Dogs: Grammar Police?

How do you speak to your dog? Did you teach them German – a common language for dogs to pick up easily? Are you using proper English like that in Shakespeare or high school English 101?

When you can’t even use proper lingo for a text or status update, does it matter what is instructed to your dog when it’s actually heard and followed?

It’s such a question that others have actually thought about before now – me, not so much. Until it was pointed out to me that it should be “Lie down, doggie” not “Lay down, doggie” I was oblivious to the concern some people had about how I talked to my dog. I just thought they were paying attention to the fact that the dog obeyed, not that I she was learning proper English.

The situation did have me learn something and for that I can be thankful but still wonder about so much. Like, do some people believe are animals concerned with spelling and tense as well? Are people more concerned with how others speak, treat others, or act themselves? I “googled” the idea, as many do these days, and it’s true – people are questioning the proper way to talk to their dog. Interesting…

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland