# Well, that's a first. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 17, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529 "2017-07-17T20:08:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/1 "2017-07-17T20:08:35Z")
_Being vague so as not to out the forum_ I just recently joined a forum about the care, feeding, and training of pets. Today I discovered a sub forum for the “pets” to talk to each other. It states “PETS only!” and allows “Fluffy” and “Spike” to talk openly with each other. People literally make separate accounts for “Fluffy” or “Spike” and have those animals “chat” in the sub forum.:smack: Whatever floats your boat, but it is a little creepy considering these people are very knowledgeable about food, vet care, etc and don’t do the “cutsey wootsy” crap in any other part of the forum. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/2 "2017-07-17T20:31:54Z")
Technically, the owners may have set up the accounts, and voice recognition software is being used to allow the pets to [communicate with each other](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vosSCmDNeW4). ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/3 "2017-07-17T20:44:30Z")
It may be a nice quiet corner to put the weirdies, to keep them out of the way and not have to deal with them in the main rooms. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/4 "2017-07-18T00:17:01Z")
Those fucking Sheep are _GODDAMN LIARS!_ ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/5 "2017-07-18T00:57:52Z")
What about those who are not fucking sheep? Or so they say… ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/6 "2017-07-18T05:39:38Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > People make separate accounts for “Fluffy” or “Spike” and have those animals “chat” in the sub forum. > > but\*\* it is a little creepy\*\* considering these people are very knowledgeable about food, vet care, etc and don’t do the “cutsey wootsy” crap in any other part of the forum. What’s creepy about it? It sounds like a cute idea to me. After all, the only reason to have a pet is to go all cutsey wootsy with 'em when they curl up on your bed with you. Life is silly sometimes. ( And cats are silly all the time 🙂 )---- So they set aside a separate sub-forum for the silly stuff. And another question–maybe for the OP, maybe for the mods: > [@](#): > > Being vague so as not to out the forum Why the need for secrecy? It’s apparently a perfectly legit and useful web site about pet care and veterinary issues. Why not cite it, just like we dopers provide cites in most threads? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/7 "2017-07-18T16:57:15Z")
I agree that many pets are cute, but I would expect to share pictures and anecdotes, not have pets ‘talk’. I’m reminded of the Dog Whisperer show where Cesar Millan demonstrates great knowledge of dogs and how to successfully interact with them. Now it’s clear Cesar is genuine, using his knowledge of pack behaviour. However one guest on the show was a ‘dog psychic’, who claimed she could tell what dogs were thinking. Sadly she couldn’t control her dog and didn’t know what the problem was. :smack: Cesar kindly sorted things out - but I wanted to ask the ‘psychic’ “Why don’t you ask your dog?!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/8 "2017-07-18T18:17:36Z")
How pute!(Cute+puke) ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/9 "2017-07-19T02:27:39Z")
What do the pets discuss in this sub-forum, out of interest? Do they communicate in English or their native tongues? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/10 "2017-07-19T02:45:09Z")
Why the hell would any cat bother to learn how to speak dog, let alone _want_ to? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/11 "2017-07-19T02:51:12Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Why the hell would any cat bother to learn how to speak dog, let alone _want_ to? Most animals also speak some form of Bird. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/12 "2017-07-19T02:55:39Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > What’s creepy about it? > It sounds like a cute idea to me. After all, the only reason to have a pet is to go all cutsey wootsy with 'em when they curl up on your bed with you. > … Sure, in bed. Talking for them over the internet is disturbing. Even my dog says so. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/13 "2017-07-19T03:05:03Z")
As the owner of what are objectively the cutest dogs in the Western Hemisphere, I think it’s sad in a “Lonely People Who Coo To Their Pets In Baby Talk” way… I’d check it out, but I’m afraid I’d go into insulin shock from a sweetness overdose. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/14 "2017-07-19T03:17:46Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Most animals also speak some form of Bird. All birds speak some form of Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/15 "2017-07-19T05:21:17Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I’m reminded of the Dog Whisperer show where Cesar Millan demonstrates great knowledge of dogs and how to successfully interact with them. Millan relies on outdated understanding and forceful techniques. [http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2007250,00.htm](http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2007250,00.htm) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/16 "2017-07-19T11:23:40Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > It may be a nice quiet corner to put the weirdies, to keep them out of the way and not have to deal with them in the main rooms. Well, why not? We’ve done the same thing here only we call the forum Elections. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thats-a-first/791529/17 "2017-07-19T16:54:49Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Millan relies on outdated understanding and forceful techniques. [http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2007250,00.htm](http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2007250,00.htm) I second **araminty** on this, and suggest further reading: > **[Home](https://cattledogpublishing.com/)** > > Home