The happy and proud new ‘couch potato’. Is our stigma about staying home and spare time changing?
From the US to Australia, and from finally reading that book to taking that relaxing walk. When it comes to our spare time, many of us are becoming a proud new ‘couch potato.’ But that was certainly not always the case. Is our stigma about staying in versus going out changing?
A dog is our best friend. But are we theirs? A professional perspective
In the West we all care for our dogs in much the same way. We put them in a crate when we go to work and we give them treats. We remind them now and then who’s boss. But if we all basically do the same thing, does that make it okay? According to welfare professional Judith Versluis, there is room for improvement. Says Judith, this way we can also become our dog’s best friend. This is her story.
Happy horse: Are our four-legged friends really just for riding?
There are ‘horse owners’ who take their horse for a walk instead of riding it. They say it’s a great thing to do for both horse and rider. That it helps them see the world from their horse’s perspective. That it helps create a stronger bond between them. All by changing their perspective a little in their otherwise mundane normal day. Turns out: that way we can have a happy horse and a happy person.
“One family dog please.” Do different dog breeds really have different characters?
As people with dogs in our lives we all say we can choose a dog breed with a certain character. That a dog behaves according to its breed. So we can choose, for instance a “family dog.” But a study is now challenging such stereotypes. It says that our dog’s character has more to do with the quality of life we give it. Are we projecting our ideas about dog breeds onto our dogs?
“Us v them:” has the angry group’s approach had its day?
When it comes to expressing our opinions, has the ‘us v them’ approach had its day? Suppose we disagree on a certain topic and want to make our opinion heard. Then we must join forces and form an anti-group. Right? Or has the time come to approach this differently?
Chatbot shows: Want to be there for a friend? Let them help you instead!
When a friend is feeling a little down, we want to do something to help them. It’s an immediate reaction. But the creators of a chatbot called Vincent show us a new perspective. By turning things around and having a friend help us with something instead. That way we can make them feel better about themselves.