How Common is it for Humans to Speak to Animals?

Just as parents enjoy speaking to their children because it improves the bonding between them, many pet owners (especially dog owners) enjoy speaking to their pets in a similar way and this results in the same type of intimacy.

Dog owners frequently ask their dogs, “Who’s a good boy?” in an emotional high-pitched voice because they feel just as connected to their pets as parents are to their children. This is called “dog-directed speech” or “dog speak.”


Dogs as an Effective Audience 

This dog-directed speech has a positive affect on the owner’s health because the owner speaks out loud to a nonjudgmental audience and the dogs don’t need to respond to their owners besides listen to what they have to say.

Some say that the body language we use and the tone of voice we speak with make up about 80 percent of the language we use to communicate with. As a result it is easy for dogs to pick up a large portion of what we are saying even though they might not know all the vocabulary. Dogs like to listen to what the humans in their lives have to say, but never judge the speaker on what he or she says.

Many therapists and psychologists recommend talking to dogs to cope with stressful situations. Many humans feel more comfortable speaking with a dog than with another human and talking to dogs and other pets is good for their mental health.

Practicing Speaking in front of a Dog

There are people who practice saying a public speech in front of a dog because dogs serve as an effective audience. These humans often smile more when practicing a speech in front of a dog as opposed to when practicing alone. This boosts their mood and eliminates some of the stress of saying a public speech in front of a large audience.

How does this affect the dog?

This only affects the dog if the dog hears dog-related vocabulary. Dogs have a short attention span for words not related to dogs, such as “Last night I went to the movie theater with my friends.”

Dogs are much more likely to approach those who speak to them in an emotional high-pitched voice using dog-related vocabulary. Some examples of sentences directed to dogs are, “Shall we go for a walk?” and “You’re a good dog.” Dogs will usually spend a lot more time with their owners who speak to them in this manner.



  1. Agree wholeheartedly. I talk to our dogs all the time. My hubby says I am not right in the head. But you know what? Our dogs understand me and respond accordingly.

  2. I speak to my dogs all the time they understand certain words that are connected with an activity
    They listen all the time as they know they are being loved

  3. I’m at that point in my life my dogs are my best friends. They understand what I say to them If I’m happy or sad they know. My boyfriend and I always talk to them. They honestly are just the best. My parents live 8 doors down from our house And I always walk them down there and once when the younger dog was only 12 weeks old he accidentally got out of our fenced in yard and knew enough to run down to my parents house. They are so very loyal and loving.


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