Originally Posted by
DropBarFan
Just observe animal behavior: calm contented dogs don't talk to each other. Mama dogs don't talk to their puppies. When a cyclist rides by dogs, their prime interest is to defend their territory. Yes, some breeds are calmer & some individuals like to make friends but chances are if one talks to random dogs you're just annoying them & perhaps reinforcing their territorial behavior, making things worse for other cyclists.
Once on tour I stopped at a fence next to a horse farm. A younger horse wanted to come over to the fence to check me out but the dominant horse wouldn't allow it so I left. We can love animals without anthropomorphizing them.
You are correct about animals not talking, at least not like humans. But if you're suggesting dogs don't communicate with their pups or other dogs or even humans, you've never been around many. Horses are very vocal animals also.
Back on topic, I talk to all the animals I see. Dogs, cats, turkeys, deer, horses, cows, and of course humans. And on most occasions, I even talk to myself....