Why Talking to Your Dog is Actually a Good Thing

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Talking to your dog

 

We humans have a knack for talking to babies in a cartoony, over the top tone of voice (scientifically it’s called “infant-directed speech”) which is believed to actually help them pick up on language cues. But why talk to pets in a similar fashion? I mean it isn’t that, unlike babies, dogs are going to start learning and talking back in the human language anytime soon.

Well, it turns out, engaging with dogs in a DDS or ‘dog-directed speech’ is not only cute, but dogs also like it better when humans talk in plain language while saying certain dog relevant words. Researchers conducting this experiment also found out that owners using naturalistic DDS help improve their dog’s attention span along with strengthening the bond between the pets and their owners.

We understand how the potential for a relationship is based on mutual love and respect, this is also one of the primary reasons why people love to adopt dogs in the first place. They basically are simple creatures, a little cuddling, and snuggling, and they are all yours. But forming a real, long-enduring bond requires time and patience. To make your dog feel really comfortable around you, you two need to have a lot of conversations between yourselves. And while having conversations, though both of you don’t speak the same native language, you do understand each other perfectly well. The reason for this lies in the fact that dogs are expert linguists which has greatly helped them adapt to life with humans. So, while they might not understand our grammar and sentence structure, the ease with which they can catch up on our vocabulary is one reason why we love to have them around as pets.

Another important factor is that talking to your dog might actually improve your chances of a healthier life. Don’t believe me? You might be surprised to know just how many therapists and psychologists use this technique as a way of helping people manage conflict resolution and cope up with difficult situations. Those who have survived traumatic experiences also feel comfortable narrating the incident to dogs. Try sharing your daily problems with your dog and you will see what I’m talking about.

So, the moral of our story is having dogs as pets help us relax and de-stress, not just because they are emotionally intelligent and can sense when we need them, or because they help us feel socially connected, but because they don’t mind listening to our problems and, most importantly, they never judge.