Listening test: Dogs

Listen to two friends talking about the fear of dogs one of them has. Choose the option A, B or C which best completes each sentence.

source: Podcast in English

1 Tricia chose to live in Jordan because
A. the dogs are not aggressive.
B. there are no dogs in the country.
C. there are very few dogs on the street.

2 Tricia has been afraid of dogs since
A. her family left England.
B. she moved to Asia.
C. she was eight or nine.

3 Africans keep dogs as
A. guard dogs.
B. pets.
C. working dogs.

4 Tricia clearly remembers
A. hearing the dogs in the distance.
B. the day she was attacked by a dog.
C. walking near the dogs.

5 When Tricia goes for a walk with her cousin in Britain, she feels
A. nervous even if the dogs are on the lead.
B. okay because the dogs are always on the lead.
C. terrified when the dogs are free.

6 Both Jackie and Tricia think dogs can
A. jump very high.
B. run very fast.
C. smell very well.

7 Jackie thinks the best think for Tricia to do is
A. lose her fear of dogs.
B. stay away from street dogs.
C. stay in Jordan.

I’m talking to Tricia, hi.
Hello, Jackie.
And Tricia works here in Jordan and I understand that she… one of the reasons she chose to work in Jordan is because there are very few dogs on the street, is that true Tricia?
It is, Jackie. It sounds a bit ridiculous but ever since I was a child I’ve had a fear of dogs, and so, perhaps, one of the reasons why I’m enjoying my time in Jordan is because there are so few dogs on the streets.
So what… what was it… what, what happened to make you frightened of dogs then?
It ’s… it ’s an interesting question. I think, very possibly my first experience or memory of dogs really is from when I was a child of about eight or nine. And my family were living in Southern Africa and a lot of families around the area where we lived kept dogs as guard dogs.
For security.
For security reasons, yes, and I have very vivid memories of, for example, walking home from school, you know, thinking about my day at school, thinking about going swimming in the afternoon and in my own little world and suddenly loud barking and ferocious, fierce dogs rushing to the gates of various gardens as I walked past . And I remember feeling terribly shocked and frightened. I mean, there was no way really, the dogs could get out of the gardens and attack me but I think it was just the… the surprise of the noise and the fierceness...
No, but that’s…
…of their faces.
Yeah, no that sounds horrible. So has… has this affected your adult life now?
In a way, I suppose it has because when I go home, when I visit the UK, one of the things I love to do is go walking.
Right.
And my cousin also loves walking but he insists on bringing his three dogs with him.
Right.
And that always, to an extent, spoils my enjoyment of…
Are the dogs, sorry, are the dogs on a lead?
They are, he’s… he’s always very careful about keeping them on a lead because he knows that I have this fear of dogs. He will occasionally let them off the lead, really hoping that they’ll sort of run into the fields and chase each other and enjoy being dogs but what tends to happen, strangely, is as soon as they’ re off the lead, they go for me.
They… they can smell, can’t they, that you’re afraid of them?
I think that’s right. I think dogs have a… a real capacity to sense and smell fear.
So you’ve come to Jordan where there are hardly any dogs but may be in a way, that’s actually not helping your… your fear, is it?
I should probably go and try, you know, get a job in a… in an animal hospice or…
Or I think you should go and live in Thailand, there are street dogs on every corner there.
It might be an interesting experience. Perhaps I’ll… take you up on that suggestion, Jackie, and learn how to overcome my fear of dogs.
Great, thanks a lot Tricia.
Thanks, Jackie.

KEY: 
1C 2C 3A 4B 5C 6C 7A

The granny who lives with two bears and a tiger

A 62-year-old Texan grandmother shares her life with three unconventional pets - two bears and a tiger.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.



1 What does Bonnie Heart do for a living?
2 How did Bonnie get Anushka, the tiger?
3 How much does she spend on the animals every month?
4 What kind of food do the bears enjoy the most?
5 What weapons does she have to protect herself in case of an attack?
6 Who’s allowed to see and interact with the animals?
7 What are the benefits of owning and looking after animals for Bonnie?

Well, let’s put it this way. They are exotics, they are dangerous animals.
62-year-old truck driver Bonnie Heart keeps two grizzly bears and a white tiger in her back garden. With a combined weight of over 600 pounds, Pebbles and Bam-Bam have lived with Bonnie since they were cubs, and if that wasn’t enough, six-year-old white Bengal tiger, Anushka, lives in the pen next door.
These bears have been around a lot of people. They don’t know tricks, they don’t know to sit, lay down, stand-up on a box. But you can get in there, you can love on them and you can pat them and I’ve socialised them a lot. Me and Anushka are, you know, I’m momma and she is baby. And, I mean, I can hand feed her, I can pet her, I can do whatever I want with her.
Anushka was given to Bonnie as a gift, when she was just a cub. But surprisingly, it was her dog that one day brought the two bears into her home.
And I’m sitting on the porch, drinking coffee one morning, and I look out there by the pond, and here comes my black dog, just trotting, little trot, going across, and right him is two little black things following him. And I thought they were other dogs, and as they got closer, I went holy-moly, they are bears.
Looking after these animals is an expensive business.
You’re looking at probably $1,000-1,500 more a month, just to feed these animals. I feed her probably between 14 and 20 pounds a day and she eats beef, pork, chicken, stuff like that.
There you go. You want it? There you go. Feed the bear.
These bears, I’ve tried, I’ve tried fish, I’ve tried salmon. They don’t want it. They want their berries, their watermelons, their cantaloupe, their candy. They love cookies, marshmallows, they love anything that is sweet and they will almost mug you for honey.
Despite her close relationship with the animals, Bonnie has always been aware of just how dangerous they could be.
I have tranquilliser guns, so we can tranquillise them if we have to. Nobody is going to get hurt, not unless you just climb into the pen and be stupid. Pebbles can get a little cantankerous at times, and she’d slap me with her claws and has bit at me a couple of times, but nothing like attack me. I have the taser, I only have that if I’m out here by myself and I can’t get help.
Bonnie also lets her grandchildren interact with them.
I think it’s a little bit crazy that she likes having tigers and bears.
I think it’s really cool, I mean it’s definitely a different experience. Bears are my favourite animal, like overall. I don’t go in the tiger pen, because, you know, it’s a tiger.
Bonnie regularly has people over to see her animals.
My neighbours, the love it. They bring their families over.
But if someone tried to take them away, it would be a very different story.
I would shoot them.
Point blank?
Point blank! Come on my property and try to take my animals, I don’t care if it’s tigers, bears, horses or dogs. Somebody is gonna get shot. There isn’t one out here that I don’t care for. It has changed me. I mean, I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl. It makes you have responsibility, it makes you realise that life is precious, and you should enjoy every moment of it.

Key:
1 She’s a truck driver
2 It was a present
3 Between $1,000 and $1,500
4 Anything sweet, especially honey
5 Tranquilliser guns and a taser
6 Everybody, family (grandchildren, neighbours and their families
7 It makes you have responsibility, it makes you realise that life is precious, and you should enjoy every moment of it.

Talking point: Pets

This week's talking point is pets. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

Look at the photo and discuss the questions.
Why do you think the prisoners were given a dog?
Do you think letting prisoners look after dogs is a good idea? Why (not)?
For what other groups of people can having a pet be specially beneficial?

Have you ever had a pet? If so, what and why?
If not, why not?
What are some of the problems of having a pet?
And the benefits?
What kinds of problems can pets cause to people other than their owners?
What is the law in your country about…?
-having the dog on a lease/with a muzzle on in public places
-pets travelling on public transport
-dog mess on the street

Do you know anyone who is afraid of dogs or cats?
Which of the animals below do you like? Why?
Are you scared of any of these animals? Why?
Would any of them make good pets?

squirrel

lizard

eagle

cockcroach

crow

wolf

wild pig

rat

mouse

budgie

Have you ever been attacked by an animal?
What pet charities do you know? What is their job?
Would you be willing to volunteer and lend a hand?

Listening test: Pets in America

Listen to two friends discussing the topic of pets in US and choose the option A, B or C which best completes each sentence. 0 is an example.



0 Example:
Americans consider pets
A as important as family.
B as important as friends.
C more important than family.

1 In general cats and dogs
A are outdoors most of the time.
B sleep outdoors.
C stay inside at night.

2 In US pet owners
A generally live alone.
B may keep a pet for therapeutic reasons.
C usually have no friends.

3 Dogs are
A a convenient conversation starter.
B a good excuse to meet people from the other sex.
C usually walked around parks by moms.

4 Designer dogs
A are a mixed breed of dog.
B are a very unusual breed of dog.
C usually cost over $1,000.

5 A teacup is
A a bag to carry a dog.
B a very small breed of dog.
C an accessory for a dog.

6 If a dog owner leads a busy life, they can leave their dog in (…) while they are at work.
A a dog break
B a dog hotel
C a doggie day care

7 In America
A it is not unusual to see wild dogs.
B one of the girls was attacked by a wild dog.
C wild dogs are brought to a shelter by animal control.

Hey, Gabby.
Hey, Lindsay. How’s it going?
All right. I am also wondering today- why is it that Americans are so pet crazy?
Yeah, that’s a great question. And the pet trend in America continues to increase. I think this is a big, growing market in the US. And I think, you know, we’re gonna touch on some points why Americans are so pet crazy but, you know, one of the biggest reasons is that we consider pets our friends and part of our family.
Family member more than friends, absolutely.
Yeah.
How do we know that? Well, most pets live inside at least at night.
Right.
They’ll sleep indoors.
Right.
Sometimes a cat might go out during the day…
Sure, or a dog.
…if it’s an outdoor cat, right.
Yeah.
But most dogs and pet cats stay inside.
All the time, yeah.
Yeah, that’s right. And, you know, my personal opinion is that this might have to do with people feeling lonely and so they enjoy having a pet to keep them company and also for some people who have experienced illness, a pet can be a great treatment, like a therapy ... dog or, or cat or pet.
Yeah, and it’s not just – it’s also in addition to having the company, it’s also a way – I know that for example, for New Yorkers, maybe Bostonians…
Yeah.
…they use it as a way to meet other people. But a lot of people do that. You know, it’s very easy to start a conversation when you have your dog on a leash near – out at the dog park with the other dog moms…
Yeah.
…and dog dads, right.
That’s right. Because it is a very common way to start a conversation around a pet. So it’s a great way to meet people.
And so what about this concept of designer dogs?
Yeah, you know, I, I think you know more about this than I do but, it’s… it’s kind of a – like designer clothes. You look for a specific brand.
Yeah. So my brother has a designer dog and the dog has been bred to be a combination of a pug and a beagle. And our neighbors here in Cambridge have a – that, sorry, my brother’s dog is called a puggle.
That’s so cute.
A pug and a beagle. And my, my neighbors have a labradoodle, which is a lab and a poodle.
I love those names.
I know. But the price tag is pretty – you probably wouldn’t love the price tag.
What, on average, what do people pay for a designer dog?
I can’t back this up with science but I think…
Yeah.
…it’s between $500 and $1000, a grand.
Wow. There’s a type of dog that’s very small, called a, a Teacup …
Lindsay: Very cool.
…type of dog because it fits in a teacup. I think it’s kind of a relative of a, a Chihuahua or, or something like that. But it’s the kind of dog that you can carry around with you.
In your bag.
And, yeah, in your bag, in your purse or in a dog bag. And it’s almost like an accessory.
An accessory, oh my god.
Yeah.
That’s so common.
There’s a lot of, related industries now that are growing for, for pets like Clothes for Pets, what else? Like hotels…
Doggie…
…pet hotels.
Yeah, and doggie day care.
Yeah.
Don’t forget.
Doggie day care.
You can take your dog to day care when you’re at work to do a walk.
Health insurance.
Health insurance.
Of course, veterinary practices. That’s, I think that’s common. And there was something else – the doggie day care, dog insurance, oh, and the tax breaks. There’s an initiative, I don’t think it’s passed but to give a tax discount or break for people who own pets.
Yeah, so…
Isn’t that interesting?
Yeah, that’s super interesting. So here, like you don’t really see wild dogs, do you?
No.
That’s not common at all.
No. I remember when I was in Thailand riding a bike around one of the famous sites I was being chased by wild dogs…
Oh, yeah.
…and I was like, “Oh, my God, what’s going on?”
Yeah.
So you don’t see wild dogs. If there were a wild dog, we’d have animal control, would come out and get the dog…
That’s right.
…and bring the dog to a shelter.
That’s right, yeah. So it’s interesting because when I go travel to a country where there are wild dogs that’s a little scary to me…
Yeah.
…because I’m not used to seeing wild dogs on the streets.
Yeah.

KEY:
1C 2B 3A 4A 5B 6C 7C

Dog Whisperer Trainer Walks Pack Of Dogs Without A Leash

Augusto de Oliveira can walk huge groups of unleashed German Shepherd dogs. The dog trainer, 23, is a web sensation and turns heads wherever he goes.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.



1 What is Augusto doing differently today?
2 Where did Augusto grow up?
3 What does Augusto have, according to Cynthia?
4 Why does Augsuto walk the dogs on their leash at first?
5 What does the woman say about her own two dogs?
 

Leader of the pack Augusto de Oliveira became an internet star after uploading this video of himself walking unleashed dogs through a quiet town, showing an amazing bond with his animals. But today, he's raising the stakes by attempting to repeat the feat on busy city streets.
Augusto grew up on a farm in Brazil with dozens of dogs and he learned from a young age to communicate with them. Today he lives, breathes and even sleeps with his pack, as part of his work, running Griffin Shepherd Kennels.
My dogs know me as part of the pack. I spend a lot of time with them.  I feed them, I let them out, I exercise them. I do everything with them.
Augusto’s landlady, Cynthia, is amazed by what she sees every day.
I believe Augusto has a gift, and his dogs, all dogs, not only his, respond amazingly to Augusto.
To test his training, Augusto has decided to try the unleashed pack walking in a busy environment the dogs aren’t used to.
Today I’m taking my pack for a walk in Boston, Massachusetts. I have Hannah, Jenner, Harmony, Griffin, Brazil and Savannah today. I start with my dogs on the leash, get them used to the position they have to walk in and to stay by my side before I start to let them off-leash.
And then, one by one, Augusto lets the dogs off their leash, keeping each one under control in a distracting environment.
And as they can see they have to remain the same position unless I change them.
Eventually, all six German shepherds successfully walk into Hill and the dogs are proving a big hit with the Bostonians.
I would love to have a dog as well behaved as those. I have two dogs that are horribly behaved and this would be amazing but I don't think I can ever replicate what he does. You can tell that these dogs are amazingly well trained, they’re calm, he has complete control of them.
I love spending time with my dogs. I just feel like there's so much I can do with them, I can spend time training them. I can spend time just taking them places. I can spend time playing with them. I never get tired of it.
After a hard day's work, the pack grabbed the first chance they can for a well-earned nap.
Dogs they had fun?
Yeah, they’re all tired, as you can see.
Time for bed!
Key:
1 Walking with his dogs in busy streets. 
2 On a farm in Brazil.
3 A gift
4 To get them used to the position they have to walk in
5 They are horribly behaved

Woman shares her home with cats

Lynea Lattanzio has given up her large home to more than a thousand felines. 

Self-study activity:
Watch the video clip and answer the questions below.



1 How many cats has Lynea lived with throughout her life?
2 How many cats are currently living in her home?
3 How big is the house where the cats live?
4 When did she discover her love for cats?
5 What did she do to help keep the animals’ medical costs down?
6 What is the cost of running the cat sanctuary?
7 How often does the vet visit the sanctuary?
8 How did Lynea manage to expand the grounds for the sanctuary?
9 What's Lynea's main aim?

I’m gonna say that I am at the top of the list of the eccentric crazy cat ladies.
I like cats because they are independent, they are beautiful, they are just graceful, and I enjoy watching them. I have taken in and lived with 28,000 cats. That’s probably a record.
The Cat House on the Kings is California’s largest no-cage sanctuary for feral and abandoned cats. Founded by Lynea Lattanzio in her home, the sanctuary currently houses around 800 adult cats and 300 kittens, and the sheer numbers have forced Lynea to move out of the main house.
This is my boy.
There wasn’t a room for me anymore. I ended up with 60-something cats in my bedroom, with dogs, and I just said that’s it, and I moved out. We had a rental on our property, and I moved to that rental. I went from 4,200-square-foot 5-bedroom home with a pool, and a wet bar and a view of the river to a 1,600-1,800 sq foot mobile home with a view of a rusty metal shed. I’ve come up in the world. This is my cat free zone. Ha! Ha!
In 1992, Lynea’s father had asked her to help him find some new cats. She went to an animal shelter and brought home 15 kittens. By the end of the year, she’d rescued and re-homed 96 cats. It was then that she realised she’d found her calling.
When I first started this endeavour, I was out of my own pocket for seven years. I spent my retirement, I sold my car, I sold my wedding ring.
He is so fat.
In 1993, she became a veterinary technician to help keep the animals’ medical costs down, and the number of cats continue to grow. The sanctuary is now so big that Lynea has staff and a team of volunteers to help run it.
Currently for food, litter, maintenance, staffing, vet, medical, we are at 1.6 million US dollars a year.
We come in about 4 o’clock in the morning and, you know, we start by feeding. It usually takes us, like maybe like thirty minutes to an hour to feed everyone.
I first started here, I wasn’t really a cat person but after that, you know, you work with them five days a week, you get attached to them. Everybody has different characteristics, and you get to know them, and they get to know you. They kind of wait for you when you walk in the gate. It’s pretty cool, man.
This is our ICU. We have a hospital and an ICU, a kitten quarantine, a senior quarantine, but that is where our critically ill cats stay. We have a vet that comes once a week to check our animals. We take animals into him every day for check. And we have seven vet techs on staff.
When a generous donor left Lynea her estate in 2004, the profits from the sale allowed her to buy the neighbouring land and expand the grounds to twelve acres and install cat-proof fencing around the perimeter, meaning all the cats could roam freely.
See, under the trees, all those are cats over there. There is one on the straw. There is, that’s their feeding station, and their bedding, and their heater back there but, see there is a cat over there.
As much as Lynea loves the cats, her aim is to find them new homes; not to keep them for herself.
If you are interested in adopting, you would go to our website and fill out the adoption form. There is five hundred up for adoption that are friendly and ready to go.
I must be allergic to cats.
Bless you.
Thank you.

Key:
1 28,000
2 1,100
3 4,200-square-foot 5-bedroom home
4 In 1992, when her father asked her to find new cats
5 She became a veterinary technician 
6 1.6 million US dollars a year
7 Once a week 
8 Thanks to a generous donor, who left Lynea her estate in 2004
9 To find new homes for the cats

Dangerous dog offenders to get harsher sentences in UK

Pet owners convicted of dangerous dogs offences will face harsher punishments under new sentencing guidelines in England and Wales.



This is the charming view as seen by a guide dog but it's not always so picturesque. Tony Brown Griffin's guide dog has been attacked by other dogs three times in the last year. She's now resorted to attaching a video camera to Hetty’s collar to capture any attack.
Please, can you get it away?
Tony, who's blind, says her family was left traumatised by last year's attack by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
It just went from being asleep to flying across five metres of pavement locking onto her face and I then had to try and beat it to get it off her, that left her with wounds to her face and it was extremely distressing for all of us.
Under the new guidelines, attacks on assistance dogs such as guide dogs will become an offense for the first time as well as attacks on private property, and the maximum sentence where someone is killed by a dangerous dog will increase from 2 to 14 years.
What this says is anybody that sets their dog on anybody else or, or, or even guide dogs, that won't be tolerated. I think that sends an important message to anyone in criminal gangs or who's, who just is using their dog in an anti-social behaviour way, that you could find yourself in prison.
Tony says toughest sentences for irresponsible owners are badly needed.
These attacks do not need to happen. There is no reason to not have proper control of your dog and if you've got a dog that is a risk or has got bad behaviour, then do something about it, at the very least put a muzzle on it.
The new sentencing guidelines will come into force in July and it can be expected that dogs and dog owners alike will welcome them as well as providing pause for thought on regulating dangerous dogs.

Extensive listening: Cats v Dogs Which is Best

Cats v Dogs Which is Best is a two-episode BBC documentary series.
Based at one of Britain's largest cat and dog veterinary centres, reporters Chris Packham and Liz Bonnin test different aspects of each animal in different rounds.

Round one begins with intelligence as Chris and Liz find out whether either species can understand numbers.
In Vienna, Chris is astonished to discover that dogs can discriminate between higher and lower numbers of dots and in a UK first, Liz tries out the test on cats with surprising results.
Round two tests their sensory powers to work out which animal has the better vision, sense of smell and hearing. Our cats and dogs have to negotiate a maze in the dark, but which one will find their way through in the fastest time? Chris challenges top sniffer dog Boris to find him in a distracting busy city and discover which species has the widest range of hearing.
The final round looks at whether cats or dogs are the most physically agile by testing which can jump the highest, which is the fastest sprinter and which the best endurance runner. With so many groundbreaking tests, who will be in the lead at the end of episode one?
On their search for answers, Chris comes face to face with a pack of wolves, whilst Liz confronts an Arabian wild cat to discover how the relationships between cats and dogs and humans have evolved. Together, they put our favourite pets under the microscope to see what really makes them tick and crucially, how they compare with each other.

In Thailand, tracking the dog trade

Thai police are ramping up efforts to slow the trafficking of dogs who are being captured and killed for their meat and skin.



They kill the dog by hit[ting] their head or cut[ting] the throat off and then they separate meat and skin. Thailand people say [it’s] very, very good. Technician to take the skin off, very, very beautiful skin.
So good for the dogs?
No, good for the human to feel the nice dog skin.
This is Ross Velton reporting for the New York Times. The dog trade in Thailand has been going on for decades. The dogs are usually strays, taken from the many living on Thailand streets.
Dog skin tastes like pig skin, but it’s not fatty. It’s delicious, that’s why I eat it. Beef or pork can’t compete with dog meat.
But while Praprut Thangthongdee loves eating dogs, he also loves Money, his pet. In most of Thailand dogs are seen more as friends than food. But Tha Rae in North Eastern Thailand has many Vietnamese immigrants. It’s far from the capital Bangkok and butchers sell dog meat without much government interference. Here dog jerky equivalent of about $7 a pound. And now it’s a centre of a growing trade in dog skin. A lot of the skin we know is exported, particularly to Japan for musical instruments, China for the production of golf clubs. It sounds pretty gruesome, but we know the skin from male dog testicles is extremely flexible, has a tacky consistency and apparently makes the best golf clubs.
I want to help dogs. It’s deep down in my heart. I love them. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s a feeling.
These two police officers are a part of Thailand’s new efforts to stop a trade which has been tolerated for a long time. They are under pressure from the country’s pet owners and other groups who think that the dog business is cruel.
We rely on tip-offs. Watchdog Thailand will coordinate with us.
Who is that…
The police, the police who just arrested dog smuggling truck for us and we can rescue eleven dogs today  now.
Some dogs aren’t so lucky. They usually end up here in a forest near Tha Rae.
The bones came from dogs that traders from Tha Rae brought from other provinces. They slaughtered the dogs to get the meat. Then they took off the skins started the tanning process.
Illegal tanneries have popped up to turn the dog skins into a leather which can be sold.
This is an old tannery which used to do that work. They would lay the dog skin like this. Then they would scrape the skin like this to get the fat out of the skin.
I lost him in the morning in May. Until now I still dream every night he come back home and now I’m very happy. In my dream I can touch him again.
Takolrat Chumyen thinks Hector was stolen by dog traders. Yod Doi is running a poster campaign giving money to people who report traders, butchers and skinners. Her phone sometimes rings in the middle of the night with a coded message.
Listen, listen, the words from the heaven.
That’s the code to say there’s been another successful operation.
And I just ask, how many? And really say some times two hundred, three hundred or two trucks and then after that I can sleep with a happy time.

Madrid Teacher: Pampered pets

In this week's episode of our Madrid Teacher series four teachers discuss pets and the way they are indulged by their owners.

First, watch the video through to get the gist of what the conversation is about.

Now, pay attention to the following features of spoken English the teachers use:

• Use of so as a linking word and to begin conversations
• Showing surprise and reacting to what the speaker is saying: Yes?; Really?; Oh?; Interesting
• Use of vague language: or anything; and all this stuff; or something like that; or something; and stuff
• Showing agreement: Yeah
• Conversation fillers to gain thinking time: erm; you know; well
• Use of actually to introduce a piece of surprising information
• Paraphrasing information you have just given to make yourself clear:  I mean
• Use of really + adjective to emphasize what we are saying
• Use of honestly to emphasize what we are saying

Now, it's over to you. Get together with a friend or relative and discuss pet owners' attitude to their pets. Do you agree with the teachers that some owners overindulge their pets? Can you think of any examples? Don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have seen in the video.

So, does anybody know or have any friends who own pets and treat them like humans?
I do.
Yes?
I don’t dress them or anything but…
Really?
I talk to my, my cats.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it’s a bit silly, isn’t it?
No.
No, but talking to them is one thing…
Yeah.
We’re talking about, erm, I know, I know a girl who’s got this cocker spaniel and she, everyday she puts a different coloured bow, you know… on his ears… and all this stuff but the thing is she treats the animal as if it’s a child…
Yes.
And, erm, and actually, one day I was at their house and, erm, I was just sitting on the sofa and the dog was next to me on the sofa, and all of a sudden just woke up and saw me and bit me right in the face.
Oh?
I had never been bitten by a dog before.
Really?
Yeah, yeah, and, and somebody was explaining to me, who was a dog trainer, that if you have the dog, for example, at the same level as a human like on a sofa or something like that, then the dog thinks, you know, that you’re invading, I was invading territory…
His space.
Yeah, they’re very territorial.
Interesting.
I think it can’t be good to, to indulge these pets…
No.
With, with expensive gifts and fancy clothes and, and, and gourmet meals and I mean sometimes they eat better than the humans and... I know.
Erm, I used to live, erm, in a gay community and it was the latest fashion accessory, that was like, so, erm, you’d, you’d see these dogs, I’d see dogs dyed pink… I’d see dogs with, with Burberry coats and…
It’s crazy.
And you just, and they’re always like this size and…
Yeah, they’re always Chihuahuas or poodles or something…
Or French bulldogs. I’ve seen millions and millions and millions of French bulldogs recently. You know which ones they are?
Yeah, they’re ugly kinds of…
Yeah they’re like the wee ones with the really squashy face…
And they have a pointy nose and they look like they’re…
That’s what they say. They’re so cute, though.
Well, I’m not sure.
I saw one the other day, honestly, it was the funniest thing, erm, I saw a wee French bulldog dressed in a neon pink coat with leggings, like leg, leg body jacket thing and it looked like this… And the guy who was walking it was enormous, I mean, a buff guy, just thought…
Really?
Yeah, you would think it would be a woman walking the dog…
Your wife has made you go out with that, ha, ha, ha and that dog looks like it’s going to bite you.
No, I’m sure one day there will be revenge of the pampered pets.
I know.
As far as the food goes in Asia and stuff, the dogs and the cats, all the strays at least eat rice, wheat whatever leftovers are available.
Yeah.
Like pigs or something.
Yeah.

Tibetan Dog 'sold for $2 million' in China

Watch this short episode about a Tibetan mastiff puppy sold in China at an astronomical price.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and fill out the gaps in the transcript.

The activity is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.



A Tibetan mastiff puppy has been sold in China for almost $(1) ... , a report said Wednesday, in what could be the most expensive dog sale ever. A property developer paid 12 million yuan ($[2] ...) for the one-year-old golden-haired mastiff at a “(3) ...” fair Tuesday in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Qianjiang Evening News reported. “They have lion’s (4) ... and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs,” the dog’s breeder Zhang Gengyun was quoted as telling the paper, adding that another (5) ... canine had sold for 6 million yuan. Enormous and sometimes ferocious, with round manes lending them a passing resemblance to (6) ... , Tibetan mastiffs have become a prized (7) ...  among China’s wealthy, sending prices skyrocketing.
The golden-haired animal was 80 centimetres ([8] ... ) tall, and weighed 90 kilograms (nearly 200 pounds), Zhang said, adding that he was sad to sell the animals. Neither was named in the report. “Pure Tibetan mastiffs are very rare, just like our nationally (9) ... pandas, so the prices are so high,” he said. One red mastiff named “Big Splash” reportedly sold for 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in 2011, in the most expensive dog sale then recorded.
The buyer at the Zhejiang expo was said to be a 56-year-old property (10) ... from Qingdao who hopes to breed dogs himself, according to the report. The newspaper quoted the owner of a mastiff breeding website as saying that last year one animal sold for 27 million yuan at a fair in Beijing. But an industry insider surnamed Xu told the paper that the high prices may be the result of insider agreements among (11) ... to boost their dogs’ worth. “A lot of the sky-high priced (12) ... are just (11) ... hyping each other up, and no money actually changes hands,” Xu said. Owners say the mastiffs, descendants of dogs used for hunting by nomadic tribes in central Asia and Tibet, are fiercely loyal and protective.

Key:
1 2 million  2 1.9 million 3 luxury pet 4 blood  5 red-haired 6 lions 7 status symbol 8 31 inches 9 treasured 10  developer 11 breeders 12 deals

Doga, yoga with dogs

Doga started in the US, when a growing group of health-conscious dog owners wanted a way of combining yoga with spending quality time with their pets.

Now 'Doga' - yoga with dogs - is growing in popularity in the UK, mainly thanks to the efforts of Swiss-born yoga teacher Mahny Djahanguiri.

Self-study activity:
Watch this BBC video clip and answer the questions below.

The activity is suitable to intermediate students.



1What's Mahny Djahanguir's therapeutic background?
2 How did she start doga?
3 How do doga and yoga differ?
4 How does Mahny know what's beneficial for the dog?
5 How popular is doga these days?
6 With what mental condition does doga work really well?

I’m Mahny Djahanguir and I’m a yoga teacher. I teach yoga not just for humans but yoga for humans and dogs together. And I come from a therapeutic background, of working many, many years in yoga and yoga therapy with children.
I saw people doing yoga on the beach and there were dogs running around freely and I thought, there must be some way of actually doing, combining the traditional yoga with the humans and the dogs together, that the dog can benefit from yoga. It just looked so pure and surreal, just exactly what I wanted to do. It just dawned on me I had to do something about this.
What I started with, I always started with was the breathing and the chanting and yaoming. It works because it centers the person and it centers everything around you. I changed a little bit because I’ve noticed some doga practitioners and yoga practitioners, owners expect a little bit of movement from the dog as well, so I started to play around a little bit in between doing poses where they can lift their dog up or do a special little extension where the dog extends out, you know, or an upside inversion because the owner does wanna feel that they’re also doing the yoga for the dog.
I don’t have disclaimers at this point but I want it think that I have almost like a mental disclaimer with the owner where I trust them that they know what’s best for the dog.
I think it’s a good exercise… see my little crazy poppy.
I find this cross very happy for poppy.
The poses in itself is just cool, yeah, if you can be the warrior and lift them up, great. If you can’t, just reach out or just do the pose and let your dog sit there or observe you from the side. There’s so many differences in every dog, not just breed, the personality, what I’m getting to know, and it’s so interesting, just they are little people.
I can see doga being introduced worldwide. I’d love to teach workshops and teach communities and shelters, especially shelters for dogs. Also yoga works really well with autism. I use yoga with my autistic clients, two men, they are blind and autistic and we’ve done yoga. They don’t like to touch, they don’t like to be touched but for some reason they’re fine with the dog.
Doga is fantastic, it’s just going to so many therapeutic avenues, that’s what I see and that’s what I want to see come out of this, this work that really let’s get, let’s get everyone to bond free nature.

Extensive listening: Dogs decoded

Dogs Decoded is a 2010 Nova documentary aired this summer again. Dogs Decoded examines the special relationship that exists between human beings and dogs.

The film reveals the science behind the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs and investigates new discoveries in genetics that are illuminating the origin of dogs – with surprising implications for the evolution of human culture.

Other research is proving what dog lovers have suspected all along: Dogs have an uncanny ability to read and respond to human emotions. Humans, in turn, respond to dogs with the same hormone responsible for bonding mothers to their babies.

How was this incredible relationship between humans and dogs originated? And how can dogs, so closely related to wild wolves, behave so differently?



You can read the transcript of the film on the Nova website here.

Madrid Teacher series: Dog phobia

In this week's Madrid Teacher series, the teachers are discussing dog phobia.

Just listen to the conversation and find out about the problem with dogs one of the girls has. Do you have a similar problem with dogs? Does anyone you know have a similar problem? If you love dogs, do you find it difficult to understand the fact that some people suffer from dog phobia?

Now, the girl on the left seems to be genuinely surprised with her friend's fear of dogs. She expresses her surprise by using really? Other expressions we can use to show surprise are:
Oh my goodness!
That’s awful.
That’s a shame.
Wow!
That’s incredible.

Another interesting feature of spoken English that is used in the dialogue is the particle so. So is used in a variety of ways in English, but many times English speakers use so in conversation as a linking word that brings two ideas together. Let's pay attention to some of the remarks in the dialogue:

So, Sofia, are you afraid of anything?  [to introduce the topic of conversation].
there’re dogs everywhere in Spain so I’m constantly... [to show result or consequence]
I think because my mom’s afraid of dogs,(...) so, I inherited that phobia. [to show result or consequence]
But, I’m indoors usually so I’m safe. [to show result or consequence]
But I don’t want them to be scared, so I’ll probably say, “go near the dog,” [to show result or consequence]
I’ve heard. So it’s something that I’d like to do in the future because... [to introduce a new idea]

We shouldn't confuse these different usages of so as a linking word, with its use as an intensifier, some examples of which can also be seen in the dialogue:
So many dogs there
so often



Now, let's try to put into practice the above-mentioned features of spoken English. Get together with some English-speaking friends and discuss these phobia-related questions. As you listen to your friends, react to what they say if they come up with a surprising piece of information, and don't forget to use 'so' to introduce a new idea or to show a result.

Do you have any phobias or irrational fears?
How did the phobia start?
In what situations is the phobia triggered?
Do you have any strategies to help you mitigate the effects of the phobia?
What could you do to overcome your phobia?

So, Sofia, are you afraid of anything?
Yes, I am. I’m afraid of animals in general, but especially dogs.
Really?
Yes.
Dogs?
Yes.
Big dogs?
All dogs.
All dogs?
Tiny, tiny Chihuahuas?
From puppies to, yes.
Really?
Yeah, it’s a, it’s a really serious phobia actually because there’re dogs everywhere in Spain so I’m constantly like . . .
And when did this start? Have you always been afraid of dogs?
I think because my mom’s afraid of dogs, and she passed that on to me. Because we’d be walking through a park, and she’d sort of grab my hand and pull me away from the dogs so, I inherited that phobia.
OK. But do you know, do you know why you’re afraid of, do you know what you’re afraid of when you see a dog?
That they’re going to bite me.
Really?
Yeah.
But have you ever been bitten by a dog?
No, because I never . . . I never get close enough for a dog to bite me.
OK.
So no, I’ve never been bitten.
And have you ever done anything to try and overcome this fear?
No. I’ve been thinking about hypnotherapy though.
It’s supposed to work.
Yeah, I’ve heard. I’ve heard. So it’s something that I’d like to do in the future because it’s a little bit difficult going through the park.
I can imagine.
So many dogs there.
I mean, if you’re afraid of spiders or crocodiles…
. . . Yeah.
…things that you don’t see so often, but dogs are everywhere.
Yeah. Yeah, it’s pretty difficult at times.
And does it affect your…, does it affect what you can do, what kind of jobs you can get? I suppose it would.
I can’t be a vet.
No, clearly.
Outdoor things wouldn’t work for me either, outdoor occupations wouldn’t work for me then. But, I’m indoors usually so I’m safe.
But what do you think you’ll do if your, I, I don’t know. Do you have children?
No, not yet. And if you do, what do you plan to do when you see a dog in the park?
I don’t know, I don’t know. But I don’t want them to be scared, so I’ll probably say, “go near the dog,” and I’ll be there sort of scared in the corner.
Maybe you can overcome your fears and then you can get a family puppy.
Yeah, further down the line. Uh-huh.

Talking point: Dogs and pets

This week's talking point revolves around the topic of pets in general and more specifically on dogs, and how to behave towards them in this time and age. In preparation for your talking session, go over the questions below, so that you can sort out vocabulary problems beforehand and ideas flow easily when you get together with your friends.

Have you ever had a pet? If so, what's your experience like?
If not, does anyone in your close circle have a pet? What's their experience like?
What can you say about these animals? Cats, dogs, canaries, snakes, turtles, hamsters
Would you choose any of them to be your pet?

Discuss these points, all of which are related to pet-keeping:
• Do pets serve a useful function?
• Pet-owner relationships
• Keeping an animal at home: pleasures and duties
• The cost of keeping a pet
• Keeping exotic/dangerous animals at home
• Problems pets cause to people who are not their owners: dogs off a lead, dog mess, visitors at a home with a dog
• People who abandon their pets
• Animals that help people

To gain further insight into the topic, you can go over the following resources:
The Guardian article on a Wigan girl who was killed by dogs.
List of dogs banned in the UK.

You can also watch this video by Battersea Dogs and Cats home where we get to know everything we should know about dogs and how to feel safe around them.

An unusual cat

Watch this short CBS video clip about Sable, a cat that helps students cross the street at Enterprise Middle School, West Richland, Washington.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for intermediate students.



1 How old is Sable?
2 How often during the day does Sable go to where the students cross?
3 Does the weather make a difference?
4 How long has Sable been doing this?
5 Does Sable have an owner or is it a stray?
6 How does Sable show its affection for the students?

For correction you can read the transcript below.

Each morning and afternoon, the student crossing guards at Enterprise Middle School make sure their classmates safely get across the street. It’s a pretty typical scene. But there’s something else outside watching over these kids, this black cat.
It will come out like, I can see it when we’re going out. It will, like, walk out, and come, stand, and it’s like position.
The 15 year-old cat named Sable, comes outside every day like clockwork before the bell rings to watch the kids cross the street.
He just knows when to be out there, knows when it’s time to go back in, and then in the afternoon, he knows when to be out and it’s time to go again. He is out there just like the students are, whether it’s raining, or snowing, or real hot and sunny, the cat is out there too.
Sable has been watching over the students from across the street for about a year. Tamara Morrison owns the cat. She says, one day Sable just walked outside to greet the students, and he has been doing it ever since.
He just kept going out there and we’d watch him from the window and I thought, gosh, I hope he doesn’t cross and he just hung out there and just couldn’t wait to be next to the kids.
And the cat isn’t all business, it’s friendly, brushing up on the legs of the crossing guards, and the students walking by always bend down to say, hello.
In the afternoons when I work, it’s always come out and like rubbed up against our feet.
He just loves to be around us, I guess.
Students and teachers now think of Sable as part of the team, another volunteer who is dedicated to keeping the streets safe.
It’s really cool because like you always know that there’s someone there and that you just – you’re never disappointed.

Lucky bird rescued

Self-study activity:
Watch this short news item about a rescued parakeet and say whether the statements below are true or false.



1 The bird was recued from a fire.
2 The parakeet can sing 'Cucaracha' and some other songs in different languages.
3 The guy who is adopting the bird has been trying to adopt a bird for a long time.
4 The parakeet will be the first bird in his household.
5 He will allow the bird to be free everywhere.

You can read the transcript here.

Key:
1F 2F 3T 4F 5F

Have got and have

The French teacher Mrs Haquet from Frenchfrog's Little English Pond has created this interactive book that can help us study and learn the differences between have got / have in the present.

Mrs Haquet's book starts by going over the affirmative, negative and interrogative forms of both have got and have, through the help of both the written and aural mode. Then she suggests some practical exercises for the students to put her explanations into practice.

The second part of the book has to do with vocabulary: Students get acquainted with vocabulary which has to do with the family and pets, which includes some practise for students to memorise it.

This vocabulary is finally used as a springboard to have additional practise with have got/have.