Do your pets like the sound of your upright?

My family adopted a chihuahua, terrier, beagle mix five years ago when I was in my second year of college. When I came back home for Thanksgiving, that was my first time meeting him and the first time he met my bass. He was curious about it when I took it out to practice, but the moment I plucked a note he freaked out. He backed up initially, started barking, and then ran off. After enough visits back home he got used to it and now it doesn't bother him one bit. All my other pets couldn't care less. Although my cat uses my bass, when it's in its case, as a highway to climb around my room and sleeps on it sometimes.

 

The ones that are still alive seem to like it.
Bwahahaha....

 

I use to have part-time custody of a terrier who liked to sleep at my feet in between me and my bass while I practiced... I miss that...

 

When I bring my bass to my keyboardist's house, his new pup is quick to nibble on dried hide glue and the ends of the gut strings coming off the headstock.

 

Our basset hound doesn't care one way or the other, but he will lie down on the floor in the middle of a rehearsal with other people. But then he lies down all the time...

Our "shrug dog" doesn't mind the bass but when my wife starts on the harmonica she goes ballistic.

 

My cat Thomas will come from anywhere in the house when I start playing bass and rub and twist around my legs and the lower bouts. But then he’s quite a vocalist himself.

 

My old lab mix absolutely loves to listen to me practice on the double bass. No interest at all when I play the electric. Sometimes will try to lean against my legs, like he can't get close enough. And it certainly ain't the magnificent artistry of my playing...

 

My cat of years ago, the inimitable Dexter Fong, always curled up around the endpin when I practiced. Our current pair both flee when I start putting rosin on the bow.

 

Our dog, Bella, likes to come and say hi while I'm practicing in the music room. She doesn't usually stick around for a whole practice session though. An interesting side note (to me, anyhow) is that Jan Garbarek's saxophone playing on 'Belonging' by Keith Jarrett makes her really uncomfortable

 

Yes, my french bulldog liked the sounds and often layed under the bass when I played. Sometimes he even licked the bass. Maybe it was the taste of the hide glue. Another thing he did was that he put his face really close to the speaker of the amplifier. I never play loud at home, I have to say.

 

Yes my Moose likes to come and sit by me when I practice. See my profile picture lol.

 

I played upright in an alternative folk band a few years ago. I used to practice with the BL/Guitarist/Vocalist at his house. As soon as I started playing the bass, his pit bull would come in and plop down right in front of the bass. The dog seemed to love the low frequency sounds. He would just lay there during the whole practice, a very peaceful pooch.

 

My band practices in my basement, My little rescue dog Annie will come down and sit beside me while we play, but it might just be to protect me from the ruffians I associate with.

 

I'm pretty sure that old cat has worked out that sound of double bass = comfy place to snooze. So, yes, she likes the sound.
She's learned a few things in 18 years...

 

Our current pup - Lincoln, a 5 month old goldendoodle, likes to lie right between my wife and me when we play. Of course, I'm not sure if that is a comment on his liking the music, or just that he likes being near us. Last dog - Buster, a golden, was the same.

Previous golden - Daisy, used to howl when my wife fiddled. I thought that funnier than my wife did!

Way back when - Bowser, golden-mutt in college, wasn't exposed to an upright, but our band practiced in my house, and he used to sleep with his head in the freaking speaker cab while we practiced. We weren't particularly good, but we WERE loud! No wonder he went deaf in his old age!

When we play at my cellist's house, her cairn mix generally hangs out under my feet. Not sure he likes the sound of my bass as much as he knows I'll pet him w/ my foot!