Nicole Larocco and Uli

         The three special guests that came to our class over the last couple of weeks provided a great perspective into what the class is actually about and were very inspirational. I most enjoyed Nicole Larocco’s visit with Uli. In addition to showing us some neat tricks and ways to train a dog, she also made some good points about the true nature of animals, focusing on dogs. She said that every dog has a different personality, just like people, and in order to be a good pet owner, a person has to realize that fact. After reading the Umwelt by Uexkull, I think that the ideas presented in that essay can be related to what Nicole taught us. Dogs are very unique to humans, and they learn in ways much different than is, because they see the world in a different light. The idea of the Umwelt in Uexkull’s essay is very much related to this. The Umwelt is a sensory sphere that is perceived different by every individual, especially between species. Her visit also reminded me of the work at the PSPCA. Nicole pointed out that some dogs are much happier after being trained. It would be especially good if all dogs who are up for adoption at the PSPCA and other shelters like it were somewhat trained. They would be more appealing to possible owners and the dogs might have a quicker adoption rate. I learned that dogs are much easier to train than I had previously thought, but it does take a lot of practice and patience. Uli seemed like a great dog and having a canine friend come visit the class was a great idea.