Amazing work of a US speech expert who has taught her dog to ‘talk’

Christina Hunger is a US-based speech-language pathologist who is using her expertise to better understand her dog’s needs, with amazing results.

Using a device usually used with children who aren’t able to functionally communicate via verbal speech, it provides a soundboard with icons representing different words, which are said out loud when pushed. Christina introduced the board to her Catahoula/Blue Heeler mix, Stella, and with patience and training saw an incredible result.

Starting with the button for ‘outside’, Christina pressed this before opening the door each time the pair were going out. Within a few weeks Stella was aware of what was happening, looking at the button in expectation, and soon afterwards she pressed herself.  Her vocabulary grew to include more words, such as eat, water, play, walk, no, come, help, bye and love you.

          Stella with her button board for communication © photo courtesy of Christina Hunger

Christina worked with Stella every day, and instead of rewarding her with a treat for using a button, she acknowledged Stella’s communication and responded accordingly. “Stella’s voice and opinions matter just as our own do” she said.

Over time Stella has learned to communicate in increasingly sophisticated ways, by joining up words together to express herself. Moving from “no” if she didn’t want to do something, to “come” if she wanted Christina to follow her to another room, and even saying ‘bye’ to visitors as they were leaving! Two-word phrases used by Stella include “walk no” if she wasn’t taken for a walk, “eat play” for her toy filled with food. When she was not fed after repeatedly asking for her food, Stella was most disapproving: ‘love you no’ she told Christina!

Demonstrating Stella’s remarkable grasp of words shouldn’t be a surprise, as research has shown that a canine’s cognitive ability equates with a two-year-old child, with an understanding of between 165-250 words.

I’m sure many of us would love to know more about what our animal companions are really thinking, even though we think we know them very well!

Follow Christina and Stella at : https://www.facebook.com/hunger4words

And at: https://www.hungerforwords.com/

Thanks to Christina and to Chronicle - The APDT Chronicle of the Dog magazine

Meet Glassboxx, our latest ebook vendor

If you prefer your Hubble & Hattie books in digital format, you'll already know how easy and convenient eBooks are. If you're new to eBooks and digital publications, and want to find out more, why not take a look at our FAQs page, and How and where to buy eBooks page? This answers the most common questions, including what you need to access eBooks and apps; how to buy them, etc.

With all the tech involved, it is, perhaps, not surprising that Apple, Amazon, and Google have the lion's share of the market. But, in this age of 'big data,' marketing algorithms, and digital footprints, many people prefer to avoid these big data companies: not that easy with eBooks.

Glassboxx: something a little different

We're always looking for new ways to get our eBooks and books in front of as many interested people as we can, so say "Hi' to Glassboxx, our new eBook vendor. Glassboxx, from the clever people at Firsty, is a new way to buy and read eBooks, perfect for those looking to avoid the 'Big Three,' or hoping to encourage a more diverse consumer environment.

A one-stop-shop for eBooks and audio books, Glassboxx offers a free app for iOS and Android devices (a desktop version will be available soon), and it lets us serve you with digital content securely, from the cloud, and on all your favourite devices.

Buying with Glassboxx

Click the Glassboxx links to buy

Buying an eBook with Glassboxx is easy. When you click a Glassboxx link on our site, wherever they appear, you'll be directed to the appropriate app store for your device, so that you can downloaded the reader app: it will ask you for an email address to use for your Glassboxx account, take your payment details, and that's pretty much it! All your current and future Glassboxx purchases will be available in this account.

Our books can be found
under Veloce

Hubble & Hattie titles are listed under our 'parent' imprint, Veloce Publishing, so if you search 'Veloce' in Glassboxx, you'll find all our eBooks and audio book there.

The app clearly labels each publication to show the format, and, because all your books are stored in the cloud, once you've downloaded a book to one device, to quote Glassboxx;

Read to your heart’s content in the remotest, furthest-flung corners of the earth, where internet penetration is a mere pipe-dream

… or, as we like to call it, Dorset! If you later change your e-reader, your eBooks will still be available, on any device or platform that has the Glassboxx app installed. Perfect!

The app is very easy to use, and is fully featured, letting you make full text searches, create bookmarks, change the font size, use a dyslexic-friendly font, and change colours for easier reading. Glassboxx also provides an audio player, so you can listen to audio books, too.

Get a STAYINANDREAD discount with Glassboxx!

Because Glassboxx does things differently to other vendors, we can offer things we'd otherwise be unable to. For instance, if you purchase one of our eBooks or audio books through Glassboxx, you can use our STAYINANDREAD discount! Simply add your code during checkout!

We'll be adding all of our eBooks to Glassboxx, so pop back regularly to see if your favourite Hubble & Hattie book is available in bytes and bits, rather than paper and ink!

How dogs are helping men to improve their mental health

Rob Osman and his Hungarian Vizsla, Mali, look like any other contented dog walker out and about in Bristol. However, Rob realised that walking outdoors helped him to improve his mental health, and he wanted to share that positivity with others. So he founded a group called Dudes and Dogs, that helps men who may be struggling to open up, letting them talk in a space in which they feel comfortable.

Outside in the open air, men are more likely to be able to speak openly, rather than in the confines of a room where they may feel more self-conscious. Having the dogs alongside also helps them to feel more relaxed, and provides a welcome distraction.

From just a few men, the group has now grown to a sizable number. There is no pressure to talk to the rest of the group, but over time many members do start to open up about their personal worries and issues. Men are less likely to be aware of the symptoms of depression and so less likely to seek help and support. So a group like Dudes and Dogs is a helpful, non-judgemental space in which they can communicate and share a love of walking dogs. Rob is pleasantly surprised by how quickly the group has grown. He’s even had supportive messages from overseas, including Australia and Peru, saying “we need this too”. Rob is working on a plan to roll out further groups around the UK, and hopefully around the world, as well as offering courses and talks on mental wellbeing.

He also recognises the benefits that a loyal canine companion brings, calling Mali “a big four legged antidepressant”.

Thanks to i newspaper 3 January 2020.

Do foxes get a bad press? Reputation versus reality

Whether we live in the city or countryside, most of us have been lucky enough to glimpse that glorious flash of orange fur as a fox passes by. We may also have heard their distinctive night-time calls and barks as they go about their nocturnal business.

Yet many regard these misunderstood creatures as vermin; unwanted pests who make a mess rummaging in rubbish, and pose a threat to domestic pets and other wildlife.

But is this actually true?

Sensationalistic media coverage has not helped the reputation of the UK’s fox population, with the animal being blamed for everything from occasionally entering homes in search of food to savaging cats, until new evidence suggested that urban foxes were actually scavenging unfortunate felines who were victims of road traffic accidents.

                                         i paper 19/11/19 

There is no doubt that foxes are a well-adapted member of the UK’s wildlife population, living alongside humans in both rural and urban habitats. You are as likely to see one wandering a city street as crossing a field. DEFRA (Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs) estimates that there are 430,000 British foxes. To put this figure into perspective, domestic cats outnumber them by 19 to one! Foxes and cats are not natural enemies, and if they encounter one another, will usually show mutual respect by ignoring each other. After all, a healthy adult cat can be a formidable fighter, with sharp teeth and claws: not something your average fox wants to tangle with!

                                         Photo i paper Getty Images Matt Cardy

Research findings demonstrate our ambiguous attitude towards foxes. Wildlifeonline commissioned an opinion poll, asking a representative cross-section of the UK population how they viewed foxes. 75% of respondents either liked having foxes in their neighbourhood, had no strong opinion about them, or thought there were none in their area. The remaining 25% disapproved of foxes, but this was far higher in London than in rural areas: 33% compared to 19%. Women in the Home Counties scored highest for liking foxes.

Whatever our feelings towards foxes, we should admire their success at adapting to their changing environment. We often champion the cause of those species that are rare, while taking for granted those who thrive, like the fox. We have built upon and inhabited land that was once their domain. They continue to live alongside us, with the risks (and in some cases, advantages) it brings to them. Wildlife that endures is to be admired, when so many species are threatened to the point of extinction.

                                         © i paper 19/11/19

Thanks to i paper feature 19 November 2019.