Saturday, July 25, 2020

MARGIE CLOUGH'S DOGBLOG


It is such a long time since I wrote in this blog, but now I Have a reason for doing it again.
Lately I have been doing a Zoom writing course. Each week we have been given an assignment. This week's one was to set up a make-believe blog, give it a name and a first post.
Here it is
This blog will be called Margie Clough's Dog Blog

MARGIE CLOUGH'S DOGBLOG

Hi,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Margie Clough and I am the owner (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I am owned by) two dogs, Beemer, a Jack Russell Terrier and Lassie, a cross-breed who looks a bit like like a little collie or a miniature Golden Retriever. In later posts I am going to tell you all about them
and the adventures I have with them, but in this first post I just have to tell you some great news that I have just heard. So The first item on my blog will be this:
GREAT NEWS
A new book on The relationship between people and their animals has just been published . It is Survival of the Friendliest by Brian Hare of Duke University.
Anyone who has done the online course Dog Emotion and Cognition will be excited to hear that not only is there a new book which builds on the work done at Duke on dog cognition but that a brand new course is envisaged based on this book. For all you dog-lovers who have never thought of tackling an online course-- Give it a go. You will learn so much about dogs and how they think and how they behave and it will immensely enrich your relationship with your pet. It has has certainly helped me to understand my two fur children much better. Start with the first course: Dog Emotion and Cognition. This can be found by Googling Coursera, a provider of online courses.
In this course, Brian Hare not only tells us how dogs have become adapted to living with humans, but also gives you fun games which you can play with your dogs that will measure their different types of cognition, e.g. their Empathy or ability to communicate.

I would also encourage anyone who owns a dog to join a dog club. All charge an annual fee, but dog clubs are not expensive. Both you and your dog will enjoy the club activities where you will make new friends and learn new skills. Different clubs cater to different interests. Some are meant for specific breeds, others concentrate on training in different disciplines, such as Obedience, Carting or Agility. Most of them have a web page which will feature different activities, competitions and shows. During Lock Down I have not been able to take Beemer and Lassie to their weekly training session and they have missed it badly. I try to keep up their training at home, but it isn't the same. They do try to keep fit by rolling Coco Cola bottles and chasing birds out of the garden. Digging is another activity they enjoy, but I am afraid they don't understand why I don't appreciate their attempts at helping with my gardening.

So Farewell until next week when you will be able to read about the Great Poodle Battle and the War with the Vacuum Cleaner.
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I might post something about the dogs again.  Watch this space

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