“Good Boy” Don’t Get It! Pet That Pooch! — Dave’s Diary

If you could talk to the animals –your dog would probably say something like park the praise and pour on the petting!

When Fido fetches your slippers on command, he's doing it for the well-deserved scratch behind the ear, not to hear you tell him what a good boy he is. How do we know this?  Researchers from the University of Florida and Arizona State University found that dogs never tired of being petted and preferred physical attention to vocal praise. Think about it, how many times has your dog walked away in mid-pet?  Never?  Let’s face it, your arm would have to fall off before your dog would give up on the belly rub.

Perhaps the most telling without talking is the fact that most dogs won't even respond to the vocal praise of anyone but their owner, but will happily accept physical affection from anyone, even a stranger. (Daily Mail)