@Fiddle_wood, Cant really see it because he is so dark, but the black dogās got his head on my leg like a pillow, I know what you mean! & yes while those mismatched sheets dont look the best, theyāre super easy to keep clean & swap out, unlike upholstery!
Picking with dogs
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@D_HRRFan7303 your dogās kinda like my sisterās dog but a little braverā¦ you cant even sit near him, hes long gone as far away as possible with freaked out eyes so big they look like theyāre gonna pop out of his head! I guess youāve gotta start them off young? Ours are all rescue dogs, & under a year old when we got them from the pound.
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@Dragonslayer Thank you! I was pretty sure you knew that one! Iāve been breaking up camp practice songs (not going as good as Iād like them to go 
) with Irish songs cuz tis the season and theyāre so fun to play. The dogs & the cats like it. I will say dogs are much easier to pick with than cats. Dogs sit on your feet, lean on you like a pillow, but the cats, they actually get up on you
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@Lone_Wolf yup ours love it two (we have 3 dogs) &they all like it & actually the two in the vid were trying to go to sleep, & Iāve also wondered, āman is this so bad Iām putting them to sleep or so good theyāre content enuff to sleep!ā Iām definitely overanalyzing lolš¤£!!
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I know what you mean. My dogs donāt like the vacuum cleaner but theyāre ok with my banjo playing so at least i donāt sound like the vacuum cleaner 
Thatās a little reassuring
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Mine either they bark their fool heads off over it.
So then its agreed at least neither of us sound like the vacuum 
!
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Mine look at the vacuum and walk around it close to the wall as they can 
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Good job @Simone Next time your sisters dog visits, give the 
a few minutes to smell the mandolin before you play. Play some low notes and let the 
: sniff again. Then give the 
a treat. Repeat the process a few times soon he/she will be snuggling on the sofa with the other dogs whilst you play.
Just one final question. Is your sister **petrified ** of the mandolin. It could be that she is passing on her apprehension to the dog.
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Sounds great @Simone . I remember an episode of The Andy Griffith Show where a goat stays calm with Barneyās harmonica playing. For the record your mandolin sounds better than Barneyās harmonica.
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Ours is a rescue too, got her around 12 weeks, but I didnāt start playing music for a few months after we got her.
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And A LOT better than Barneyās cymbalsā¦ 
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Definitely better than his singing voice
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My dogsā only reaction to my music is when I play harmonica, they howl. And I have no clue if thatās good or badā¦ but they live outside and I usually play inside
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Thanks @Archie !
We did try showing her dog the mando in a quiet way so he could sniff it, but he wasnt having any of that, he was quite sure it was not to be trustedā¦
(perhaps in my hands that is true lol !!) & my sister likes string music, she just doesnāt play any of it herselfā¦
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It can take time with many repetitionsā¦it did with Otisā¦heās afraid of every thing new.
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Donāt forget the treat, once the dog associates the mandolin a treat it will help to calm him. It may take a few attempts.
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I used to have a cat (Sam) that loved guitar. He would come hang out when he heard it. He especially liked it when it was a classical piece. Heād get real close to the guitar and purr loudly. As a result of my time with Sam, I got used to that. I thought it was kind of neat that music seemed to be a universal language. A dog (Gandalf) adopted me years later. I was surprised when I noticed that he would slink off whenever an instrument was in hand. I took it as an assessment of my playing. 
Over time, I figured out that it was certain guitars he didnāt like. I wondered (still do) if it was something about the overtones. Anyway, Gandalf has been with me 8 years now and he hangs around regardless of which instrument I grab (or how poorly I play it).
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