# Wish dogs could speak



## Snuffles (28 October 2017)

Wondering why dog has been bashing me with her paw this morning, walked, wee'd, treat biscuits. Then realised Id not given her breakfast ! Two hours late, other dog obviously not realised unless he was banking on Georgie to speak up for him !


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## Peter7917 (28 October 2017)

I don't! 

Whenever I leave for work (even thought there are other people home) my dogs look at me with such sad eyes, it would be heart breaking to have to hear them say 'please don't go'


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## Clodagh (28 October 2017)

Oh God I am glad mine don't, they are so hyper it was be a constant stream of garbled rubbish. The old lab can hear them now, no wonder she lies, looking exhausted, in the cloakroom by herself.


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## Alec Swan (28 October 2017)

They can and do communicate with us,  the trick is being able to interpret what's being said.

Alec.


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## PucciNPoni (28 October 2017)

Oh mine DO speak. I've got the min bitch who is the poodly embodiment of Vicky Pollard, complete with the "Yer but no but WHATEVER!"

The old boy, another miniature poodle who is perhaps something more of a drag queen and reminds me (and all the neighbourhood)  Dahling, How Fabulous He Is.  

Finally the wee one, coined SharkNado because he is a whirling bundle of teeth, would say to me that if I don't feed him promptly, that my knickers, tights, the contents of the bathroom bin will do nicely.  Oh and by the way, the charger to your phone? that was tasty too.


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## Pearlsasinger (28 October 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			They can and do communicate with us,  the trick is being able to interpret what's being said.

Alec.
		
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How on earth did you manage to forget to give them breakfast?


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## {97702} (28 October 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			They can and do communicate with us,  the trick is being able to interpret what's being said.

Alec.
		
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Alec, can you please stop posting stuff that I totally agree with, it is concerning to say the least


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## Cinnamontoast (28 October 2017)

Dear lord, mine are vocal enough! Brig's only words would be 'Is it food?' and Zak 'talks' enough as it is! He found a squeaky ball the other day, he has yet to put it down. He squeaks a lot anyway. The OH claims that Bear is Animal from the Muppets, I'm pretty happy I don't have to listen to him all day!


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## CorvusCorax (28 October 2017)

No thank you. Not after someone described him as 'the canine Begbie'.


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## TheresaW (28 October 2017)

Our two dont let us forget to feed them!  Aled will start by dragging the water bowl out, its a bigger version of his feed bowl.  Luna will sit in the crate where she is fed, and howl!  I guess its their way of talking to us.

Oz, the cat, has dry food down all day, and all are fed around 6.30 in the evening.  He comes and starts purring around us from 6pm onwards.  Roll on tomorrow when the clocks have gone back and we have to re-set them too.


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## {97702} (28 October 2017)

CorvusCorax said:



			No thank you. Not after someone described him as 'the canine Begbie'.
		
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Choose your canine companions with care


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## Alec Swan (28 October 2017)

Pearlsasinger said:



			How on earth did you manage to forget to give them breakfast?
		
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I didn't forget,  they don't get breakfast.  They get fed once a day and when they're not in work,  or in pup or young,  then six days a week.  Puppies over the age of sixteen weeks get fed once a day too &#8212; and without any ill-effect that I can see.

There's a clear correlation between over feeding growing puppies - generally with the larger breeds I accept - and the growth related problems from which many of the larger breeds suffer.  It's the same with young and growing horses and when OCD rears its ugly head,  then veterinary advice is always to consider the diet,  though by then of course,  the damage is generally done.

Alec.


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## Cinnamontoast (28 October 2017)

CorvusCorax said:



			No thank you. Not after someone described him as 'the canine Begbie'.
		
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Pmsl!


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## Pearlsasinger (28 October 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			I didn't forget,  they don't get breakfast.  They get fed once a day and when they're not in work,  or in pup or young,  then six days a week.  Puppies over the age of sixteen weeks get fed once a day too &#8212; and without any ill-effect that I can see.

There's a clear correlation between over feeding growing puppies - generally with the larger breeds I accept - and the growth related problems from which many of the larger breeds suffer.  It's the same with young and growing horses and when OCD rears its ugly head,  then veterinary advice is always to consider the diet,  though by then of course,  the damage is generally done.

Alec.
		
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Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, I was agreeing with your comment but asking OP the question.

As an aside, why do you only feed on 6 days per week?  I know other dog owners who do so and it always seems peculiar to me, given that dogs are naturally scavengers, so if they don't manage to kill a bunny to eat in the wild, they would find something from somewhere, so in a domestic situation, not feeding is, imo, encouraging scavenging/theft.  But I am used to Labradors mainly and they have to be the world's best scavengers.


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## Alec Swan (28 October 2017)

I'll admit that I did wonder about the relevance!  Perhaps I should have said "Who &#8212; me"?  Sorry!

I believe that dogs benefit from a day of fasting once a week.  No real evidence to support that,  it's just what they would do in the wild.  I suppose that foxes would be the closest equivalent to dogs and they tend to lead a life of famine and feast and there will be probably over 52 days a year when they don't eat at all &#8212; if that makes sense.

I'm also not entirely sure that conventionally fed and cared for dogs scavenge or thieve because of hunger,  I suspect that it's mostly because of their temperament &#8212; lurchers mostly being inveterate tea-leaves!  Those lurchers which I've had living indoors,  which has been most of them,  have all sort of grown out of it &#8212; eventually!

Alec.


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## rara007 (29 October 2017)

Would make my job as a vet much easier! I'm not sure my springer would make sense he'd talk so fast &#55357;&#56834;


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## meleeka (29 October 2017)

Alec - I find that odd that youd starve a dog for one day a week with no evidence to prove any benefit. Foxes do go hungry but Im pretty sure they dont do it out of choice. 

My JRT does talk. You can never fail to notice what she wants. Sometimes its  just a look but shes quite happy to bark at me if her tea is late and she doesnt stop until it comes. My Springer is less vocal but she does this odd jumping thing at me if Ive sat down when I should be dishing up tea. She doesnt actually touch me (far too polite) but you cant ignore it for long.


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## Chinchilla (29 October 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			They can and do communicate with us,  the trick is being able to interpret what's being said.

Alec.
		
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Agreed.


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## DabDab (29 October 2017)

I've heard the starvation day thing before, mainly in relation to Great Danes for some reason...? 

One of mine does very much talk - not words obviously, but a variety of conversational noises (not barking). She'll sit down next to me as I'm doing something then just start noise making, and I talk back in human words, discussing her thoughts with her. She won't continue talking if I don't respond, it definitely seems to be the conversational back and forth that she's interested in.

If she hasn't been fed however, she's not nearly so polite - just flicks her bowl across the kitchen at the closest willing victim. I'm glad her westie mate can't talk tbh, she'd probably be quite rude with a very dry sense of humour.


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## CorvusCorax (29 October 2017)

I know a few people, mostly working dog handlers, who fast their dogs. 
My dog is trained using his food drive so when he is in full work, his daily allowance of food could be delivered at any time in a number of different ways. 

None of us are wrong, they are just different ways of feeding, it doesn't say anywhere in The Big Rulebook of Dog Ownership that a dog must be fed at set times from a bowl.


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## Pearlsasinger (29 October 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			I'll admit that I did wonder about the relevance!  Perhaps I should have said "Who  me"?  Sorry!

I believe that dogs benefit from a day of fasting once a week.  No real evidence to support that,  it's just what they would do in the wild.  I suppose that foxes would be the closest equivalent to dogs and they tend to lead a life of famine and feast and there will be probably over 52 days a year when they don't eat at all  if that makes sense.

I'm also not entirely sure that conventionally fed and cared for dogs scavenge or thieve because of hunger,  I suspect that it's mostly because of their temperament  lurchers mostly being inveterate tea-leaves!  Those lurchers which I've had living indoors,  which has been most of them,  have all sort of grown out of it  eventually!

Alec.
		
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Actually, I think wild dogs, or wolves, are the nearest wild relatives to our domesticated dogs - and as foxes are omnivores, I don't think that they will fast, if they can avoid it.  They are happy to eat earthworms and vegetation as well as killing mammals.
I don't think that conventionally, daily fed pet dogs scavenge from hunger either - my point was those which are starved on one day per week are being encouraged to scavenge, imo, a trait which I would prefer not to encourage.


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## Karran (30 October 2017)

On Saturday I went to a party about 40 miles away and stayed over. Mrs Spaniel stayed at home with my brother conning him out of an extra dinner and getting to sleep on his bed.
I came back Sunday afternoon and she was raging with me for leaving her. We went straight out for a walk but she came back and then got into the smallest ball possible as far away as she could get on the sofa with her back to me.
I offered her a toy. She took it with a sigh but placed it firmly down on the floor and told me quite clearly that I wasn't going to be forgiven that easily.

Thank God she can't talk or I'd still be getting it in the neck from her about how neglectful I am!!!


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## Moobli (30 October 2017)

Alec Swan said:



			They can and do communicate with us,  the trick is being able to interpret what's being said.

Alec.
		
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Yup


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## Moobli (30 October 2017)

My grandparents (farmers) used to fast their dogs one day a week.  They would also fast themselves.  I reckon that is fair deal!

I don't know whether there are any benefits (or otherwise) of fasting.  We tend to more or less feed to appetite when the dogs are working hard and ease off when they are not doing as much.


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