One of the most trying aspects of our Grandson’s two week stay has been managing his interactions with our dog. Kyrill is a terrier, therefore terribly intrusive and curious. Grandson doesn’t like the way the dog invades his space and hovers. The dog just wants to be a part of everything. He also seems to be anxious, and when he isn’t following Grandson he is sitting in my lap. I am never alone. That has been stressful.
I found that the best way of helping Grandson understand the dog’s behavior is to talk in what I imagine the dog’s voice would be, explaining my (the dog’s) motives and feelings. The dog’s voice is lower than my regular speaking voice, with some difficulty saying his L’s. Grandson is young enough to suspend reality and have conversations with the dog (me), explaining how he feels about the dog’s behavior. Sometimes Grandson will say something, and then tell me “Oma, I am talking to Kyrill”, letting me know I have to answer him in Kyrill’s voice and from Kyrill’s point of view. Like us, the dog has been glad for our Grandson’s stay, but, like us, also looking forward to having things back to normal.
Do you have a particular voice you use for your pets? What would your pets say to you if they could talk? What were your best and worst childhood pets?
Trail Baboon 
What a wonderful and creative way to help a child and a pet to understand each other better.
I love this ❤️
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The Birds react best to higher register.
When I previewed this a few minutes ago, they got really active. The reaction might have been quite different had they been able to SEE the performance.
“We want treat, treat, treat, treat, treat!”
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Wow, I remember that form somewhere in childhood… has quite a history (just looked up), originally from 1933. How do you know some of these, Wes? I
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i know it from captain kangaroo
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I used to do something like this, speak for my cat, usually to try and make someone laugh…
We didn’t have any pets till I was 16 – a friend’s cat had kittens, and we agreed to take one “temporarily” at least. Of course my sister and I fell in love with Katten, and then my folks had a series of cats – I didn’t get to know all of them well because I was up and out. My favorite though was Fletcher, a beautiful orange kitty that was frequently photographed.
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My mother and grandmother played or sang music 24/7 (at least it seemed so).
Grandma’s 78 collection was quite extensive. We played them on a four feet tall, wind up phonograph. Wore out the needles.
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i still have that set up and a box of new needles
love it
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Rise and Shine, Baboons,
Renee, it sounds like an active 2 weeks requiring attention where there is not usually any needed. What a creative answer to this challenge. Both the dog and the grandson sound delightful (the opposite of wretched snow).
I have told this before, but this story is the answer to the question(s). Our late, great cat, Mochise, wrote a Christmas letter for years that became very popular with friends and family. The cat even got mail herself in response to this letter. One of my high school friends put the entire collection of letters in a notebook and still shows them to friends. Unsurprisingly, the friend and I have similar tastes in reading, swapping book finds via email. I wish we lived closer so we could be in the same book group.
The cat took the voice of a gossip columnist obsessed with my husband and disdainful of me. She wanted Lou all to herself. Sadly, she disappeared one day 20 years ago, probably when my brother-in-law stayed with us, and slipped out the door with him. Despite an exhaustive search of the house and the neighborhood, including posters stapled onto light posts, we never found her. She was very, very catty, though with utter disdain towards the dog and me. She spoke in a superior, condescending voice towards me, and utter adoration towards Lou, which was how she behaved here, too.
The Cat Who…. Series of mysteries in the northern USA was narrated by George Guidall (my narration true love) who really got the voice of that series, including the cat. That cat solved more murders with the quiver of its tail.
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If you’d told about these cat letters before, Jacque, I’d forgotten. That sounds hilarious.
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Word Press just ate my post. 😱😱
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WP won’t let me ‘like’ your comment!
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WP seems to be having a temperamental day. Later I will try on another device to determine if I can like anything. Right now I have to log in for every comment.
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WP seems to be having a temperamental day. Later I will try on another device to determine if I can like anything. Right now I have to log in for every comment.
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I tried twice to post from my work computer and neither one have shown up. I thought they used to just take a while to get here but it’s been hours now.
I was at the clinic today, and Pat Donahue was doing the free noon time concert, sponsored by the Mayo clinic Center for Humanities. He did this song that I’ve never heard before. And by the way, my shoulder is good, and I am dismissed and I have no restrictions. Just don’t fall down on that shoulder. 🙂
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I haven’t heard that song in years, but yes, I’m familiar with it. Pat is such a fine guitar player, and good song writer, too. He and several other well known local musicians are beginning to venture out around the Twin Cities again.
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pat donahue never ceases to amaze me
i’d love to grow up to be pat donahue
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Yes, I confess that I have talked in Pippin’s “voice” from time to time. I usually do this for his benefit. He is very insistent on being in physical contact with me at all times. I don’t know how he got this way. It has happened since we moved here. He has become extremely anxious about me and where I am. I can’t be out of his sight or he goes nuts. So when I say things to him, I sometimes imagine his response. It usually starts with “MOM.” He recognizes that I am Mom and he is Pippin. So when I turn around and step on him and say, “Pippin, we can’t physically share the same space at the same time!” He replies, “MOM, I know you’re going somewhere, aren’t you? I need to go too.”
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I don’t think I had any worst childhood pets. But of course, I also had the best childhood pet on the planet, princess, the wonder dog. I know I’ve gone on and on about her in the past.
When I talk to the dog and the cat it’s not quite baby talk and my voice doesn’t get too highly pitched but it’s certainly not the way I would talk to a person.
I did do different voices when I used to read to YA when she was smaller.
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Afternoon-
I have fond memories of several childhood dogs. Nothing for worst pets.
Yeah, we’ve done voices too… but just basic ‘male’ voices for Humphrey and ‘Feminine’ voices for Allie. Bailey has a kinda generic all purpose voice.
IF the weather is bad, I’ll lock Bailey in the garage just for her own comfort. And she will start this random bark. We think she’s trying to trick Humphrey into thinking something is happening and come back outside to play. Humphrey never takes it.
I had a 1 year follow up on my shoulder today. Pat Donohue and Richard Kriehn were doing the free Monday noon concert. (I’ve seen a lot of these, but nothing since Covid. Schedule shows 5 concerts, this was the 3rd and nothing else listed after March)
Pat was singing a song I had not heard before: “Would you like to play the guitar”. He is so fun. It was a lovely surprise to find them playing.
By the way, shoulder is terrific and I am basically dismissed. Try not to fall on it. Ever.
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You’re a little frayed around the edges, but basically as good as new. Congratulations, Ben.
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Yep, that’s a good description. Thanks!
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Afternoon-
I have fond memories of several childhood dogs. Nothing for worst pets.
Yeah, we’ve done voices too… but just basic ‘male’ voices for Humphrey and ‘Feminine’ voices for Allie. Bailey has a kinda generic all purpose voice.
IF the weather is bad, I’ll lock Bailey in the garage just for her own comfort. And she will start this random bark. We think she’s trying to trick Humphrey into thinking something is happening and come back outside to play. Humphrey never takes it.
I had a 1 year follow up on my shoulder today. Pat Donohue and Richard Kriehn were doing the free Monday noon concert. (I’ve seen a lot of these, but nothing since Covid. Schedule shows 5 concerts, this was the 3rd and nothing else listed after March)
Pat was singing a song I had not heard before: “Would you like to play the guitar”
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Whew! I drove 600 miles today, to Fargo and back. The last 60 miles home were horrible for ice and blowing snow across the road. I refuse to leave town until Memorial Day.
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Glad you’re all home safe and sound.
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Grandson and hos mom are back in Brookings.
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Whew! How does it feel? Relief that all went well, or are you missing the little guy already? I’m guessing probably a little of both.
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Both, but mostly relief that everyone is in their respective homes and not on these horrible roads. More snow is coming Wednesday, and this was the only day for the next 6 with good weather.
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I have had lots of pets both as a child and as an adult. I didn’t get a cat until I was an adult and living be myself, dogs being favored by my parents. I did try to steal a kitten once when I was about six year old, though. It didn’t go well. A feral cat had given birth to a litter in a shed in the small apple orchard that butted up against our back fence. I scaled the fence which was way taller than me, and dumped down in the tall grass next to the shed. That’s as far as I got before the mama cat attacked; she wasn’t about to let me abscond with one of her kittens. Despite beating a hasty retreat, she scratched me up pretty good before I managed to get out of there. I had not realized how fierce a feral cat could be, but I sure learned that lesson in a hurry.
I’ve never really had a pet that I would label the worst, but some admittedly were more fun that others. My turtle, Sophie, was not a whole lot of fun to play with, but I enjoyed observing her, how she ate, how she walked, and how she’d pull back into her shell when she was bothered by something. Mom claimed my sister’s dog killed her while I was at the boarding school, but I’ve never really believed that story. I think she either gave her away or, more likely, released her in the park across the street from our house. That, of course, would have eventually killed her unless someone found her and rescued her. I’ll never know what truly happened to her.
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Snort!
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I speak to my dogs and cats in my normal voice, and they speak back to me in the same voice my fish and I are not on speaking terms and haven’t been for quite a while. I never had any bad pets, numerous cats and dogs each one perfect for the moment I’ve been very lucky.
my pets do speak to me every day, and they’re kind of boring discussion partners open the door this foods kind of bland, thanks are words from the dogs, more food, more food, more food from Ernie, the cat, and Hemingway simply says thank you, regardless of whether it’s food or being petted
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I looked up the quote from Charlemagne where he says I speak to God in Spanish Italian to women French to men in German to my horse and a large cute. I’m not sure I get it.
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I meant to say, I thought the quote was kind of cute
I’ve always assumed Charlemagne is French, so he speaks to men in French women in Italian makes sense, but why God in Spanish in German to my horse
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What strategies can be used to help a young child understand and manage their interactions with a curious and intrusive dog during a visit, while also reducing stress for the adults involved?
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How can using a dog’s perspective and voice help young children better understand and manage their interactions with pets?
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