Unit 9 – Lingusitics Internal Material

Dog whisperer
Q1. ______________________________________

The term Dog Whisperer is often referred to as someone who has a unique ability to
communicate, observe, and create a connection with a dog based on understanding
and trust. They have vast knowledge, skill, and a unique ability to understand how a
dog is thinking, feeling and acting. Put simply, they have an uncanny ability to
understand your dog. The ability to understand a dog's true innate behaviour and
psychology is very different from dog training. A true Dog Whisperer is a Dog
Behaviourist / Animal Behaviourist, well versed in dog psychology.

There are many dog trainers out there who call themselves Dog Whisperers with no
formal education in Dog Psychology. More often than not, this is nothing more than a
marketing strategy in an attempt to make their training techniques sound different.
True Dog Whisperers harness their unique ability to know what a dog is thinking and
feeling and couple it with formal education and training in Dog Behaviour and Animal
Psychology. They rely heavily on science-based best practices based on decades of
research about animal learning, behaviour and psychology.

Q2. ______________________________________

A dog communicates very effectively without using words. A Dog Whisperer ‘hears’
what your dog is saying by interpreting subtle body language, muscle tension, and
personality traits, looking at what behaviours they are performing and why, plus
many other minor cues - which are all important. They can often read your dog within
a glance! To some, it seems like they have a unique superpower! But this is the result
of coupling a unique ability with formal training and bucketloads of experience. They
make the most bizarre and extreme dog behaviour problems seem simple! Owners
often say, ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see this myself’ or, ‘I have tried everything over the
years and seen countless dog trainers. It was staring me in the face the whole time. I
feel like a fool!’.

Q3. ______________________________________

A Dog Whisperer is in tune with how your dog thinks and feels. This means they can
solve dog behaviour problems and can even prevent problems from occurring. They
have extensive knowledge of different dog breeds and different personalities of dogs.
Their job is to identify where the communication between the dog and the owner has
broken down. They intervene, acting like an interpreter, bridging the
communication gap between the dog and the owner. When a behaviour problem
exists, they can develop a targeted behaviour modification plan to address the
behaviour issue tailored to suit the dog's and owner’s needs and situation. A Dog
Behaviourist’s job is to teach you how to lead and communicate with your dog
positively to achieve a desired outcome or good behaviour.

Q4. ______________________________________

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Unit 9 – Lingusitics Internal Material

We most certainly do! Dionna Newton, the founder and lead Dog Behaviourist at
Animal Behaviour Australia, has grown up around dogs. Since childhood, she always
had an uncanny ability to know what a dog was thinking and feeling. This is what led
her to train as an Animal Behaviourist. A good Dog Whisperer has a unique ability
plus formal education and training in the animal psychology field. Dionna is originally
from the UK, with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree. Her Honours project
focused on animal behaviour. She completed training in Animal Psychology at
university. Then furthered her studies by training specifically in Pet Animal
Psychology through the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) – a training college
that specifically teaches Pet Animal Behaviour.

As an Animal Behaviourist, she is not a Dog Trainer or a Vet but works alongside your
Vet because she has an in-depth knowledge of animal psychology. Her value; she
looks at what is motivating and driving your pet to perform the unwanted behaviour,
and advises how to re-direct it to an alternative suitable behaviour acceptable to
both you and your pet. She works with owners to find solutions to their pet's
behavioural problems, but she also provides Behaviour Prevention Consultations to
enable owners to avoid problem behaviours from ever developing! Our Dog
Whisperer helps owners to truly understand the unique personality of their pet.

Every Dog Whisperer loves dogs. Most prefer dogs to people! They do what they do
to help dogs. They help them by helping you, the dog’s owner, to help them. You are
the best person to help them. You just need to know how. Dionna says, "If you love
your dog, you are the best person to help them". And she will happily show you how
to help them.

Q1-Q4: Match the headings to correct paragraphs

A. Do we 'dog whisper' at Animal Behaviour Australia?
B. How do dogs communicate?
C. Patience of dog whisperers
D. What is a dog whisperer?
E. What does a dog whisperer do?
F. How do humans communicate with dogs?

Decide these statements TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN based from the text

Q5. A Dog Whisperer and a dog trainer are essentially the same profession.
Q6. Some people falsely claim to be Dog Whisperers for marketing purposes.
Q7. Dog Whisperers primarily rely on verbal communication with dogs.
Q8. Becoming a Dog Whisperer requires years of formal education and experience.
Q9. All Dog Whisperers have an innate ability to understand dogs, which cannot be
learned.
Q10. Dog owners are often surprised by how easily a Dog Whisperer identifies their
pet’s issues.

Match the words to their correct definitions:

A. A plan designed to change unwanted actions into desirable ones
B. A misunderstanding or breakdown in exchanging information.
C. A training method that rewards dogs for good behavior

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D. A person who trains dogs using verbal commands and treats

E. Someone who translates or helps different parties understand each other

Q11. Interpreter ___

Q12. Communication gap ___
Q 13. Behaviour modification ___

Answer these questions with ONLY ONE WORDS from the text
Q14. Who is the visionary behind Animal Behaviour Australia?
Q15. What discipline did Dionna Newton specialize in at university?
Q16. Which country is Dionna originally native to?
Q17. At which esteemed institution did she refine her expertise in Pet Animal
Psychology?
Q18. Which professional does a Dog Whisperer closely collaborate with?
Q19. What type of proactive consultations does Dionna conduct to mitigate
behavioral issues?
Q20. What academic qualification does Dionna possess?

____________________

Writing Practice
Choose one of the following topics and write a problem – solution essay
(300 words)

1. Understanding Animal Emotions

2. Miscommunication between humans and pets
3. Using AI to decode animal language
4. Learning about how to understand animal language
5. Ethics of animal whisperers.

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