John Keats - 1795-1821

John Keats - 1795-1821
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing …

Friday 4 May 2007

MY FAITHFUL FRIENDS


I read in a book, that there is no scientific evidence that dogs can understand human speech or that they can communicate with other dogs.
Dog owners who insist that their dogs 'can understand every word I say' are
misguided.
However, as an old Irish setter said to me recently, 'Dogs understand human speech only too well and find most of what we have to say to them banal, tedious and patronising.

(Camilla to Charles)

'Darling, do you think a dog knows it's a dog?' asked Camilla.
'It depends what you mean by know', said Charles.
Freddie snapped, 'Of course I know I'm a bloody dog, I eat from a bowl on the floor, I sh.. in the street...'

A friend said to me yesterday, that she noticed that everytime I left the house I would always say to my dogs, "wont be long darlings, I will be back soon". She said that dogs probably did not have a clue as to what I was talking about,(neither do I sometimes). It is an interesting thought though, this talking to the animals, I suppose it is really a tone of the voice that our dogs can be familiar with us. Anyway, it will not stop me talking to them, my little friends.

Will TRY and upload a pic of my grandson with my JRT, if my grandson face looks all creamy, that is sunblock, it was taken under my very ancient AppleBlossom tree last weekend on a gloriously hot day.

27 comments:

CAMILLA said...

Hooray! Dont think much of the AppleBlossom though, will try and show it on another pic.

Faith said...

Nice pic Camilla and of COURSE dogs understand what people say! I watched a programme once where this guy had all these tools laid out on a bench, and in the same neutral tone he said 'chisel' or 'saw' or whatever and the dog laid his paw on the right tool. My Yorkie understands 'car', 'wee-wees', 'biscuit', 'chicken', Em's name and all sorts of stuff.

Faith said...

PS Have now added pic of Yorkie in bike on CCW page.

Inthemud said...

I always talk to my dog, sometimes she looks at me in such a quizicle way it seems she is really tryimng hard to understand what i'm saying. I always tell her when I'm going out. She knows many words and behaves accordingly.
She hates the cat and if the "cat" word is mentioned she is up and off to look for him!
"vet" she hides round back of sofa, "out" or walk she is immediatley by the door. She loves chicken to eat and I only have to say the word and she comes running.....

muddyboots said...

gordon & lucy-piglet understand every word l say. l have their full attention when l shout 'walkies' or 'breakfast' & immediately do as they are told when then worlds 'out' & 'bed' are mentioned. l am currently working through Tolstoy's war & piece with them, so far they have asked no questions.

Inthemud said...

Hi Camilla,
Thanks for your message.
I do hope to go out to see daughter in Spain, Eldest Evie is going out in 2 weeks to stay for a long weekend, so that'll be good.

You're in Reepham aren't you? Do you know the taxidermi woman, I think her name is Dominique?
We bought one of her stuffed Pheasants at Worstead festival a few years ago, and hubby had hoped to get some other creature last year, but she wasn't at Worstead!Do you know if she's still in business?

Faith said...

Message from Yorkie to Camilla:

I'm a boy not a girl! I'm know I'm cute and girlie though and I sit on a red gingham teatowel placed over a little blanket, not a pink gingham one! I used to wear ribbons in my hair, but Hub3 objected!

Pondside said...

Of course my cairn Rosie understands every word I say. She may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but we have lovely (one sided) conversations, mostly about dinner, biscuits, walk, and go get the nasty goose. She understands the last very well!

Kitty said...

Yes, even my dim witted Gertie understands 'in your bed' when I'm going out.

Well done with the photo - the first one's the biggest hurdle, and you're there now, so we all look forward to many more!

Kitty x

Exmoorjane said...

AH, now I realise where I'm going wrong with Asbo - I haven't learned JTR yet. Must try harder. LOVELY to see pics at last dear Camilla....more please...
And you are SO kind - thank-you for your lovely comments on my novel....was feeling so in the doldrums with it. You're so encouraging. Janexxxx

CAMILLA said...

Thank you all for your comments. These last few days I have experienced quite a lot of pain in my (L) wrist, not sure if it is RSI, could it be the BLOGGING!
Camilla.x

Woozle1967 said...

Great pic! And yes, our JRTs know what we are saying - we even tried to spell certain words and they soon cottoned on to that too!!xx

Anonymous said...

Of course dogs understand what we say, why else would they look so pityingly at us...as any good dog of sense knows, when the idiot flings a ball away from her, if you run after it and bring it back you'll get a good feed when you get back home. Humans are so simple to operate.
Yes, Clonteen here! Loved your blog, lovely to see you with us.

Anonymous said...

hello camilla i dont know how i seemed to end up with julie on the main page and jep on the other oh well you know im a little dizzy i have been catching up ,with every one and its lovley to hear from you i love your pitcure and hope to see more jep xx

Eden said...

Of course dogs undestand what we say. I bet even apple trees in blossom understand when we admire them. Everything that pulses with life has its way of listening and speaking.

Suffolkmum said...

They surely do understand us. I hae no dog at the moment, sadly, but babble away to my cats and they certainly 'get' me! Lovely photo, and lovely poem below, well done!

Blossomcottage said...

I always talk to my dogs they really do know what I am saying and seem to know what I am going to do next.
Blossom

countrymousie said...

I dont know much about dogs really but my cats seem to know what I am saying and what I am about to do.
Perhaps they dont know - they guess. Even spookier!!

Inthemud said...

Hello Camilla,

Reepham is such a pretty village, I've not been there for ages when I come to stay with my parents in the summer I must make a point of going there, maybe see you??

Don't worry if you can't find the taxidermist, maybe she has moved.

bradan said...

Yes, our dogs know what I am saying, it seems to be my son who doesn't understand commands such as "bed" !!

Posie said...

Great picture, and I also talk to the dogs they understand me more than the rest of the gang here!

Exmoorjane said...

Ah, keep hoping for a new blog, Camilla. Thank you AGAIN for lovely comments on Walker -you're so encouraging. I haven't sent it out for ages as had quite a few rejections and just got dispirited..... But I may well try again, perhaps after I've posted it all here and seen what you all think.....
Janexxxxx

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Oh I know my JRT understands what I am saying - you can see the little Bar Steward working out whether he is going to do as he's been asked or, b**gger orf! My Border Collie practically does what I ask before I ask it. And sometime I tell her to do something, which I have never asked her to do before, and she does it - how the hell does she know?

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Oh and PS thank you for the Happy Birthday - that was very kind of you - but it was Matron's Birthday (Lixtroll) not mine. Mine isn't until December!

annakarenin said...

Better than talking to walls surely. I have an english setter, they hear alrigth but are very selective in what the choose to understand.
Loved the poem the last verse it is what I want to get across to my boys in the way they live.

countrymousie said...

Hi - its me again - a flashdrive is one of those little portable memory sticks that fits into the back of your computer laptop - its like a big cd/floppy storage facility - then you can download it to your archive - of course I havent done this yet - not as clever as I thought - loads have saved to word I think and then pasted it across - My Word documents said they were full so this is why I chose this route. Is this any help - probably not - looking forward to you blogging again. love mousie

CAMILLA said...

Thank you to everyone who commented, and Mousie, thank you for that tip about storing re memory sticks, will keep that in mind
Camilla.x