Page 1 of 1 [ 11 posts ] 

Dear_one
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,720
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines

24 Feb 2020, 8:03 pm

This is mostly for any Temple Grandin types. I just had an idea that might make dogs a lot happier. Videos show that they may be very anxious when left alone. I think that they would like having a timer that would send out occasional signals indicating how much longer they have to wait. They would probably catch on quickly, hearing and/or seeing the same things as you approached. I'd want to be pretty close to on time, though, or have a way to adjust it remotely.
If someone wants to try this, they could just make a long recording, and play it starting from the right point. I'd appreciate any feedback.



CarlM
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Oct 2019
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 831
Location: Long Island, NY

24 Feb 2020, 8:46 pm

This is only for pessimistic dogs. My pooch is an optimist and does fine being left alone.


_________________
ND: 123/200, NT: 93/200, Aspie/NT results, AQ: 34
-------------------------------------------------------------
Fight Climate Change Now - Think Globally, Act locally.


Dear_one
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,720
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines

24 Feb 2020, 8:58 pm

CarlM wrote:
This is only for pessimistic dogs. My pooch is an optimist and does fine being left alone.


If you get a dog trainer drunk, they will admit that they are mostly dog owner trainers. I'm thinking of dogs we know of who are not understood, but whose owners might buy a gadget.



naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,156
Location: temperate zone

25 Feb 2020, 5:37 am

Do dogs think that way?

In the number of minutes to countdown to "when my owner comes home"?



naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,156
Location: temperate zone

25 Feb 2020, 5:41 am

Is this what you have in mind? Film yourself lip synching to Sam and Dave? And then having the video appear on your living room TV set every hour on the hour for the benefit of your dog??? :lol:



Amity
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Mar 2014
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,714
Location: Meandering

25 Feb 2020, 6:00 am

^ :lol:
For the somewhat neurotic nervous disposition dog,
one that's owned and cared for but needs are misunderstood, or a rehomed dog. I think it could work, to keep them out of thinking mode, to add predictability to their lives.



Dear_one
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,720
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines

25 Feb 2020, 8:29 am

naturalplastic wrote:
Is this what you have in mind? Film yourself lip synching to Sam and Dave? And then having the video appear on your living room TV set every hour on the hour for the benefit of your dog??? :lol:



That has no resemblance to my own imaginings, and I think that the words are superfluous. What I have in mind is something that changes each hour or shorter period to indicate the remaining time to wait. There are dogs who hear their owner's car a mile away - this would be like being able to hear it all the time.
Few dogs understand "minutes" but they do have a strong circadian rhythm, often seen when we go off of daylight saving time. If the owner has a regular schedule, just leaving for work, a dog can get used to that, but if absences are unpredictable, each instance can feel like abandonment in a trap. That happens often enough that it is always a worry where communication is weak and one-sided.



Exuvian
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Aug 2016
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 822

27 Feb 2020, 6:55 pm

I see plenty of people who are essentially fused to their phone headsets. Maybe they could be broadcasting their voice to a little speaker on doggo's collar at the same time (as long as it isn't a confidential call that non-dogs could tap into).



naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,156
Location: temperate zone

27 Feb 2020, 7:42 pm

I suppose that they could create a receiver on your dog's collar that picks you up every time you use your cell phone. And then plays your voice, but with deliberate scrambling of the words, so the dog hears the distinctive sound of your voice outloud, but no actual bits of conversation get revealed. So the pet gets to hear the owner's voice. Hearing your voice might be comforting, but it wouldn't do much to convey any information to the pet about your ETA.



Exuvian
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Aug 2016
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 822

27 Feb 2020, 8:23 pm

Maybe you could then also "text" your dog similarly, by sending a tune/tone that would come to be associated with the "I'm on my way home." sound.



Eimaj98
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

Joined: 28 Feb 2020
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Posts: 19
Location: United Kingdom

28 Feb 2020, 7:31 am

My dog hates being left alone, every time I'm going out like to work for example she'll stare at me with a sad expression on her face. As soon as I'm out of the door she runs to the windowsill and puts her front paws onto it so she can watch me get into my car, she'll then stare at my car through the window until it's out of site.

When she hears my car pull back into the driveway she'll run to the front door and jump up at it whilst whining and barking. As soon as I'm through the door her tail wags furiously and I'm covered head to toe in kisses!