Learn English with the News: “Would you like your dog this colour?”

Boo!

Hi everyone, how are you doing today?

Today’s news story is both funny and sad; pet grooming is a growing business and every year people spend thousands on their pets, getting their fur cut and styled. But this is something else!

Ready to be surprised?

1. Read the text
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Watch the video

Text

Now that’s a dog of a different color.

Kobe is the living example that the latest trend in dog grooming goes way beyond a simple cut. His coat, a blend of different Sesame Street characters including Bert and Ernie, is the meticulous work of his groomer and owner, Catherine Opson.

– Probably total in all, over the course of a month, I put in around 40 or 50 hours working on them between trimming them and coloring and everything.

This rainbow-colored pooch is Porsche. Today, she is getting her roots touched up – to be transformed into a design that will feature a collection of characters from “The Simpsons”. While Opson assures that she only uses dog-friendly products, free from harmful chemicals and bleaches, she knows that some are disapproving of her work.

– I can understand people not liking it and not thinking that it’s for them. But just because it’s something different but isn’t your cup of tea, doesn’t mean that it’s not fine for other people.

And in the end her dogs don’t seem to mind the artful transformations…nor do the judges of major dog-grooming competitions. Her creations have already won her several awards.

Vocabulary

Trend – a general direction of change : a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common.

Grooming – to clean and care for (an animal).

Coat – the outer covering of fur, hair, or wool on an animal.

Blend – to mix (things) thoroughly and usually with good results.

Trimming – to make (something) neat by cutting it.

Pooch – dog.

Artful – done with or showing artistic skill.

Video