VOA慢速英语2021--Pandemic Pups Hit Dog Parks

 

When many people in the U.S. were forced to work from home in the early days of the coronavirus health crisis¹, they decided² to get a dog.

People say having a dog offers companionship and a reason to get exercise. After all, dogs need to get outside and walk.

Adriana Magarin is a new dog owner in Houston, Texas. She said she got a dog because, "you can only read so many books, you can only listen to so many podcasts."

In most cases, dog owners take their animals for walks with a leash³. But in some places, there are open spaces where dogs are permitted to play with other dogs without wearing a leash. These places are called dog parks.

Expert dog trainers say social activities that can happen at dog parks are important for the animals, especially young ones, known as puppies⁵. However, putting a young dog and a new dog owner in a completely new situation -- like a dog park -- can be frightening for both.

Some owners worry about letting their dogs off their leash. What if the dogs do not come back when called?

One woman, Josslyn Shapiro, had an idea for getting her dog, Appa, to come when called. "If I bring chicken, he's OK," she said.

Darris Cooper is head of national training for pet supply company Petco. He said Shapiro's idea is exactly right. The chicken pieces act like a magnet for the dog.

Here are some steps to get your dog to come when called.

Put a treat near the dog's nose. Then walk away.

Call the dog with a repeated noise, like whistling or making another kind of sound with your mouth.

As the dog starts in your direction, make sure to give happy praise, like "good girl!" Then give the dog a food reward.

Tim Steele is a dog trainer in Sacramento, California. He suggests practicing such steps repeatedly and giving the dog a reward for obeying. If this is repeated a number of times per day, Steele said, "you should have a solid recall in about three weeks."

New dog owners also face other problems at the dog park.

One question that often comes up is how to tell whether your dog is playing or fighting with other dogs. How can a new owner tell the difference? Experts say it is important to try to learn the dog's body language.

For example, Cooper said if a dog has his tail down, "it's best to end" any contact with other dogs. He added that if your dog jumps at or bites another dog or person, you should seek help from a trainer.

All this may seem like a lot of effort and concern for a pet. But one expert notes that for Americans, dogs are like members of the family.

Ashley Valm is the director of pet placements for the Humane⁶ Rescue Alliance⁷, an animal protection organization in Washington, D.C.

"What people tend to value about their relationships with their pets is unconditional⁸ love, right? That comes with no strings⁹ attached. No judgement, no hesitation¹⁰, right? That you get home and your animal is just thrilled to see you. And it can be this pure companionship that can be hard to find."

And if you feel like your dog is a member of the family, it makes sense that you would want to be careful when offering a new situation to a young dog.

Valm said a lot of people came to her organization looking to bring a dog into their life at the start of the pandemic. But some were worried that dogs might take too much responsibility. At the same time, her organization was concerned it might have to help dogs whose owners did not have the money to keep them because of problems caused by the pandemic.

But Valm said she later realized that most people are willing to sacrifice things in their own life to remain dog owners.

"People will figure it out. They have a pet in their home and they love it. They do everything they can to make sure they don't have to give up their animal."

They also do everything they can to keep their dogs safe at the dog park. Once new dog owners and their dogs feel at ease, the dog park can be a great way for both of them to make new social connections.

Ted⁴ Hausman said he is happy to see new owners bringing their dogs to his local park in Brooklyn, New York. "It's nice people are experiencing the joy of dog ownership," Hausman said. "It's a good silver lining¹¹ to the pandemic."

Words in This Story

pet- n. an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure

companionship- n. the good feeling that comes from being with someone else

leash –n. a long, thin piece of rope, chain, etc., that is used for holding a dog or other animal

treat- n. something that tastes good and that is not eaten often

recall- n. the ability to remember what has been learned or experienced in the past

no strings attached- n. something that carries no special conditions

hesitation - n. a pause before during something

thrilled- adj. very excited or happy

figure it out –v. to understand or find (something, such as a reason or a solution) by thinking

joy- n. a feeling of great happiness

silver lining- n. something good that can be found in a bad situation

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 leash   

n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住

参考例句：

• I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳，但被狗挡住了路。
• The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带，想挣脱开去。

4 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

5 puppies   

n.（常指不满一岁的）小狗(puppy的复数)；小狗，幼犬( puppy的名词复数 )；浅薄自负的年轻男子

参考例句：

• a litter of puppies 一窝小狗
• The bitch bore six puppies. 母狗生了六只小狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

7 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

8 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

9 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

10 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

11 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。