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Posted

Rubbish photo, but it is just for fun. Dog can judge perfectly the space behind the concertina, and nips in.

 

So there. I have a small dog and a small musical instrument, and I can't control either of them! :lol:

 

October2008003.jpg

Posted

When I recorded one of my early attempts at playing my auntie said the dog (milo) barked and jumped up and down to it. So it seems I have one fan. :)

Posted (edited)

Dogs seem to have an instinct for howling. It's their way of communicating and they just can't seem to help themselves. When they hear a howl, they return the favor. Or I guess the high pitch sounds could be annoying to them. My mother used to, and still does, play the harmonica and it would drive the dogs nuts, but they wouldn't leave the room, just sit there and howl, or maybe they were whining. Anyway, even though they seem to be attracted to it, I don't think dogs have good taste in music. However, when it comes to food, I hear they're similar to chicken, so white wine would be appropriate. :o :P

 

Edited because I forgot the wine.

Edited by drbones
Posted
Dogs seem to have an instinct for howling. It's their way of communicating and they just can't seem to help themselves. When they hear a howl, they return the favor. Or I guess the high pitch sounds could be annoying to them. My mother used to, and still does, play the harmonica and it would drive the dogs nuts, but they wouldn't leave the room, just sit there and howl, or maybe they were whining. Anyway, even though they seem to be attreacted to it, I don't think dogs have good taste in music. However, when it comes to food, I hear they're similar to chicken, so white wine would be appropriate. :P

 

 

More like a slightly sweet beef. Surprised a pirate didn't know that.

 

Alan

Posted

My friend's border collie, Bella, never made a sound - she just trotted over to me and pawed at my fingers as I played. When that didn't stop me, she retreated under a chair and put her paws over her ears. :ph34r:

Posted
More like a slightly sweet beef. Surprised a pirate didn't know that.

 

Alan

 

Unfortunately, dogs are usually the first to go on the ship since the cats do serve the purpose of catching the bilge rats, another rare delicacy. The Cap'n gets first pick and then the lesser cuts are distributed according to rank. So by the time it gets to me, best I can do is make a necklace out'a the teeth.

Maybe it's all in the preparation, but if you're correct, maybe a merlot?

By the way, I have a great recipe for bilge rat if anyone's interrested.

Posted
My friend's border collie, Bella, never made a sound - she just trotted over to me and pawed at my fingers as I played. When that didn't stop me, she retreated under a chair and put her paws over her ears. :ph34r:

 

Any suggestion that dogs are 'singing' in pleasure at the playing of a Concertina in their presence are, in my opinion, misguided. I have past experience of the situation described by others. I reckon that, amusing as it may appear to some, the unfortunate creature's super-sensitive ears are experiencing actual pain. Dogs which react in this way will behave the same to the sound of the Harmonica, the Accordian, (and quite possibly other instruments), which may produce 'music' to our ears but considerable discomfort to the ears of some, but not all dogs.

 

Forgive me if this subject has already been debated to death. I am fortunate that my current dearly loved dog exhibits no discomfort from my playing.....or is perhaps too polite to express it's feelings !

Posted

Oops. Sorry, I should have checked first. :(

 

No problem. It happens all the time. Old threads lie forgotten in the dusty archive of concertina.net.

Like the photo; you, the dog and the concertina are gorgeous...

My dog would like to leap on my knees while I am playing but he's too big (Labrador like) and waits till I have finished and tries then...

Posted
Any suggestion that dogs are 'singing' in pleasure at the playing of a Concertina in their presence are, in my opinion, misguided. I have past experience of the situation described by others. I reckon that, amusing as it may appear to some, the unfortunate creature's super-sensitive ears are experiencing actual pain. Dogs which react in this way will behave the same to the sound of the Harmonica, the Accordian, (and quite possibly other instruments), which may produce 'music' to our ears but considerable discomfort to the ears of some, but not all dogs.

 

Forgive me if this subject has already been debated to death. I am fortunate that my current dearly loved dog exhibits no discomfort from my playing.....or is perhaps too polite to express it's feelings !

 

Well I am not at all sure about that; why does my dog look very offended when I make him leave the room while I am playing! And why does he prefer to sit in front of me, when he can escape into the silent Breton countryside?!

Posted
I reckon that, amusing as it may appear to some, the unfortunate creature's super-sensitive ears are experiencing actual pain.

 

I'm not sure, Rod, because as Chiton says, they could always just leave the room!

 

My scrappy mutt is off like a shot on the rare occasions when I switch the hoover on. He doesn't howl at the concertina or the electric guitar, but the electric violin through the amplifier gets him going. He also howls at the phone ringing if he thinks he's alone and no-one is answering it. He doesn't howl at it if we're here.

 

I think there's some primitive wolf communication thing going on. They did have electric amplifiers and phones in the Stone Age, didn't they? :rolleyes:

Posted

I have a friend who has been a veterinarian in California for thirty years. He plays banjo and dobro and always has a dog or two around the house. He had this to say:

 

Until we learn to directly communicate with dogs, there will be nothing definite. Here's my take: a dog will scream (as in pain) when we step on a tail or paw. Secondly, the dog will withdraw the tail/paw to avoid further pain. But they howl for some other reason, e.g., a siren or concertina. If the sound were actually painful would a dog not move away to another room? I don't think that they are in pain, but what do I know? I never got a good answer from any dog, though I've asked many times.

 

My own thought is that the dog's howling bothers us more than the stimulus that led to his howling bothered the dog.

Posted

Hard to believe a dog that hears the concertina in the distance and comes and complains outside a closed door until he is let in so that he can sing along with his tune (he has a favourite) is in pain.

 

This is Pickles, a springer spaniel. He comes and leans against my leg with his head back and gives it his all to 'The Iron Duke', one of the few morris tunes I know. He picked up on just this one at first, then started improvising with others; this was obviously going to get difficult so I started telling him 'No, that's not your tune', and he picked the idea with very little persuading, so I could practice without 'help', albeit with a spaniel hovering excitedly waiting for his turn.

 

We left him with my parents when we emigrated. After a year's break he recognised Iron Duke and was beside himself with joy to have a sing. I've no doubts on the subject. Certainly, my dog loves it.

Posted
My friend's border collie, Bella, never made a sound - she just trotted over to me and pawed at my fingers as I played. When that didn't stop me, she retreated under a chair and put her paws over her ears. :ph34r:

 

I reckon that, amusing as it may appear to some, the unfortunate creature's super-sensitive ears are experiencing actual pain.

 

My current DIR (dog-in-residence) is an English springer who has no such problem with my concertina playing. Nor have the three springers who preceded her. I can only conclude that either my playing has improved since Bella's days (early 1980s), or that Border collies have superior tastes in music. B)

Posted
When I recorded one of my early attempts at playing my auntie said the dog (milo) barked and jumped up and down to it. So it seems I have one fan. :)

 

haha LTD, i totally thought your signature was a hamburger with sesame seeds!

Guest Peter Laban
Posted

The resident teenager:

 

 

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