Yes! :) Animals talk with their energy, body language and behaviours. I stop to meet and greet almost every dog I see.
We have therapy dogs here too -- great for assisting kids with autism spectrum, emotional problems or cognitive disabilities. Also great in old age homes, and for people with depression. Poodles would be one of the best breeds - intelligent, gentle, patient, steady, tolerant, and love being sociable. I know of one who can smell the aura of imminent grand mal and/or diabetic episode, and she's has passed the trait to all her pups! :)
Guess you've heard of equine therapies too? Linda Kohanov and Monty Roberts - two of the earliest exponents - brilliant work.
I love long answers when the words add depth and fullness to a point.
While attention, insight, and memory are crucial to good conversations, I think interest in what others have to say is probably what makes the best free-wheeling dialogues.
This post was edited by inky at September 19, 2018 4:33 AM MDT