A great way to practice Dutch.

One thing that amazed me in my Dutch class is the number of students who state that they have little to no interaction with Nederlanders.  My advice, get a dog! I have always been an extremely chatty person, and paired with my dog, Pepper, I am given an excuse to talk to perfect strangers each and every day! All I have to do is take Pepper on a walk and I am guaranteed to have at least one interaction with a Nederlander – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I stop and say,"Hi!" to other dog owners, and Pepper and I have a chance to make new friends! The small talk that transpires is a great way to practice my Dutch with native speakers, and more importantly, my neighbours.

Teaching my dog Dutch.

People always ask if I speak to my dog in English or Dutch. When I respond that I speak to her in both – with a few words in Spanish thrown in – I get an array of reactions. One woman actually said that I would confuse my dog by speaking to her in two languages! For me, it is a great way to practice my Dutch, without getting judged.

Exploring the neighbourhood

Even though my dog weighs a mere 15 pounds, when I am walking with her, I never feel alone. I look for new routes to take so neither of us gets bored, and in the process, I learn more about my neighbourhood daily. For instance, without my walks I'd never have discovered some enchanting houses which are hidden in the some of the backstreets we've wandered along.

Choosing a vet for your dog

The best way to find a good veterinarian is to ask around. I was fortunate to find a great practice through a neighbour, where the vets are friendly, knowledgeable, and speak fluent English. This is especially important because although I speak conversational Dutch, I want to be able to communicate clearly with my dog’s vet with absolutely no room for misunderstandings.

Obedience classes

Doggie class has been one of the most difficult classes I have ever taken. We, the doggie parents, are constantly reminded that the class is teaching us; not the dog, which is a polite way to say that each time my dog does something incorrectly, I have only myself to blame!

The first obstacle we faced in obedience class was that Pepper did not listen to me. The second was that the language of instruction was Dutch. Fortunately for me, the instructors are patient with my Dutch, and take time to make sure that I understand every lesson. 

While Pepper’s doggie class is certainly one of the hardest classes I have ever taken, it has also been one of the most rewarding, and I happily look forward to the end result: A loyal dog that listens and behaves. After all, that is why we enrolled in the class in the first place!

My Pug Pepper is my best small friend who is helping me to get to grips with Dutch culture and to discover my adopted country.

Commands for beginners:

Zit - Sit
Volg - Follow
Blijf. Stay
Plaats/ Liggen - Lie down
Aan Voet - Stand next to you.

Dog Training Courses

Eindhoven:
Honden Club Oud Woensel:
www.hcow.nl
Telephone: (0)40 245 2749
E-mail: info@hcow.nl

[We invite you, our readers, to recommend Dog training courses so that we can build up a useful listing for the Expatica community.]

Freelance writer Olivia Neri, who packed her bags and moved from Los Angeles to Eindhoven last year to marry her Dutch boyfriend, finds that shaking off the label of 'American who doesn't know Dutch' is hard work.

 

Readers' recommendations

Martin Gaus dog training schools
http://www.martingaus.nl/