Real English Conversations: Don’t step in the dog doo (4 of 4)
Posted on November 26, 2008
Filed under General silliness, Idioms and slang, Intermediate, Pets, Real English conversations, Vulgar language | 31 Comments
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Introduction
Hi! Lori here, welcoming you to another episode of Real English Conversations from betteratenglish.com.
In today’s conversation, which is part four of four, my British friend Michael and I wrap up our lengthy conversation about the pros and cons of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. Warning: some of the vocabulary we deal with in this episode is a bit vulgar, so if you are sensitive or easily offended I suggest you stop listening now.
As always, you can find the vocabulary notes and full transcript of this podcast on our website, www.betteratenglish.com.
OK, here we go!
Conversation Transcript
Lori: And some people… I swear, you know, dogs I think are great. It’s dog owners that can be just really lame sometimes.
Michael: Mmm. Mmm..
L: There’s a forest outside where I live here, where I like to go running and walking and…people, it’s a great place. I don’t see many people, but there are a lot of dog walkers who like to go there as well.
M: Yes.
L: And they don’t want to keep their dogs on a leash a lot of times. They let their dogs kind of run wild, and a lot of them don’t really have control over their dogs.
M: Right, right.
L: And the dogs can be quite aggressive sometimes. But then, dog owners are really weird. Sometimes they are so protective of their dogs and they think their dogs can do no harm.
M: Oh dear.
L: So they actually get angry at you, walking along telling you that, “Oh, it’s because you’re afraid, that’s why he [the dog] is acting like that.” And it’s like…
M: “Of course I’m afraid. He’s a giant dog with slavering fangs.” Yeah.
L: Running up barking at me, not looking friendly. Of course I’m going to be afraid, you know? And I don’t think it’s my responsibility as, you know, a person wanting to use the jogging trail — that it’s my responsibility to tailor my behavior to the comfort of dog owners, because it actually is their responsibility to keep their dogs on a leash, unless they have, you know, total control.
M: I completely agree. I was going to say, do your remember the time I was over in Sweden, and we were having a picnic in the park. And there were the young teenagers that were there, and they had a dog with them. And the dog was running loose, and the dog was coming over and sticking its nose in our picnic bag. And you had to tell these folks, “Excuse me…your dog…?” They where oblivious to the whole thing.
L: The dog was just doing what dogs do.
M: He was looking for food.
L: Yeah, of course, he is going to be interested in food. So it is up to owners to make sure they keep their dogs under control when they’re, you know, in the public space.
M: Exactly.
L: It is not up to, you know, the other people there to deal with the dog. I think.
M: You know, we shooed the dog away, more then once.
L: But he kept coming back.
M: Well we had some good chow!
L: Oh we did. Oh man, those pies that Sabina had made! Oh, my god! That is really annoying when dog owners are inconsiderate and don’t understand that it’s really their responsibility to make sure their dog is under control.
M: Right, yeah, it is part of the responsibility of being a dog owner, I think.
L: Exactly. And I’m sure…most are fine. Most people do a good job, but it’s the few people who are idiots who kind of spoil it for everybody else.
M: Sure. It gives the dog a bad name as well. I mean, if you have a few bad encounters with a dog that’s having trouble it can put you off.
L: Exactly. And that can also…if, you know…there’s some people who are deathly afraid of dogs, who don’t, you know, who have a hard time with obviously friendly dogs.
M: Oh goodness! I was terrified of dogs when I was a little boy. Absolutely terrified. And that was just through a couple of dogs that lived locally. There was a house that I had to walk past on the way to school, and there were these two dogs that would, they would bark and they would run at you. They weren’t tied up either.
L: Yeah. I think every kid has a house like that, or memory of a house like that, from when they were walking to school. I know I do.
M: Right! It’s something that sticks with you for a long time.
L: Yeah, because when you’re little, you know, I was walking to school on my own…I think from the time I was in first grade. So I would have only been five or six years old! Because it wasn’t far, it was only a few blocks and it was quiet, residential streets, so I walked to school by myself or with the little neighbor kids. But when you’re that little, a big dog is really big and really scary. And you haven’t…you’re not aware enough to tell the difference between a dog that’s just running up to inspect you and check you out and a dog that is really, actually aggressive.
M: Right.
L: So it’s really scary.
M: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And I think it can stay with you for a long time as well.
L: Yeah.
M: And I guess some people never… in fact, my sister is still very, very scared of dogs, you know? And she’s nearly 40. She was like that when she was a child and she just never got over it.
L: I have to say I’m wary of dogs. Little dogs, it’s no problem because even if they were horribly aggressive you could always just kick them like a football. And you’d be OK.
[laughter]
L: But it’s the big dogs, you know, dogs that weigh as much as I do. Those, those can be quite scary.
M: That would be hard to tackle, a dog like that.
L: Yeah. And just…its going to be much more serious being attacked by a dog like that than by some little yappy terrier trying to bite your heels, you know?
M: Ankle biters. [laughs]
L: [laughs] Yeah, ankle biters. Isn’t that a slang word for kids? Ankle biters…
M: I don’t know. I guess, maybe.
L: Or like an informal colloquial word, for… Like the word “rug rats“, we have the word rug rats in American English for kids, which I think is a horrible word. But yeah, ankle biters, I think I’ve heard that before as sort of a disparaging term for little children.
M: Well, maybe that’s not something you should use for a little dog then, I don’t think.
L: No, it’s very descriptive though, little ankle biters! Ankle nippers!
M: Well you could go further, “crotch sniffers.”
[laughter]
L: Crotch sniffing dogs are the worst! Oh my God, oh I hate crotch sniffing dogs!
[laughter]
M: There is some film I remember seeing with some kid complaining about some dog. His parents say, “What’s wrong with the dog?” This poor little kid balefully cries out, “He is a crotch sniffer!”
[laughter]
L: I know. I have seen the same film, but I don’t remember which one it is. But it’s funny…Crotch sniffers are…it’s so embarrassing. I know it is just what dogs do. They sniff each other’s, you know, nether regions.
M: They clean each other’s nether regions.
L: Oh no, let’s not go there! I want to keep this one clean!
M: OK.
L: That is just what dogs do. That and the ones that hump your leg. That is so embarrassing especially when you’re over at someone’s house.
M: Especially when they won’t let go.
[laughter]
L: They latch on and won’t let go.
M: Shaking, shaking your leg. And then… [laughter]
L: Yeah and oh, that’s so embarrassing because you know everyone is thinking about sex at that point. I mean you can’t have a dog humping your leg without people at least momentarily, you know, everyone is thinking about doing it. That just makes it so embarrassing.
M: Right.
L: It’s such a delicate situation.
[laughter]
M: Oh dear. Right. Yeah. Yes. It’s difficult to remain cool.
L: When a dog is humping your leg!
M: Trying to look cool and dangerous when there’s a dog humping away at your leg. Yeah.
[laughter]
L: Yeah. Oh my god, that’s such an embarrassing situation… Anyway I think we’ve reached the point where, again, it can only go downhill from here.
M: OK. Let’s quit where we are!
Final Words
Thanks for listening. This concludes our four-part series on the good, the bad and the ugly of dogs, dog ownership, and dog owners. We’ll be back again with a new episode as soon as we’ve had time to record some juicy new topics. We welcome requests from our listeners, so if you’d like to request a topic just visit our website, www.betteratenglish.com, where you’ll find everything you need to get in touch with us. This is Lori from BetterAtEnglish signing off until next time. Bye for now!
Download vocabulary list for this podcast
Comments
31 Responses to “Real English Conversations: Don’t step in the dog doo (4 of 4)”
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thank youuuuuu!!!
I loooooooooove your site and appreciate your work!
Hello guys!
Thanks for this podcast.
I’m studying for IELTS, and listening is my weakness. Then it is really usefull for me!
I saw that you appreciate topics suggestions, so.. Why not something about university in UK?
Thanks again!
See you soon!
How long have I wated it for! Thank you for this topic! Also, for all of your Dog doo topics!
I love to use your sources to improve my listening skills and vocabulary. I even memorize most sentences of your scripts!
Thanks again! Hope you’ll have a good day!
Best wishes,
Robin.
Hmm?? Where does my reply go? I did leave it a few days ago… How…?
Anyway, I’m so glad to see doo doo topic again, I really like all of your work, Lori. I use it for improving my listening skill and vocabulary.
I really appreciate it, Lori!
Hi Lori,
What a great conversation with Michael!
The last few moment of this conversation was hilarious. I enjoyed all the 4 podcasts very much.
Very informative and real one.
Lori, you’re doing great job. Way to go!
Sincere Greeting!
hi lori god job. nice topics.Ihave agreat respect for you and I have aquestion also.
which expression is correct to say
Ihate me
or
Ihate myself
Iam waiting for your answer and thanks very much for helping us
Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. I’m glad you enjoyed the topic!
Robin, sometimes I don’t have time to log in and approve the comments right away. That’s why you didn’t see your comment. Unfortunately, I have to hold comments for approval because of the horrible spammers.
Mero, for most purposes, you would say “I hate myself.” (I hope you really don’t say or think this about yourself!) You may at times hear people saying “I hate me,” but that would be a special marked utterance. It’s like taking a step outside yourself and observing your persona and commenting on it.
Hello and thanks for your great job.
I just found your website and listened to this podcast and I found it very nice.
Some times is useful to learn a little “everyday” vocabulary, we don’t always work 24 hours a day
I wonder if you have some phone conversation as it would really useful for people like me looking for a help desk agent job.
Thank you again and keep up the good job!
Hi Lori,
When are you going to give us another podcast?
Please give us some hints about the topic too…
Sorry, Prinkle…I’m very busy with other projects right now, and Michael has a new job so it’s hard for us to find time to record podcasts. But I’ve not forgotten about our lovely listeners, and will get a new episode ready as soon as I can.
Hi Lori,
Please tell me the meaning of “Heck No” in spoken english with a few examples.
Thanks
hi, i met this website there was little time. i wanna say. i´m enjoying. i downloaded your first lesson.i´m trying to memorize part for part. i hope to recieve more lessons.however i gotta to talk with someone in english to better my pronuciation.well, i think it´s a better way to learn speak english easy and fast.i promisse keep on studying your lessons. thank you once more time.
Hi Lori,
Look pretty busy with other projects!
No podcast since 4 months!
Looking forward to listening new episode!
u are absolutely fantastic u are so funny
i find it interesting to listen to the conversations you made yourself. I think it’s real english. Why don’t you make new conversations in 2009 to help learners like me to have a better understanding at english culture as well as language.
Best regards
Tuyet
Hi Lory. I found this site recently and I want to ask you why you haven’t add another podcast. I see the last one is from november and there are no more. Whyyyyyy??
I loveo your beautiful voice.
I like the way you guys talk on your podcasts.
I suppose that it’s more useful to learn casual English in this way rather than some pre-scripetd supid conversations. those really sucks!
on more thing, your podcasts are excitingly great but the problem is that they are not as plenty as visitors like to be.
Hi…
I want learn english and betteratenglish´s podcast´s are many fun and important for me, but I don´t much time for to study.
Congratulations!!!
Thanks
See you soon
Considering that the listening comprehension is the most important part of the apprenticeship of any language, why do you not project a plan in relation to English to publish a recorded material(like the one presented in this site)containing the sufficient number of words in order to reach the power of it, let’s say,20000(?) words, divided in 1000 articles with 20 words in each one duly explained to ease the student’s task.
There is no other way to master a foreign language, I mean, to listen and read texts at the same time.
I believe there’s not in the market such a kind of material because i’ve been surfing on Internet for a long time and up to know I didn’t
find similar stuff.
You could develop this idea professionaly, of course, and I’m firmly convinced of its success.
Only the difficult words and expressions would be explained to avoid going to dictionaries(waste of time).
I see that the courses,in general, are commercial ones.They don’t emphasize the listening comprehension and there’s not a commitment with the desire of the student to achieve his goal.
That’s the reason most of the students give up
studying a foreign language mainly because the speaking of the streets is completely different
of the formal one of the books.
Good idea, Carlos. Unfortunately, an enterprise of that nature would require far more energy and time than I have available at the moment. But thanks for the vote of confidence in what we’re doing here!
Lori, your work just deserve a single word and that is “WOW”
I’ve just found this website. It’s amazing!! I’m from Brazil and work for a British company.
This site will help me a lot to practice my english.
Congratulations!!
Hi Lori,
I want to thank you so very much for what you did for me and lots of your listeners. Thanks to better at English and also uncensored English my English is improved a lot and that’s just because of you. Now I teach English besides my primary job too.
By the way last June I was in the UK and as I was traveling in the UK , I noticed every 5 Kilometers the accent changes!! and it was a bit difficult for me to understand Scottish accent or Lancashire accent. May I ask you kindly in future whenever you have free time, discuss about different accents in the UK with Micheal and tell us why British accent is so hard sometimes for us to understand. However he has a very clear accent and I can understand him with no difficulty. We will be more happy to hear more from you and him.
Thank you so very much
Thanks, Golnaz — I’m glad you’re enjoying the podcast. Yes, UK dialects are notoriously variable. Even as a native speaker of (US) English, I’m always grateful for DVD’s with English subtitles when there is dialect in films.
Dear Lori, I learned a lot from your conversations with Michel, and I realy appriciate your efforts. I would like to know iff you will continiue adding more episode? Best regards,
Lori hallo when I read your conversation I get enjoy, becuase I like you and your friend M.
and I want to say you about new conversation, please send me your new conversation by email please, bye bye thank you!!! I like very much you and M
hey..
Is this the last podcast you did??
because I really love your podcasts and it seems this is the last one in iTunes
please do more with your British friend.. I always enjoyed your conversations, and i love his accent!
Thanks
Lori i have looking for help to improve my conversation skill you are the best to make people change. In one episode i have got lot of thing like new vocabulary,and pronunciation.if i listen more of you episode i am definitely sure i will improve my skill with short period of time.Thanks to you.
hi ,
i just started listening to these podcasts few days ago .. interesting subjects .make me sit and finish what i start everyday ..but the problem is ,that im kinda busy with school and work ,the only time i can listen to podcast is on the way to school and going back home..and i listen to podcasts by my ipod,wish the vocablury was also included in audio files .that would be much easier ,listening to conversation and learn the new words just after that,,
thank u so much
((btw,i live in the philippines and i speak english but simple simple english:) ))
hi dear lora you know you are a great person you deserve all the respect i appriciate your work verry much (excuse my english).
Dear Lori,
It was my first time listening to your podcasts and I have to say these are very helpful. Using real conversations is indeed the most efficient way of learning a foreign language. Therefore, I am really happy I found this website. Besides the fact that some of your topics are just so much fun to listen to. In particular the dog topic, I never expected that such a simple topic could be so funny.
Thanks for all your efforts!
Greetings from Holland, Tom