Do You Tell Your Dog When You're Leaving The House And When You'll Be Back?
Malorie Thompson
I have a dog named Jax, and it doesn't matter how long I leave the house for - when I come home, it's as if I was gone for weeks.
I could run to my neighbor's house for 10 minutes, and he'll get so excited when I come back home. It's really adorable, but it also makes me feel bad for leaving the house without him.
Jax waiting for me to get home. Photo: Malorie Thompson
To ease my own guilt, I always tell Jax that I'm leaving and when I'll be back. I say something like, "I'm going to __, be back soon. Watch the house for me."
Apparently, I'm not the only one who tells my dog when I'm leaving and what time I'll be back.
A Reddit user by the name of Naomi took to the subreddit r/NoStupidQuestions to ask the follow:
"Whenever you leave your house, do you always tell your dog what time you'll be back?"
Photo: Pexels/Bethany Ferr
Hundreds of people chimed in with their thoughts on the topic.
"One day I was running very late. I didn’t say goodbye to the dog or tell him when I was going to be back. By the time I got to the end of the sidewalk, the volume of the howl had risen to ambulance levels. Needless to say, I went back and went through the whole ritual. I was extremely late and heavily criticized, but my dog was much happier. My animals are more faithful to me than any employer has ever been," one person said.
"I give him kisses and tell him where I'm going and how long I'll be gone. Yes, I do this every day, every time," another person commented.
People in the comments seemed to have strong opinions on the topic, with the overwhelming majority agreeing that they do talk to their pets before leaving.
Photo: Pexels/W O L F Λ R T
VCA Animal Hospitals explains that while dogs don't technically know human language, they can pick up on a lot and can learn to read body language, tones, etc.
Personally, it gives me peace of mind saying bye to my pooch every time I leave and telling him when I'll be home - even if he doesn't fully understand.
If you have a dog, do you have a routine way you say goodbye when you leave the house?
