My animals seem to know their names, but do they really know what we're saying? Why can't we understand their barks, meows, or mindless hermit-crab chitter-chatter? Why couldn't God just let us communicate with our animals instead of randomly trying to guess their thoughts? Because all of my dog's barks sound the same, can he only say one thing?
2006-06-20 04:56:49 · 9 answers · asked by pretty_n_pink1018 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
A number of animals do talk: including humans, parrots (repeating sounds) and trained chimps (sign language). Other animals, like dogs, modify their sounds depending on what they need to communicate, but their brains did not advance to have a true language. Dogs can learn simple words and sounds and equate it with commands. And dogs can vary their voices depending on fear, sex, anger, food. But often they respond to their master's voice and tone as much as the words. Try it by saying the dog's name, and then say a similar word in the same tone. As to the god thing, you can look at it as a miracle that we can communicate in a limited way with animals.
2006-06-20 05:07:08 · answer #1 · answered by Big Momma Carnivore 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
As far as what I believe...
Animals especially our pets that are around us daily, understand more than we realize. We have 2 cats and 43 Land Hermit Crabs.
Now with-out a doubt our cats understand us, they hever different meows and noises that they make in different tones etc, PLUS facial and body expressions that I have learned to understand. They hear and understand us.. they know our emotions and are very sensitive.
Our crabs on the otherhand, do not hear in a normal way but more like can feel vibrations and pressure changes.. the chirping that they make is vibrating tha air and therefore the others can here if they are warning or just chatting... I can tell the differences too, of what emotion they are trying to express. BUT even tho I talk to our crabs.. other than a handful, most do not have a clue what I am trying to say. A Handful actually will react to my voice, come to me if I chat with them and show obvious signs that they want to be handled... and when I do they want to get close to me and huddle or cuddle with me.
As a kid I had 2 dogs (at different times) and a cat... and once again they understood and tried to communicate through facial expression and body language and noises. My dogs understood everything it seemed and were not conditioned or trained in any way shape or form but understood the very first time we said sit and stay etc.. they understood.
Animals do not communicate in the always obvious ways but they do in fact attempt to make contact and communications with us. Horses are well known for this.. we visit some horses at a ranch and there are two or three that have taken a liking to me and seem to speak with their eyes and noises that they make and enjoy it when I talk to them.
God has allowed us to communicate with our pets and vise-versa but it takes patience and more to actually get it. I do not have to guess at my pets thoughts wants or needs... there is no guessing in our home, never has been.... I have never understood why some people have such trouble communicating with their pets and knowing what their pet is trying to communicate to them.. maybe I am just lucky, gifted or weird,.. but it comes very natural to me and even when I am around other people's pets etc.
2006-06-20 05:43:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Animals do not understand what we are saying. They have no abstract reasoning and react to their person's familiar voice, intonation and habitual clusters of sounds used in certain situations. Try saying "Bad Dog" or some other words that you use when dissatisfied, in your sweetest voice and with a smile and see how happy your doggy will be! It is much easier to train dogs and other animals with a clicker the sound of which is invariable and the animal always "understands" that it has something to do with a treat and pleasure if the animal obeys the person (if the animal has been conditioned).
http://www.animalbehavioronline.com/conditioning.html
Dog barks are different in certain situations as dogs have emotions :) .
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/07/20/HO79364.DTL
2006-06-20 05:29:08 · answer #3 · answered by Jay T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have a Terrier. We have Spike for 12 years. I knows every work that we tell him. It is like a child, we talk to our child and say the same word over and over, until they say it back. We talk to Spike and have conversation with him. He know what we say to him.. One time he was chewing on a white bone for his teeth. The bone was almost gone. I said to Spike, are you finish with your bone. He paused. I went to pick up the bone and Spike put his right paw on my hand, telling me his is not finished with the bone. I will never forget that day. He did not growl at me, just placed his right paw on my hand gently. Just Amazing, what The Good Lord Gave Us. If you talk everyday to your pet. They know the words. We speak the same way to a small child. We say MaMa and DaDa over and over.. The difference is pet can't talk back. They are Beautiful Creations. All Animals. It is a Beautiful Earth.
2016-08-18 04:13:53 · answer #4 · answered by Lucille 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes they can and do understand more than we know (not everything). many dogs know their names,and several commands or tricks without any other clues (like waving a hand or signals) they have different vocal cords and abilities so they can't necessarily make the same sounds as us and hear the same things. some ape species can communicate with sign language.. i think that is incredible!
2006-06-20 05:01:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my dogs got way different barks, and i got 3 of them(im a sucker for dogs) i really think my birds and cat understand me, because when i talk to my cat paprika, she will come over to my bed, sit on me and start purring and listening. when my birds hear a song they know, they will start dancing and chirping, it is so cute.
2006-06-20 05:06:25 · answer #6 · answered by sesso*E 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They do talk
To each other
My cat looks at me all the time and says.....".What the hell are you talking about "?
But if a cat is outside my window they can gab for hours.
2006-06-20 05:02:09 · answer #7 · answered by snakeman11426 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
we'll i believe that animals do under stand us, but the dumb ones don't get everything we say. animals do talk, but in a different
language. P.S. that only what i believe.
2006-06-20 05:18:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
sure they can talk , but only with each other
2006-06-20 05:05:31 · answer #9 · answered by Vaishnav S Narayan 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋