part (though they understand way more that we realize). Expecting our pets to think like humans is common among pet owners. One of the reasons that dogs earned the title "Man's Best Friend" was most likely due to their ability of adapting to our lives. This skillset has been win-win for both of us though.

In terms of behaviour, when a dog is in any other state than being calm ie.) if he's aggressive, obsessive, scared, hyper or anxious and we give him a hug or pat on the head and tell him it's okay, it is comforting to us, but it only reinforces the state of mind for the dog, making the experience more intense. While we think we're soothing the dog, the dog thinks we approve of the inappropriate behaviour.

We can improve our relationships with our pets and ultimately their behavior if owners make a valid effort to understand their pets’ unique emotional makeup and learn what their body language is saying. Making your dog or cat a birthday cake or filling a holiday stocking with treats is certainly not a crime, it’s an act of love and appreciation of our pets, but people should be wary when their own actions unintentionally reward unwanted behaviours because we find something they do is cute or funny.

It is encouraging, though, to know that talking to our pets and our desire to engage with them isn’t out of the ordinary it is completely normal behaviour for us to think of our pets as one of us.

If you would like to further understand your dog, the Cochrane & Area Humane Society offers behaviour consultations for you and your dog. Please visit http://www.cochranehumane.ca/programs/animal-training/  for more information.