Re: [Harp-L] My dogs hate my harp playing

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had a dog that howled every time I played, too.  I was never sure if she was distressed, or just wanted to join in.  My guess is the latter, since if she was distressed all she'd have had to do was leave the room.  Neither of the dogs I live with now has ever shown any reaction to my playing, except sometimes they do leave the room when I'm playing through an amp.

I had a friend who had Lynrd Skynrd, Allman Brothers, and Clapton on his stereo every minute of every day.  He didn't play any instrument himself; he just loved bluesy rock.  One day at his house, I began to play along with Clapton's "Cocaine."  My friend had a Golden Retriever, and that dog was so excited at my playing that she jumped up, put her paws on my chest, and began licking my face.   I don't really know what made her so excited, but I think that it may have been that this was the first time she'd ever actually seen a human being play a musical instrument.  In other words, she was excited because she'd just found out where all that music she'd been listening to all her life came from.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com