Do your pets like your playing?

Scott Thomas · Posted 20 Aug 2019 8:53 pm

I just read a story about a musician who volunteers at his local animal shelter playing the works of Bach and other classical composers for the animals on his violin. He says it soothes the traumatized dogs.

I haven't had a pet for a long time, but I did have a cat who would leave the room when I plugged in my steel guitar! (a rude commentary on my playing?)

But by the same token, he liked when I played mellow finger style "slack key" on my acoustic guitar and would happily curl up and listen.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

My dog listens to me for hours, but he's a rescue dog so maybe he's just being polite because he has a roof over his head.

One thing he can't stand is if I put on a CD of classical guitar - the squeaks between the fret positions send him running.
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

My cat, who is no longer alive, used to stick around when I played steel or acoustic guitar, I think he even relaxd when he heard me play. No so with the electric guitar.
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Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

When we used to rehearse at the bass player's place, Darla, their little black Scottie dog, enjoyed my mouth organ work so much she always sang along.

More recently I've had a semi-regular gig pet-sitting for a wealthy woman that requires overnighting for days or weeks at a time. The house is alone in a rural setting, so I set up one of my little Emmons student models and the old Mini-Brute II in the great room and let 'er rip. Yoda, her Bernese Mountain Dog (like having a pony in the house), lays down in front of the speaker and goes to sleep. Somewhat reminiscent of Don Randall's famous "little deaf girl" Fender Twin advertisement from 1959.

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

My cat has her very own pair of CDs by Pinar Somakci on qanun. She will come from anywhere in the house or wake up from a sound sleep to jump up on the computer desk and sit between the speakers when I put one on. So she loves quanun but I don't have one anymore and she has to make do with a CD. She likes oud, Glissentar, bouzouki, baglama, saz, mandolin, slack key and archtop guitars. Cumbus is too loud for her sensitive ears, bass and Fender Bass VI have too much low end, and most electric guitar is too loud. Pedal or lap steel makes her look around when the pitch bends, she will look in the back of the amp and stand up with her paws on whatever it is to watch the bar move.
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Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Our dog starts to howl along with my wife whenever she plays piano, and with me whenever I play guitar or, especially, steel guitar. But, I must say, I don't necessarily think these are howls of enjoyment. He'll keep it up for a few minutes, then leave the room. Perhaps "howls of protest"? Smile

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Larry Carlson · From: My Computer

My wife and I were in to greyhound rescue for 20+ years.
In the kennels we played classical music 24/7.
Not loudly, just as a background to help keep them calm, especially the new dogs.
It really did help.

As for our dogs, when they see me turn on my amp they immediately leave the house,
go across the street and warn their dogs and then leave the neighborhood for an hour or so.
I occasionally find the power cord to the amp pulled out of the wall and chewed in half.
Everyone hates a critic.
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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

This is the reaction I get:

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

My son brought his rescue dog over last December during the holidays and the only thing that settled that dog down was listening to Barbra Streisand's Christmas album! Hah! Now there's a dog with good taste! Smile

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Roddy Ring · From: Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Our dog will occasionally howl for the steel guitar but without fail to the harmonica. I'm pretty sure those are howls of pleasure since her tail wags all along. Once she squeezed out a fart, so I could be wrong.

Curt Trisko · From: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

My dog was my earliest fan. When I'd tool around on my steel, she'd come on over and lay down nearby. I had to say goodbye to her about a month ago. She found her way into a few videos I made and posted to YouTube:

https://youtu.be/0t4iBTnY57k

Charley Hill · From: The Dirty South

Dixie prefers C6th ...
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Brooks Montgomery · From: Idaho, USA

Rosie always walks over to my guitar corner and sits and listens. Especially on blues tunes. Sheâ€™s my muse Laughing

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Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I had a little tabby cat named Tinkerbell, and right after I got my Jackson pedal steel, we set it up in the guest room of the house, and the guest room was actually Tinkerbell's favorite room in the house because she liked to go in there to lay on the bed and sleep. Well, I decided one day I was gonna go in there to play some steel, so I walk in there, and little Tinkerbell at first thought things were gonna be okay for her, no noise, but then I sit down at the steel and turn on the amplifier, and play some notes. She then looked up at me, and with a "Meow", she walked out of the room. Either I disturbed her sleep or she didn't like my playing, who knows, LOL! I had another cat at the same time, a tabby named Dillweed, and I think he liked my steel, he actually thought it was his bed cause he liked laying on the pad, but I wondered if he just wanted to protect it

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Brett,
No, he was trying to keep you from playing it. Laughing

Erv

Tommy Boswell · From: Virginia, USA

My dog lays down behind the amp as close as he can get. And he howls along when I play "Am I Blue". He starts moaning as soon as he hears me vamping the rhythm on the low frets, and howls when I play the melody on upper frets. He's got more talent than me!

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I hate a critic! Very Happy

Erv

Kenneth Kotsay · From: Davie/Ft Lauderdale, Florida

No, but my cat watches T.V. with me, she loves to see birds flying on the TV screen.

Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

My cat is a bit of a hippie, he loves it when I play sitar for some reason...
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Ronald Heinzel · From: Hollister, California, USA

I donâ€™t know how she can sleep !

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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Heck. My dog plays better than me.
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Ronald Sikes · From: Corsicana, Tx

My wife used to have a black toy Poodle named Cash (RIPðŸ˜¥). I used to ask him how my playing sounded and his comment was always the same. â€œRuff .....Ruff â€œ
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Jason OConnor · From: Massachusetts, USA