Good listeners
You’ve probably noticed this before, but dogs are very good listeners. We hear it all: romances gone bad, successes or screw ups at work, talking yourself into exercising, complaining about your family members... You may wonder how we got so good at this, and it didn’t come easily - it was honed over decades of relationships! But now we’re pretty dang good at it. What’s our secret? We're active listeners!
It sounds easy and obvious, but really it’s trickier than you might imagine. With information at a fire hose level these days, many of us settle for passive listening - a one-way communication where the receiver doesn’t provide feedback, ask questions, and may not understand what’s being said. Most cats I know are passive listeners (if it's not about food they’re out).
Active listening is where it’s at for building relationships and trust, and maybe even getting a treat! All you have to do is really listen. Not just wait until it’s your turn to talk; hear what is said and show you’re listening by asking follow up questions - or maybe licking their face or putting your head on their lap, that usually works too. It takes empathy, attention and practice, but trust me humans, it’s woof it.
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