Reasons to talk to your dog every day

Dogs are man’s best friend, and they provide unconditional love to their owners. Dogs have a profound psychological effect on humans as well, by providing mood boosters through their cuddles and affection. Try talking to a dog, it will make you feel better. 

1.Why anthropomorphizing isn’t a bad thing – and when it can be helpful to your mental health

Human beings tend to “anthropomorphize” animals, which is when they assign human characteristics to them. Trying to translate another animal’s behaviour to make it palatable to human levels of understanding is common and probably healthy, studies say. Talking to a dog is a form of empathy, and by using this part of the brain, it helps humans be more social and friendly with each other. 

2. It’s as good for humans as it is for dogs

When you talk to your dog in human languages, there is a marked psychological benefit to you. Companionship is an essential need for humans and dogs, so you end up fulfilling this in certain ways by engaging in “conversation” with your dog. It is good for your mental health to verbalise affection as well – studies show that this will help you reduce stress and anxiety levels. 

3. Making a habit out of talking helps dogs remember 

Dogs may not remember all the words you spew out during a friendly fireside chat, but they can remember emotional states and your tone of voice. They can recognize the difference between a happy “sit” and an angry “sit”, and you intuitively would have seen this in your dog’s behaviour. Talking to a dog is one way we are able to train dogs and domesticate them more thoroughly than normal. Besides, like most beings, dogs learn through repetition and routine. How to talk to dogs is as important as what you say – so be wary of tone and mood.

4. Helps you get to a more emotionally connected place with your dog

If you’re having a hard time getting along with your dog, try talking to it and communicating with it. Dogs recognize this (see the point above) and will usually respond positively. Do you want to raise a dog that you simply give commands to, or do you want to have an actual loving friendship with your dog? If you do, then talking to them is a great way to go about it. 

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5. Dogs will become more socialized

Over time, dogs have inherited and absorbed characteristics that allow them to respond to humans and make friends with us. This has taken place over centuries of breeding and growing up alongside human civilizations everywhere. This only happened because humans interacted with the dog in ways that made them understand that we were never a threat to their lives. By talking to your dog, you’re allowing this process to become more nuanced and more defined. 

How can I talk to dogs?

The simple answer is: the same way you’d talk to your best friend. The next time you are at home with your dog, begin a conversation! You may get a quizzical stare or an inquisitive response, and that’s only a way for the dog to show you that it understands you are trying to communicate – and that’s something remarkable on its own. 

Studies show that it is common to talk to dogs and cats – way more than it is to talk to other pets like fish, or reptiles, and so on. It is a natural phenomenon to want to talk to dogs and people often talk to them the same way they would to babies. Dogs are our fur-babies, after all, and they require the same, if not more attention and an education so that you and your dog can get along like a true family.

Sources:
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Do you find this information useful? For more general advice on dogs, dog behaviour, and so much more, visit the VOSD website.