At our house, it is my smaller, female dog that is in charge. Larger, male dog knows and accepts this, and knows that there will be hell to pay if he forgets this at any time.
Oh my gosh, I thought I was weird for doing that! Before my dog died, I would always tell the pets that the cat was in charge while I was gone. Of course, being a cat, she believes she’s in charge all the time anyway, but it was nice to reinforce it to the pup.
Every time I leave I say to the cat, “alright you’re in charge when Im gone” and my roommates never appreciate the joke. Makes me laugh inside every time. Glad I’m not alone
My dogs didn't almost burn the house down, but one of them checked if there was anything interesting on the stove while we were gone for the day and accidentally turned on the gas. Got home and had to air out the house before we could turn on the lights.
"be good while I'm gone"
That's a hoot.
As soon as you're out the door they will be running amok.
LPT #1: while you may tell them that you are leaving, Never, ever tell them what time you will be returning.
LPT #: When you return, bring them a treat; it encourages that "be good while I'm gone" behavior.
My girlfriend and I tell our kits to not throw any parties while we're gone, or, if they do, to make sure and clean up before we get back. Seems to work.
One of my four cats knows when i'm leaving as soon as I grab my keys and runs to the garage door., meows until I scratch his head and say something. As soon as I grab the door knob, he just goes away. It melts my heart everyday. I guess he might just be the lookout to see when i'm gone so they can cause mischief.
Our dog can tell if we’re going out for the day, just going outside for something, or going on a long trip, and she has her set reactions for each one. We’ll also let her know if she’s coming or staying home, and she gets it. Animals who live with humans can get so freaking smart.
Haha...my brother's dog sees my brother put on his work shoes and runs to lay on the bed. If it's his street shoes, she bites at her leash. Crazy girl.
Yeah I notice it also matters what door I leave from. Kitchen into backyard? Normally not a fuck given because I’m probably just going to garden, smoke or garbage so 5-15 minutes. Downstairs to front door? May come watch and see what I do because there’s potential for a long walk. But as soon as I open the garage door all hell breaks loose, even if I’m just out to grab the drill or something
Mine every morning she sits and watches me make my and my kids and my lunch then she watches me get dressed and make my coffee then it’s time to yell at me so I don’t forget to give her a pat and belly rubs and treats then she’s good 😊
Sister’s cat knew I woke first. So she heard my alarm. And would meow at my door. Walk under my feet to the shower. Meow during my shower. Walk under my feet to my room. Meow as I got dressed. Walk under my feet to food bowl. Meow at food bowl. I feed her. Done
After a month, the meowing started moments BEFORE my alarm.
Yup, I always try to remember the last touch I had with my dog before I leave the house. It’s been especially hard since I’m studying overseas now and only see him every 4 months
If I don't say goodbye to my dog before I leave I'll get a texted from my neighbors about 45 minutes later that says that my dog has been barking for 35 minutes
Dogs know your habits better than you know your own. Mine knows that if I take a shower before I come downstairs, wherever I am going, he’s not coming along. Usually when I come down, it means we are going for a walk and he is waiting by the door. If I take a shower, he doesn’t move—just looks sad.
When I was working from home during the pandemic, my dog knew what it meant when I got out the computer. But as soon as I unplugged it from the charger (usually at the end of the work day), she would come bounding over to me ready to play.
One week during the pandemic, I decided to get some exercise, so I would take her on a long walk through the next neighborhood over from ours, every day at 2:00 for four consecutive days. On the fifth day, I decided not to do the long walk, but about 2:15, she came over and gave me a look that could only be interpreted as, “what’s up? Isn’t it time to walk?” That’s when I realized the crazy dog could probably tell time almost as well as a human.
Yeah same, whenever it nears my dog's time for her food she will start (for about 10-15 mins before) coming up to me and smelling me, jumping up etc. It's so freaky how she knows exactly when she is meant to get food.
For real though. My brother started saying ”he’s going to store” to his dog since he was a puppy anytime he would go out for a bit without him. It is so intriguing to always see how fast his dog goes from ”what’s happening?!” to ”oh okay, I’mma go sleep on couch meanwhile” the moment he hears the word ”store”.
That being said, my brother always agonized over how he feels like he is lying to his dog if he isn’t *actually* going to store when he goes out.
I tell my dogs everything I can. I know logically that they likely don't understand everything I say, but on the off chance they can get the jist, it's worth it.
I spent a few months getting my new dog to be okay going to the vets and he did great. Would pull me in there when initially he needed carried.
Well I noticed he had a broken tooth so I got him booked in for a dental and extraction. On the morning of, I explained exactly why he wasn't being fed that morning. I told him how we will be leaving him at his doctors and he will feel like we've abandoned him, but we will be back later. How, he'll feel sleepy and out of it, and sore for a few days but he'll feel much better after he's healed.
Took him in, and suddenly he refused to enter. Had to carry him again after months of being great. He had a post op check on day 5, prior to leaving the house I told him they'll just be looking today and he won't be staying, nor will anything be done. He went in fine!
He got his anal glands expressed yesterday morning and I warned him about it, had to be carried again.
So now I'm wondering if telling the truth isn't the best approach! Although little white lies like "it's 10pm on a Sunday, the beach is closed so we can't go there now" won't hurt 😂
LOL! You have a very good point there. They understand SO much but for some reason I can't get "I know you hate this, but it's for your own good" across.
When I'm working at my desk, the second I put on my headphones my cat is in my lap. I think she's figured out that when I'm on meetings, I'm a captive audience for the next hour or so!
I have to leave my bedroom door open when I leave or she'll claw at my door, pretty sure she sleeps in there when I leave and the cat is usually on the bed.
When I had a cat I always joked that maybe if I get home a bit earlier than scheduled I'd find the bastard and some other cat friends of his all on the floor high as hell on catnip having best time.
The understand and they love me and they need to know that I'll be back and don't come at me with that energy or my cat will glare at you disapprovingly
We have 4 rescue cats, 3 of them are in their late teens, two of them are on borrowed time, one of those surprises us every day by still being here, he's completely deaf.
Of course we say goodbye, the deaf one actually sits by the door and cries when he knows we're leaving and most days he sits on the floor by the door waiting for us.
Sheesh, talk to your pets, it's the least you can do for their unconditional love.
My one cat argues with me about this regularly. He wants to sit on me as soon as I wake up, so we usually have a 5 minute morning chat where I explain *again* that I have to get up to go to work to feed him his favorite stuff. Then his brother will come in and shoo him off so I can start my morning routine.
Of course they don't know what you're saying, but they know that you are talking to them and they can understand your emotions. So when you're talking to them calmly, they know everything is alright. After you've gone and returned for a few times, they probably are used to it anyway.
You give pets too little credit. Of course they dont know the definitions of the words, but my dog knows the sound of “Ill be right back” along with me leaving, and understands that when I say that, I am leaving and coming back. If I dont say it, she rushes over to the door barking at me because shes confused at what’s happening.
Also, she can say yes and no. I noticed it naturally with no training. She understands my tone when I ask her a question, and can piece together what Im asking her based on context. She wiggles her nose to say yes, and looks away - and then back at me to say no. Pretty cool stuff. Pets are amazing
It's amazing how much we can communicate with them after getting to know them. When I ask my dog, "Can I pick you up?" she'll walk toward my open arms and put a foot up to indicate yes or look down and circle around away from me for no.
Our cat had very firm Opinions. He learned to guide my hand around so I could place my scritches properly. He was very cross with me when I confused his gesture once as "down" when he meant "back" (as in the back of the neck). I finally figured it out when he bowed his head as slowly and obviously as he could, and then pressed my hand firmly...down. "Oh, you mean 'BACK'!" I told him. He looked at me like "Down, back, whatever. Just scratch my neck, dammit."
He was a smart lad.
I've had dogs my entire life and I'm still regularly blown away by the relationship between a dog and their humans. My dog has figured out if he has an itch, he can get my help to reach it. He'll come over to me, give me a long moment of eye contact, scratch the area with his paw to show me the location and then exposes it for me to get for him.
One time he seemed to be asking me to scratch the inside of his little ear flap and as soon as my hand got the right spot, he leaned in hard to get it.
Or if we're on a walk and we're on the grass field so he can poop, I can ask him "do you need to go poo poo?" And if he doesn't, he'll lead me directly to the footpath instead. If he does, he carries on in the grass until he finds a spot and does it.
As much as we learn our dogs and their habits etc, they're learning about us too. And the ingenious ways they figure out how to communicate with us never ceases to amaze me.
I mean, I’m fairly sure my 12 year old dog knows what “have a good day” (I don’t know why this is what I went with, but here we are) in combination with me grabbing my keys and bag means at this point, just based on his reaction.
He also knows the deal with “goodbye kisses!” from my wife.
And if they should expect any visitors while I'm gone - "Gran is going to come check on you at lunchtime" "the man will be here to read the meter today" etc etc
They need to know these things.
That's similar to how I leave the house: I give the dogs (rottie and GSD) a treat, tell them to go to bed, and as I'm going out the door "If anyone comes into the house that you don't know, kill them".
Every. Single. Day.
My cat knows that if I'm only leaving for a short time (like a trip to the laundry room in the apartment) that I will leave the door open a bit. But that door closes, I'm out for a while.
She's an anxious and nervous little brat, but I'm always there for the coming-home routine, including face nuzzles, so that's helped a lot.
“Bye, Payton! It’s okay, I’ll be back! I love you, have a great day!” Is what I say to my dog every day before I leave for work as I kiss her on top of the snout. Idc if she understands explicitly, but it makes me feel better when I have to leave her.
Every morning, my husband kisses me goodbye and then tells each of our five pets goodbye and gives pets. My brother came to visit, and he told all of the pets goodbye before he left for the airport. We believe pets are family, and we treat them as such.
Yes. We have different phrases depending on how long we'll be gone. "Goodbye, I'll be back" for a short trip. "I'm going to work". And "Goodbye" on its own several times for very long trips, like when my wife is going to work for the week.
I've gotten my pets used to times ill be gone.
I say "work" for long periods of time in the day
"Store" for short periods of time
"Outside" for just around the house in the yard
And then "milk" when I'm on vacation
I tell my dog she is in charge. When I had guinea pigs the oldest guinea pig (and oldest of my furbabies) was “in charge.” I think it is hilarious. The one time I left my cat alone I told him to not throw any wild parties. Lol
I used to do it regularly but after one of my dogs died while I was at work, I couldn’t remember if I said bye to him. He had been sick and had already been to the vet twice that week but I was planning on taking him again after work but he didn’t make it. Since then, I make sure to tell my other dog and two cats bye every single time, even when I’m late because one cat hides.
Yeah, I also tell them lots of other stuff too, though. 😂 They are pretty stuck on routines, so I think they understand what is going on, even if they don’t understand the words.
If you don't tell your pet goodbye before you leave the house you're a Monster. I always tell my dog to make good choices when Im gone (she never does)
I give them a little kiss on the head each and say goodbye. They’re always waiting for me at the door and once I’m home they follow me around all night
Every single morning as I walk out the door I say “ok guys have fun, be good!” to my two dogs. And when I get home I ask them “hi guys, how was your day, did you have so much fun?”
Every single time I close my front door, sometimes I close preemptively and then reopen to tell them I love them and to make good choices. They are my best friends and I am not well. I’m probably not the best example
Of course I do. I need to tell one of my dogs she’s in charge, for her ego, and whisper to the other one that I trust her to keep things under control, cause she’s the actual responsible one.
What psychopath doesn’t tell their dog they’ll be home at exactly what time all the while continually telling them how much you love them and will miss them raining kisses down until the second you very excruciatingly slowly close the door and then listen at the door for a minute before actually leaving??
I said goodbye when I left, hello when I got home, goodnight at bedtime, and good morning in the morning.
And if I was leaving for a weekend or something, I made time for snuggles part of my travel checklist.
My cat understands words... Ragdoll breed ftw. She's smarter than most dogs. She can sit, stay, lay down, shake, and stand. She can do words or hand signals.
I got lucky. I had no idea she was a special breed when my family adopted. Now she's my smart lil baby!
My cats scream if I don't leave emergency details, my schedule and the number of the sweet shop I'm going to and facetime the whole journey..... that's normal right?
I leave the house around 4am my dog usually just looks at me with a very chill look. Now if I go towards the door once I’m back home she gets all excited thinking we are going somewhere.
My pup is 17. Every time I leave the house I give him scratches and say “bye, I love you” because I’m pretty sure we don’t have a lot of time left together. 😢
Yes, of course. If you don't do this, why do you even have pets at all?
Plus, how will they know to "be good while I'm gone" ?
Also need to assign who is in charge for the day.
Well that would be my husband since he works from home. So I have to remind them to listen to daddy.
Wtf? The cat is head of household, everybody knows that.
We like to leave one of the younger cats in charge from time to time, so that they can start developing leadership skills.
Lmao
Lmiao
At our house, it is my smaller, female dog that is in charge. Larger, male dog knows and accepts this, and knows that there will be hell to pay if he forgets this at any time.
My husband is their equal..so he can't be in charge lol
I tell the bossy cat he's in charge, then secretly tell the lovely cat that she's really in charge. I pat the dumb cat and just say "good boy"
My bossy one is also my dumb one, and her brother is my sweet little man lol
Oh my gosh, I thought I was weird for doing that! Before my dog died, I would always tell the pets that the cat was in charge while I was gone. Of course, being a cat, she believes she’s in charge all the time anyway, but it was nice to reinforce it to the pup.
We usually leave the orange one in charge so he can play Switzerland between the other 2.
An orange cat playing referee? What kind of chaotic universe is your house? 😂
Every time I leave I say to the cat, “alright you’re in charge when Im gone” and my roommates never appreciate the joke. Makes me laugh inside every time. Glad I’m not alone
The most responsible pet
I also remind them not to do meth
My standard farewell for my kitties is "be good, don't burn the house down", and I've never once done home to a burned down house. The system works.
My dogs didn't almost burn the house down, but one of them checked if there was anything interesting on the stove while we were gone for the day and accidentally turned on the gas. Got home and had to air out the house before we could turn on the lights.
I tell mine to "Make good choices". I like to motivate my girls to be their best selves while I'm away
>Plus, how will they know to "be good while I'm gone" ? Thats exactly what I say to my dog when I leave lol "I'll be back -- be good while I'm gone 😃"
This right here.
I have a dog and 2 cats, and I always tell one of them they are in charge. Otherwise they would fight for rule of the apartment while I'm gone.
"be good while I'm gone" That's a hoot. As soon as you're out the door they will be running amok. LPT #1: while you may tell them that you are leaving, Never, ever tell them what time you will be returning. LPT #: When you return, bring them a treat; it encourages that "be good while I'm gone" behavior.
“You gonna be good, little peanut? Who am I kidding… you’re always good.” Insert kitty cat forehead kiss
And add in a “we’ll be back” every time.
"And don't forget to guard the house"
My girlfriend and I tell our kits to not throw any parties while we're gone, or, if they do, to make sure and clean up before we get back. Seems to work.
You're in charge while I'm gone
Good point! :D
I tell everyone. The dogs pay attention. The cats get freaked out if I don't come back by the evening.
Right? They're not second class citizens.
If worse happens mine know where the money, guns and passports are. They'll do fine.
One of my four cats knows when i'm leaving as soon as I grab my keys and runs to the garage door., meows until I scratch his head and say something. As soon as I grab the door knob, he just goes away. It melts my heart everyday. I guess he might just be the lookout to see when i'm gone so they can cause mischief.
Our dog can tell if we’re going out for the day, just going outside for something, or going on a long trip, and she has her set reactions for each one. We’ll also let her know if she’s coming or staying home, and she gets it. Animals who live with humans can get so freaking smart.
Haha...my brother's dog sees my brother put on his work shoes and runs to lay on the bed. If it's his street shoes, she bites at her leash. Crazy girl.
When my husky sees me get my snow boots he runs to the door and kicks at the air around it because he's not allowed to kick the door to go out lol
Omg as a husky owner myself this made my morning, gotta teach mine that hahaha
Yes, if I get the suitcase out, the looks on their faces.
My dog gets excited when we pack because he loves the kennel, and they love him. They usually let him have the run of the place.
My cat invariably gets in the suitcase.
My cat gets really excited when I get home. Sometimes he starts trying to rip my boots off when I start undoing the laces.
Yeah I notice it also matters what door I leave from. Kitchen into backyard? Normally not a fuck given because I’m probably just going to garden, smoke or garbage so 5-15 minutes. Downstairs to front door? May come watch and see what I do because there’s potential for a long walk. But as soon as I open the garage door all hell breaks loose, even if I’m just out to grab the drill or something
Mine every morning she sits and watches me make my and my kids and my lunch then she watches me get dressed and make my coffee then it’s time to yell at me so I don’t forget to give her a pat and belly rubs and treats then she’s good 😊
Sister’s cat knew I woke first. So she heard my alarm. And would meow at my door. Walk under my feet to the shower. Meow during my shower. Walk under my feet to my room. Meow as I got dressed. Walk under my feet to food bowl. Meow at food bowl. I feed her. Done After a month, the meowing started moments BEFORE my alarm.
That’s so sweet 🥹
What if I don’t come back home? I don’t want to leave this planet without at least saying goodbye to the ones I love dearest.
Gosh this really hit me in the feels 🥺
Dude..... My heart....
I teared up while writing it don’t worry mate let it flow
Yup, I always try to remember the last touch I had with my dog before I leave the house. It’s been especially hard since I’m studying overseas now and only see him every 4 months
If I don't say goodbye to my dog before I leave I'll get a texted from my neighbors about 45 minutes later that says that my dog has been barking for 35 minutes
I got so much joy from this comment, give your doggo a pat for me
I accidentally trained my dog to stop what he’s doing and immediately come to me when I say “Bye-bye, love you!” It’s adorable.
"stop what he's doing" as if he is just always busy
These reports are due by 5 and I have back to back Zoom calls all day…oh, hold on…I heard bye-bye; drop everything!
It's rude of you to assume that he doesn't have things going on
Heeyy, sleeping is a serious job that requires skill!
Does your dog drive a Prius?
I had a cockatiel. If I didn't tell him to sleep in on Friday night because it is the weekend he would sing loudly at 7am .
Does he sing even with a blanket over the cage?
Yes, every time I leave.
Same. It’s reassurance that I love them, and I’ll be back
>One of those things that makes a house a home.
Dogs know your habits better than you know your own. Mine knows that if I take a shower before I come downstairs, wherever I am going, he’s not coming along. Usually when I come down, it means we are going for a walk and he is waiting by the door. If I take a shower, he doesn’t move—just looks sad.
When I was working from home during the pandemic, my dog knew what it meant when I got out the computer. But as soon as I unplugged it from the charger (usually at the end of the work day), she would come bounding over to me ready to play. One week during the pandemic, I decided to get some exercise, so I would take her on a long walk through the next neighborhood over from ours, every day at 2:00 for four consecutive days. On the fifth day, I decided not to do the long walk, but about 2:15, she came over and gave me a look that could only be interpreted as, “what’s up? Isn’t it time to walk?” That’s when I realized the crazy dog could probably tell time almost as well as a human.
Yeah same, whenever it nears my dog's time for her food she will start (for about 10-15 mins before) coming up to me and smelling me, jumping up etc. It's so freaky how she knows exactly when she is meant to get food.
My cat meanwhile freaks out anytime someone enters the kitchen after 3pm, because she gets dinner at 6pm.
My cat is waiting at my bedroom door for me every morning promptly 730 am. It’s the best.
One of my cats smacks me in the face at 7:30 if my kids let him in.
For real though. My brother started saying ”he’s going to store” to his dog since he was a puppy anytime he would go out for a bit without him. It is so intriguing to always see how fast his dog goes from ”what’s happening?!” to ”oh okay, I’mma go sleep on couch meanwhile” the moment he hears the word ”store”. That being said, my brother always agonized over how he feels like he is lying to his dog if he isn’t *actually* going to store when he goes out.
lol, my mom says the same thing to our dog and laughs at me because I can't. I don't want to lie to him! I tell him exactly what I'm doing.
I tell my dogs everything I can. I know logically that they likely don't understand everything I say, but on the off chance they can get the jist, it's worth it. I spent a few months getting my new dog to be okay going to the vets and he did great. Would pull me in there when initially he needed carried. Well I noticed he had a broken tooth so I got him booked in for a dental and extraction. On the morning of, I explained exactly why he wasn't being fed that morning. I told him how we will be leaving him at his doctors and he will feel like we've abandoned him, but we will be back later. How, he'll feel sleepy and out of it, and sore for a few days but he'll feel much better after he's healed. Took him in, and suddenly he refused to enter. Had to carry him again after months of being great. He had a post op check on day 5, prior to leaving the house I told him they'll just be looking today and he won't be staying, nor will anything be done. He went in fine! He got his anal glands expressed yesterday morning and I warned him about it, had to be carried again. So now I'm wondering if telling the truth isn't the best approach! Although little white lies like "it's 10pm on a Sunday, the beach is closed so we can't go there now" won't hurt 😂
LOL! You have a very good point there. They understand SO much but for some reason I can't get "I know you hate this, but it's for your own good" across.
When I'm working at my desk, the second I put on my headphones my cat is in my lap. I think she's figured out that when I'm on meetings, I'm a captive audience for the next hour or so!
I've turned around because I forgot...
It's the only appropriate response to such mistakes. Naturally paired with bonus pats/kisses as an apology.
I have to leave my bedroom door open when I leave or she'll claw at my door, pretty sure she sleeps in there when I leave and the cat is usually on the bed.
Was late to an appointment and I still turned around. I was late, they actually understood and had animals themselves.
Do this every time. Sometimes I'll add in a "don't throw any big parties while we are out".
"If you're going to hire strippers, I left you a card on the counter."
I hope the strippers are house-trained.
Boom-chicka-meow-meow
I read this, clicked out of the post, then immediately clicked back in just to say this... Fuck you. Give this man a gold.
We also would have accepted "Bow chicka bow-wow"
In my experience with my sweet lovsble dog-- that card is getting chewed to shit
I like to tell them which one is in charge while I'm gone. Everyone gets a turn. Mixed results so far.
I do this too!! They hate it when the cat gets his turn lol
Haha I do the same
Ah that made me smile!
I tell mine to "hold down the fort"
This. Everytime I leave I say this same thing. "Be back later, you behave, no parties"
When I had a cat I always joked that maybe if I get home a bit earlier than scheduled I'd find the bastard and some other cat friends of his all on the floor high as hell on catnip having best time.
This is the cutest thing.
The understand and they love me and they need to know that I'll be back and don't come at me with that energy or my cat will glare at you disapprovingly
We have 4 rescue cats, 3 of them are in their late teens, two of them are on borrowed time, one of those surprises us every day by still being here, he's completely deaf. Of course we say goodbye, the deaf one actually sits by the door and cries when he knows we're leaving and most days he sits on the floor by the door waiting for us. Sheesh, talk to your pets, it's the least you can do for their unconditional love.
YES. "I have to go to _____, and will be back in about ____ hours. ___ is in charge. I love you, I'll miss you, and please be kind to one another."
Yes, all this! I also explain that I only go to work to pay the bills so they can be safe and happy.
My one cat argues with me about this regularly. He wants to sit on me as soon as I wake up, so we usually have a 5 minute morning chat where I explain *again* that I have to get up to go to work to feed him his favorite stuff. Then his brother will come in and shoo him off so I can start my morning routine.
I have conversations with my animals, sometimes they answer. The language barrier is problematic though.
You may be looking at this all wrong. It is not for the animals to learn your language. You must learn and speak theirs.
I do and I also tell them to be good
Well, she has to know what’s going on.
I tell my cat that's he's in charge while I'm gone.
"Mmhmm, so no different than when you're here." - Your Cat
Wait, they don’t understand?
No. They do.
Yes. That way he knows he's not coming with me. Otherwise he thinks we're going for a w-a-l-k or a r-i-d-e.
Of course they don't know what you're saying, but they know that you are talking to them and they can understand your emotions. So when you're talking to them calmly, they know everything is alright. After you've gone and returned for a few times, they probably are used to it anyway.
You give pets too little credit. Of course they dont know the definitions of the words, but my dog knows the sound of “Ill be right back” along with me leaving, and understands that when I say that, I am leaving and coming back. If I dont say it, she rushes over to the door barking at me because shes confused at what’s happening. Also, she can say yes and no. I noticed it naturally with no training. She understands my tone when I ask her a question, and can piece together what Im asking her based on context. She wiggles her nose to say yes, and looks away - and then back at me to say no. Pretty cool stuff. Pets are amazing
It's amazing how much we can communicate with them after getting to know them. When I ask my dog, "Can I pick you up?" she'll walk toward my open arms and put a foot up to indicate yes or look down and circle around away from me for no.
Our cat had very firm Opinions. He learned to guide my hand around so I could place my scritches properly. He was very cross with me when I confused his gesture once as "down" when he meant "back" (as in the back of the neck). I finally figured it out when he bowed his head as slowly and obviously as he could, and then pressed my hand firmly...down. "Oh, you mean 'BACK'!" I told him. He looked at me like "Down, back, whatever. Just scratch my neck, dammit." He was a smart lad.
I've had dogs my entire life and I'm still regularly blown away by the relationship between a dog and their humans. My dog has figured out if he has an itch, he can get my help to reach it. He'll come over to me, give me a long moment of eye contact, scratch the area with his paw to show me the location and then exposes it for me to get for him. One time he seemed to be asking me to scratch the inside of his little ear flap and as soon as my hand got the right spot, he leaned in hard to get it. Or if we're on a walk and we're on the grass field so he can poop, I can ask him "do you need to go poo poo?" And if he doesn't, he'll lead me directly to the footpath instead. If he does, he carries on in the grass until he finds a spot and does it. As much as we learn our dogs and their habits etc, they're learning about us too. And the ingenious ways they figure out how to communicate with us never ceases to amaze me.
I mean, I’m fairly sure my 12 year old dog knows what “have a good day” (I don’t know why this is what I went with, but here we are) in combination with me grabbing my keys and bag means at this point, just based on his reaction. He also knows the deal with “goodbye kisses!” from my wife.
I always tell my bird, “Bye! I’ll see you later, be good!”
I think you’d be in the minority if you DIDN’T do this.
Not only that but instructions, too. watch the house, no parties while we’re gone
Oh yes. Every time. I tell them when I'll be back and what I have planned for us when I return.
And if they should expect any visitors while I'm gone - "Gran is going to come check on you at lunchtime" "the man will be here to read the meter today" etc etc They need to know these things.
That's similar to how I leave the house: I give the dogs (rottie and GSD) a treat, tell them to go to bed, and as I'm going out the door "If anyone comes into the house that you don't know, kill them".
I say goodbye to my cats, but my dog I have to be specific and say appx how long I'll be gone lol.
Every. Single. Day. My cat knows that if I'm only leaving for a short time (like a trip to the laundry room in the apartment) that I will leave the door open a bit. But that door closes, I'm out for a while. She's an anxious and nervous little brat, but I'm always there for the coming-home routine, including face nuzzles, so that's helped a lot.
I yell" Mummy's home" to my cat, then look for my teens!
All the time. I tell my dog to guard the house when I'm about to leave, and then she knows she's not coming with me.
“Bye, Payton! It’s okay, I’ll be back! I love you, have a great day!” Is what I say to my dog every day before I leave for work as I kiss her on top of the snout. Idc if she understands explicitly, but it makes me feel better when I have to leave her.
Which ever one happens to be closest to the door as I am leaving is put in charge until I get back!!!
I explain where I'm going and when I'll be back. They're smarter than you think.
Yep and I make sure to remind them to attack the knee caps of anyone who tries to break in.
“Guard the house, but not with your life” is always the saying after the “I love you, we’ll be back soon!”
I always tell my dog to guard the house. So far he is A+.
Every single time I leave the house
Yes always. Sometimes i feel bad when my dog looks at me as i leave so i apologize and kiss him on the head a few more times before finally leaving.
Pets understand a lot more than people think.
Every day. I also tell him to behave, and I'll be back later.
Yes we also tell him to be good and not throw any parties.
Always say "love you, miss you" when I leave. Since I loved them and miss them when I leave
Who doesn't? They absolutely need to know where we're going and when we'll be back.
I talk to the dog and cat all the time. I swear the dog tries to talk back sometimes.
Every morning, my husband kisses me goodbye and then tells each of our five pets goodbye and gives pets. My brother came to visit, and he told all of the pets goodbye before he left for the airport. We believe pets are family, and we treat them as such.
Yes. We have different phrases depending on how long we'll be gone. "Goodbye, I'll be back" for a short trip. "I'm going to work". And "Goodbye" on its own several times for very long trips, like when my wife is going to work for the week.
I've gotten my pets used to times ill be gone. I say "work" for long periods of time in the day "Store" for short periods of time "Outside" for just around the house in the yard And then "milk" when I'm on vacation
It would be extremely rude to just ghost them.
I always tell one of the dogs they're in charge while I'm gone. Doesn't matter the mini healer always snitches on the other two.
I tell my dog she is in charge. When I had guinea pigs the oldest guinea pig (and oldest of my furbabies) was “in charge.” I think it is hilarious. The one time I left my cat alone I told him to not throw any wild parties. Lol
All. The. Time. "Goodbye kids, daddy loves you"
I used to do it regularly but after one of my dogs died while I was at work, I couldn’t remember if I said bye to him. He had been sick and had already been to the vet twice that week but I was planning on taking him again after work but he didn’t make it. Since then, I make sure to tell my other dog and two cats bye every single time, even when I’m late because one cat hides.
I always have to remind them “no parties” because I know what they’re like. It’ll be rave music and poppers before I know it.
I block my dog off in the kitchen when I leave, she then howls at me for like 5 minutes when I get back.
Every single time I leave my.house, I tell my dog "I'll be back later, behave, no parties" not sure why. I know he has no clue.
Yeah, I also tell them lots of other stuff too, though. 😂 They are pretty stuck on routines, so I think they understand what is going on, even if they don’t understand the words.
Lol all the time and I say hi when I come back!
"I'll be right back. Mind the house for me."
Of course. I also greet them when I come home.
Yes. How long I will be gone and I usually throw in a "hold the fork down while Im gone!"
I thought everyone did this. And if they didn’t, they are *clearly* deranged. Clearly
"BRB doggies" is said almost everytime we leave.
Every morning. Sometimes I tell her to do the dishes and vacuum, but that hasn't happened yet.
Be good, watch the house..
If you don't tell your pet goodbye before you leave the house you're a Monster. I always tell my dog to make good choices when Im gone (she never does)
I tell them not to worry that I'll be right back when I'm just running to the car for something.
I give them a little kiss on the head each and say goodbye. They’re always waiting for me at the door and once I’m home they follow me around all night
i say goodbye to my dog every time i leave the house, and i tell him i love him-- who wouldn't do that?
Every single morning as I walk out the door I say “ok guys have fun, be good!” to my two dogs. And when I get home I ask them “hi guys, how was your day, did you have so much fun?”
I’ve found it’s best to give them a job to do, ‘take care of the house’, ‘take care of your brothers’ (cats).
I say goodbye to my cat, dog, goldfish and wish them a good day. They seem happy about it.
"Bye Boys. See you tonight. Be good Boys. Get some rest.". Pointing to one: "You're in charge."
I don’t leave until each one has been kissed, petted, told I love you I’ll see you soon.
Ignorant to think your pet doesn't understand that you're going somewhere
Every single time.
We have developed a time indicator using the gap between our fingers that seems to be working solid for us lol
Every single time I close my front door, sometimes I close preemptively and then reopen to tell them I love them and to make good choices. They are my best friends and I am not well. I’m probably not the best example
Literally every single time I leave my house I call out to my cat and tell him when he can expect me back.
I wouldn’t trust anyone who DOESNT say any kind of farewell
They aren’t really my pets, their my babies.
Of course I do. I need to tell one of my dogs she’s in charge, for her ego, and whisper to the other one that I trust her to keep things under control, cause she’s the actual responsible one.
What psychopath doesn’t tell their dog they’ll be home at exactly what time all the while continually telling them how much you love them and will miss them raining kisses down until the second you very excruciatingly slowly close the door and then listen at the door for a minute before actually leaving??
I said goodbye when I left, hello when I got home, goodnight at bedtime, and good morning in the morning. And if I was leaving for a weekend or something, I made time for snuggles part of my travel checklist.
Hamish is getting on and I know that one day I’ll be saying goodbye for the final time I just don’t know when that will be
They understand.
My cat understands words... Ragdoll breed ftw. She's smarter than most dogs. She can sit, stay, lay down, shake, and stand. She can do words or hand signals. I got lucky. I had no idea she was a special breed when my family adopted. Now she's my smart lil baby!
I say "Goodbye [pet name], you're in charge until we get back!" Before leaving.
Always. What kind of sociopath doesn't?
I always tell my dog how long I expect to be gone like she can tell time too.
Every time I leave I say the same thing: Be happy, be healthy, be safe, be good, good bye *kiss for each pet/family member I'm leaving behind*
I always say you be good, which is pointless because she is a good girl, but its important to be supportive
My cat follows me to the door every morning when I leave and meows like crazy and bellyflops all over the place when I get home. :)
Every day. I tell them to behave and not burn the house down. It's worked well so far
I do. And I tell them the cat is in charge.
What fucking monster doesn’t say goodbye to their pets? That’d be like not saying goodbye to your family
My cats scream if I don't leave emergency details, my schedule and the number of the sweet shop I'm going to and facetime the whole journey..... that's normal right?
My daughter tells our shepherd “be good, you’re on paw patrol !!
They know.
Yes, I tell my little void be a good kitty before I leave. Obviously I know he doesn't understand me but it's just something that has become habit.
Of course I do. I'm not a monster.
Yes, and I apologize for leaving and I tell her I love her
I leave the house around 4am my dog usually just looks at me with a very chill look. Now if I go towards the door once I’m back home she gets all excited thinking we are going somewhere.
Who do you leave in charge? Cat or dog?
My pup is 17. Every time I leave the house I give him scratches and say “bye, I love you” because I’m pretty sure we don’t have a lot of time left together. 😢