Double Bass Does your dog love your bass?

[Wal Pawlik]

Recently my partner's dog has taken a great interest in my bass. My bass has a stand and every time the dog came inside it would head for the bass and start sniffing at the stings intensely. I couldn't understand why she was so interested until she found an offcut of a string and took great delight in chewing it dead.
The penny dropped.
I had just installed new Lenzner guts and you know what guts are made from.
Now even I have noticed the slight sheepy smell when I get real close to the strings. No wonder she got excited.

 

[Gornick]

Never had a dog and bass in the same room, but I figured that this story is good for the topic. Back a couple years ago, living in Western NC with a girl and two cats, there were three hurricanes that ripped through the area in a one month period. The worst of them, Ivan I believe, was full blown 80 mph winds, rain, flooding, and so forth. during the height of the storm I had my bass standing in the corner of the bedroom, there's lightening, thunder, the electricity goes off, we light candles, we can't find the cats... they were hiding underneath the bass looking out with wide eyes, but apparently satisfied they were in the safest spot in the house.

 

[Blake Bass]

My dog likes my basses. I think he prefers upright as long as I don't use the bow. He usually sits right in front of the bass while I practice.

 

[Nadav]

I have a welsh corgi (short and fat like all of them). She likes the bass as long as it's laying down... as soon as I pick it up she runs upstairs. The drumset isn't a big favorite either.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

My black lab, Daisy, was fine with my bass playing for years...until I turned on my Micro POG one day. She freaks out and cowers whenever she sees my bass now.

What kind of high and low frequencies does that thing put out I wonder

BTW, we practice in my living room (full rock band). She never had an issue with that!

Bizarre

 

[MingusAmongUs]

Mine seems to:

He even sings along when I bow but I don't know if that's because he likes it or hates it. It doesn't always sound too great.

 

[kesslari]

Yes.
Evidence:

 

[lowend219]

my friend brought his dog over not too long ago. He was a boston terrier who was completely deaf but he absolutely loved my bass while I played, I guess he felt the vibrations from the instrument. but pretty cool

 

[3pianists]

No. My dog hates my bass.

He's a very musical dog--he loves the piano and the violin (when it's on pitch)--but will leave the room whenever I start to play.

I don't think that's a compliment--even the dogs don't like my bass playing!

 

[Jazzdogg]

Over the years, I've had dogs that eagerly approached my upright when I played, dogs that were indifferent, and dogs that immediately left the room when I'd reach for a bow or an electric bass. And although all of these dogs have been English Springer Spaniels, there's been no consistency in their reactions.

 

[Bodin]

When my puppy first heard me play arco, he peed all over. Then I started to give him a treat every time I started to play. Now he comes running at just the sound of me tightening my bow.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

When my puppy first heard me play arco, he peed all over. Then I started to give him a treat every time I started to play. Now he comes running at just the sound of me tightening my bow.

Hmmm....do you think this might work on drummers?

- Steve

 

[Chebass88]

Reading old DB threads is a nice way to procrastinate doing my homework (graduate-level chemical reaction engineering). Yes, my GF's dog loves to sleep next to my bass. Especially when I am sitting here at the desk doing homework.

imp

 

[Elisa]

Many of the dogs I know play bass in bluegrass jams, and some of them are real bitches!!! MWAH HAA HAAAAA!

 

[Bass]

 

[Elisa]

Is there a connection with "doghouse bass"? Someone PLEASE take a photo of an upright on the doghouse and make my day.

 

[mattfong]

My puppy used to run when I would just pick the bass up, let alone play the thing! He's gotten used to it now though, and will curiously sniff at it while I'm practising.