# do you baby-talk your pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022 "2013-10-11T20:40:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/21 "2013-10-12T01:51:09Z")
I try not to, but some times I catch myself doing it anyway. There is a disturbing lack of doggie pictures in this thread. Sancho, having a good scratch [http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/1214/ff8j.jpg](http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/1214/ff8j.jpg) At the Groomers [http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/7231/6rv1.jpg](http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/7231/6rv1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/22 "2013-10-12T02:16:27Z")
Guilty. “Lily-pooch. Who’s my Lily-pooch!” Etc. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/23 "2013-10-12T02:21:09Z")
I absolutely do, and it’s kind of hysterical when strangers are around. Pandora is about 140 pounds, with an equally huge bark, and folks seem to find her intimidating (even though she’s a giant fraidy cat,) so I use a singsong voice to calm her around unfamiliar people. J.O. is a police K9, trained for narcotics detection, tracking, and bite work, plus he has that intensity common to Belgian malinoises, but I’m his mommy: he transforms from hellhound to goofy marshmallow as soon as I start the baby talk. (He’s only a marshmallow with “his” girls, though. He plays with Tony or Zack, but is never submissive. I guess he doesn’t worry about the pack hierarchy among us females, and knows good and well that I’m always the alpha bitch!) ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/24 "2013-10-12T02:27:07Z")
I say ‘mommy loves you’ or ‘how’s my baby?’ a lot. It may make me look like an idiot but I, like others upthread, don’t see how it’s disrespectful. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/25 "2013-10-12T02:49:17Z")
Of course not. My cats are fully grown, so I speak to them like adults. ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/26 "2013-10-12T03:29:16Z")
I talk shit to Chuck just like all my other friends. [Chuck](http://www.flickr.com/photos/11336851@N04/8046014330/) ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/27 "2013-10-12T03:57:19Z")
Ooh, I didn’t know we were allowed to add pictures. None of these is the baby talk type. [The Dark One](http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/rhiannon8404/2013-06-06100111.jpg) [Blue](http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/rhiannon8404/2013-09-29121348.jpg) [Georgie](http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/rhiannon8404/2013-06-11104033.jpg) [Sonny](http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p4/rhiannon8404/goofysonny-1.jpg) (sneak peek of **Suburban Plankton** in the background) ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/28 "2013-10-12T08:12:22Z")
My wife has 2 way conversations with our dog. Somehow the dog has mastered the art of channeling its verbal responses through my wife and it always comes out of her mouth at a much higher pitch. As an example, the dog might stand at the back door and my wife asks, “Do you want to go out?” and in a higher pitch the dog apparently takes control of my wife and she says in a squeaky voice, “Why the hell do you think I’m standing here you dumb two legged creature?” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/29 "2013-10-12T08:59:47Z")
Yes I do, and I sing to them when I’m preparing their food. And they meow along with me. I have no shame. ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/30 "2013-10-12T09:10:42Z")
> [@Dereknocue67](#): > > My wife has 2 way conversations with our dog. Somehow the dog has mastered the art of channeling its verbal responses through my wife and it always comes out of her mouth at a much higher pitch. As an example, the dog might stand at the back door and my wife asks, “Do you want to go out?” and in a higher pitch the dog apparently takes control of my wife and she says in a squeaky voice, “Why the hell do you think I’m standing here you dumb two legged creature?” I do the same thing. Except for the squeaky part. Chuck’s voice is deeper than mine.😉 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/31 "2013-10-12T09:17:07Z")
Of course I don’t. Your sister is correct it is profoundly disrespectful. I do however use baby talk with the women at work. Their feminism is so cute. You know that pretty, pretty glass ceiling and all. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/32 "2013-10-12T10:31:44Z")
Of course I do. Otherwise, she thinks I’m just talking to the TV. [Abby Normal, Queen of the Couch](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/12/daha5ave.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/33 "2013-10-12T11:06:17Z")
Not so much baby talk as silly nicknames. Higgs might be Higglet or Higgoletto. Taz has been called Tazburger or Tazaramadingdong. Oddly enough, Ziva only gets called Pretty Girl, because she is. OK, I will tell Higgs to “Go bother your daddy” when she’s being a nuisance and I’m trying to do something, but I don’t do it in a baby-talk voice. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/34 "2013-10-12T11:31:11Z")
I don’t baby talk _to_ my cat, but I do use a certain tone of voice when I’m talking on her behalf. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/35 "2013-10-12T12:01:59Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Of course I don’t. Your sister is correct it is profoundly disrespectful. > > I do however use baby talk with the women at work. Their feminism is so cute. You know that pretty, pretty glass ceiling and all. They really get a kick out of it if you do this while holding their chair/door. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/36 "2013-10-12T16:36:09Z")
Sure I do. My Shar Pei (blind, and the younger of my 2 dogs) particularly eats it up. Me: “WHO’S THE BABY?” SP: _wag wag wag wag_ Me: “WHO’S THE BABY? WHO’S THE BABY GIRL??” SP: _wag wag wag wag wag wag_ Around that point my Jackabee barges in and jumps up, wanting lovins’ too. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/37 "2013-10-12T18:56:23Z")
Hell yes, I do! He’s a dog, so it’s not like his language development will be affected. 😉 Plus, dogs seem to respond better to how your voice _sounds_. Sing-songy or silly baby talk tones let him know what I want or what mood I’m in. On the other hand, I never ever use baby talk on actual babies. Sounds silly, but I feel embarrassed to do it, since one day they’ll understand language. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/38 "2013-10-12T19:14:46Z")
Not only do I do baby talk, I meow with my cats and actively encourage my dogs to howl with me. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/39 "2013-10-12T19:17:37Z")
Yes. It used to drive my mother nuts before she moved out. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022/40 "2013-10-12T21:08:52Z")
No, i want my pets to learn good grammar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-baby-talk-your-pets/671022.md?page=3)