爱狗人士必读：选狗的黄金法则

 　　1. Decide on horsepower¹. The biggest mistake people make is selecting a dog without considering its energy level. There are four basic engines: low, medium, high, and very high. Match yours to the dog's。

　　1. 根据狗狗的精力水平选择。人们在选狗的时候最容易犯的错误就是不考虑它们的精力水平。狗狗们有四种基本的精力水平：低、中、高和超高。你最好选择和自己水平相当的狗狗。

　　2. Pick a model. Large or small. Short hair or long. New or pre-owned。

　　2. 按一个标准选。要么大、要么小；要么短毛、要么长毛；要么从小养大、要么是被人养过的……

　　小编：临到头犹豫不决的人不在少数。宠物店的狗狗们会让你挑花了眼。如果你从一开始就设定好标准，那就容易下决心多了。

　　3. Bring the right equipment. You'll need a collar and a four- or six-foot lead to match the size of the dog. Also bring a tennis ball, a plush toy, and liver² or chicken treats。

　　3. 带些道具去测试。带一个项圈和一根四到六英尺的牵狗绳去选狗，同时也可以带上一个网球、一个玩具和一些狗食。

　　小编：这一条基本能帮助你尽快和你的未来宠物熟悉起来，说白了就是讨好它一下啦。

　　4. Test responsiveness. In an open area away from the house or kennel³, introduce the scent⁴ of the treats. Then introduce the toys. Determine what interests the dog more. This is important because knowing whether he's toy-driven or treat-driven (or neither) will make it easier to train him。

　　4. 测试狗狗的兴趣所在。把狗狗带到远离房屋或是狗舍的空旷区域。先给它小零食(狗狗专用那种哦！)、再给它玩具。看它对哪种更感兴趣。弄清楚这一点对以后怎么训练它很有用。

　　5. Bring him up to speed. Start walking with the dog. Is he tracking, hunting, or excitedly pulling you along? All these mean he's ignoring you. You want a dog that responds to you。

　　5. 带它跑上一圈。带着狗狗走上一段，看它是远远地跟着你走、追着你跑还是超兴奋地拖着你走？以上那些举动都表示它其实忽略了你。而你要的是一只能回应你命令的狗。

　　小编：这一条最终测试的还是狗狗的个性。如果它和你之间的交流不够、或者它根本不当你是主人，那以后你养它的麻烦就大了。

　　6. Maneuver⁵ around obstacles⁶. If possible, expose him to cats, other dogs, children, and traffic. Note if he's calm, shy, or aggressive。

　　6. 给它点儿障碍看看。如果可能的话，把它丢给猫、或是其他狗、或是小孩、或是丢到马路中间。看看它的反应是冷静、害羞、还是有进攻性。

　　小编：除非你家住的是牧场，有攻击性的狗狗都不是宠物的好选择。

　　7. Return him and try another. Ten to 15 minutes is all that's required for a good test-drive. Never adopt the first dog you try; four to five is recommended。

　　7. 倒回去、再看看其他狗狗。完成一次测试10到15分钟就够了。绝对不要碰到第一只狗就立马定下来，最好能看上个4、5只。

1 horsepower   

n.马力(功率单位)

参考例句：

• The engine puts out thirty horsepower.这台发动机可产生30马力。
• Cars are normally rated in horsepower.汽车通常用马力定级。

2 liver   

n.肝；肝脏

参考例句：

• He has a weak liver.他的肝脏不好。
• The largest organ in the body is the liver.人体最大的器官是肝脏。

3 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。

4 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

5 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

6 obstacles   

n. 干扰；障碍

参考例句：

• I think most of these obstacles can be surmounted. 我认为这些障碍大多数都是可以克服的。
• There's no formidable obstacles in the world. 世上没有无法逾越的障碍。