two essential Dog books
A Big Little Life - Dean Koontz
and no less
Merle’s Door : Lessons From a Freethinking Dog - Ted Kerasote
A Big Little Life - Dean Koontz
and no less
Merle’s Door : Lessons From a Freethinking Dog - Ted Kerasote
Canine Listeners?
Does anybody have a pup who actively listens to their system?
Years ago we had two labs. They were my listening buddies in the sense that when I sat down for music time, they curled up on the couch and provided lovely furry company.
Last week we brought home a 7.5 week-old lab puppy. The very first night at home, I sat him down on the couch and put on some jazz at medium volume, maybe 70-75 dB. He perked up immediately and sat in my lap in the sweet spot. Baby pups seem to have an attention span of about two minutes, but the little guy sat in rapt attention for almost half an hour! He wasn't asleep, wasn't going crazy. Calmly listening! He was surfing that fine line between curiosity and fear, and my lap made a safe place from which to do it. A trumpet in the left channel would captivate him, then he'd dart his head to a drumkit on the other side of the soundstage: "Hello hi-hat!"
It was as if I could watch his tiny-baby neurons firing away. "Dad, why the hell is a saxophone in the room?" Then, "DAD, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS A SAXOPHONE?"
I keep waiting for him to get a bit jaded by it all and lose that sense of wonder. But for three more nights in a row now, he's remained transfixed by the sound floating out of the speakers.
What are your dogs like at music time?
Years ago we had two labs. They were my listening buddies in the sense that when I sat down for music time, they curled up on the couch and provided lovely furry company.
Last week we brought home a 7.5 week-old lab puppy. The very first night at home, I sat him down on the couch and put on some jazz at medium volume, maybe 70-75 dB. He perked up immediately and sat in my lap in the sweet spot. Baby pups seem to have an attention span of about two minutes, but the little guy sat in rapt attention for almost half an hour! He wasn't asleep, wasn't going crazy. Calmly listening! He was surfing that fine line between curiosity and fear, and my lap made a safe place from which to do it. A trumpet in the left channel would captivate him, then he'd dart his head to a drumkit on the other side of the soundstage: "Hello hi-hat!"
It was as if I could watch his tiny-baby neurons firing away. "Dad, why the hell is a saxophone in the room?" Then, "DAD, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS A SAXOPHONE?"
I keep waiting for him to get a bit jaded by it all and lose that sense of wonder. But for three more nights in a row now, he's remained transfixed by the sound floating out of the speakers.
What are your dogs like at music time?
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Thanks @cymbop , we've gotten pictures of the litter she had a week ago and are anxious to meet our next family member. It's been a long time since I've had a puppy as we adopted our last lab when she was two. Sorry for your loss @mapman , it's such a hard thing to go through. I don't have any children of my own so they become them and while I know it can't be compared to losing a real child it's still very tough. Our Sammy was familiar with Seamus as well but not knowing dog language intimately not sure if she was responding happily. |
Thanks. He was a very good and very smart dog. Scary smart! My wife and daughter miss him most. She is a tough judge but refers to him as the perfect dog and hard to argue with that. If one can get their dog to listen to music on their hifi with them, then I would say things are going well in many ways and life is good in yet another way for at least some short period of time. |
So we had to put down our Jack a couple months back. He was 16 years old and we finally did it only once he was basically out of it totally and not interested in even eating anymore. He stopped showing interest in the music around the same time as he lost interest in chasing balls, squirrels, foxes, etc. So it seemed basically an age thing. He was tuned into the music still as recently as say two years ago. Of course all dogs are different but I’d say he definitely lost interest gradually in most things over time including eventually even food. Standard stuff with age I would say for dogs and similarly even humans I would say. Also I should mention his hearing was not good for the last year or so, only reacting to very loud startling noises (he stopped being afraid of thunder which used to drive him as far as into seizures on occasion) so likely the decline in interest in music corresponded to hearing loss. His eyes were sharp up until the end though. When he heard the music on the Ohms though, he laid there calmly intently focused on the music as evidenced by his ear twitches and head movements corresponding to what was played where in the soundstage. Jack Russell Terriers are highly wired dogs so that is no easy feat. HE was clearly focusing in on different elements of the recording that got his attention at different times as it played. He loved classical music and Bach in particular. https://photos.app.goo.gl/3SVwibiSkBMbTven6 Note his "sweet spot" for listening. A sweet spot with imaging and soundstage only possible with very wide dispersion speakers like Ohms so that helps explain his interest. It used to be fun playing "Seamus" from Pink Floyd Meddle album. He thought it was a live dog and responded appropriately coming to alert and barking back. Dogs. Gotta love ’em... |
@tomic601 , what a sweet girl Esperanza was! 17+ is an unbelievable run to enjoy with a Lab. @mapman , this is what I'm talkin' about! In your case, did the effect fade as he aged, or did he keep with it? I'm still guessing for me this is a Puppy Thing, but we've listened 4 nights in a row now and he keeps listening. Early on, he'll traverse the width of the couch to follow whichever instrument has the lead. Once he's gets really sleepy and can't hold his head up, he still makes an effort to lay down with his head pointing forward, square with the speakers. He is all about it. @dadork, I know you know, but nonetheless a happy reminder. Except for listening, Lab puppies exist in only the following modes: sleep, eat/drink, piss/poop, and DESTROY. It's a bunch of damn work in the early months and years, but I think it's all worthwhile. |
One night playing Tchaikovsky 1812 Lassie ran in, gave me "the look" and when I didn't "get it" she went over and started staring intently at the conditioner. Then she looks at me like, "Well??!" What is it, Lassie? What is it, girl? Actually she's looking behind the conditioner. So I go have a look. Sure enough, one of the Schumann generators had come unplugged. Good girl, Lassie! Wonder if I can train her to do Cable Elevator demos? |
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to the OP congrats on your new Lab ;-)))) Here she is holding court at HiFi Buys in Atlanta, auditioning amplifiers..... https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/3803#&gid=1&pid=6 |
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7106#&gid=1&pid=11 She just wanted to hang with Dad....sadly gone after almost 18 years. A tube warmth zealot if ever there was one... |
I will soon be getting a lab pup after losing our 13 year old lab last June. Looking forward to it. We have four cats as well. Three of the 4 like being patted aggressively in rhythm with drums and one was actively looking around the room to where they perceived the sound coming from. I had a pair of floor standers and one of the woofers were about cat ear level and I was always concerned about damaging their hearing. Bookshelves now but they still walk near the subs from time to time. |