Arranging a Pet Playdate
You and your neighbor decide to arrange a time for your pets to play together, discussing logistics and temperament.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
playdate
A planned time for children or pets to play together, like arranging a meeting for friends. Useful when talking about social activities for animals.
temperament
The natural personality or behavior of a person or animal, such as being calm or energetic. Good for describing how pets act around others.
playful
Full of fun and wanting to play, often used for animals that are lively and not aggressive. Common in pet conversations to describe positive traits.
shy
Nervous or hesitant around new people or animals, needing time to feel comfortable. Helps explain initial behavior in social settings.
high-energy
Having a lot of energy and needing lots of activity, like a dog that runs a lot. Useful for matching pets for play based on activity levels.
off-leash
Without a leash or chain, allowing free movement. Often used in safe areas like parks for pets to play naturally.
treats
Small snacks or rewards given to pets, like biscuits. Practical for discussing pet care and sharing during play.
burn off
To use up energy through activity, like running or playing. Common phrase for helping pets get exercise.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Have you ever thought about setting up a proper playdate for them?
This suggests an idea politely using 'have you ever thought about' to introduce a plan. Useful for proposing activities with others, like pet play. The gerund 'setting up' shows ongoing action.
What's Daisy's temperament like with other dogs she doesn't know as well?
Asks about personality in specific situations using 'what's ... like' for descriptions. Great for gathering info before arranging meetings. 'As well' means 'too' or 'similarly'.
She's usually very friendly and playful, but can be a bit shy at first.
Describes traits with 'usually' for habits and 'but' for contrast. Helpful for explaining pet behavior honestly. 'A bit' softens the description to be polite.
Once she warms up, she's great.
Means she becomes comfortable after time, using 'once' for condition. Useful idiom 'warms up' for social adaptation. Simple structure for positive outcomes.
What day works best for you?
Polite way to ask for availability using 'works best' for preference. Essential for scheduling plans like meetups. Present simple tense for general habits.
How about Saturday afternoon, say around 2 PM?
Suggests a specific time with 'how about' for proposals and 'say' for approximate. Practical for negotiating schedules. 'Around' indicates flexibility.
Do you think Buster would mind sharing?
Asks opinion on behavior using 'do you think' and conditional 'would mind' for hypothetical. Useful for checking compatibility in shared activities.
Looking forward to it! It'll be great for them to burn off some energy.
Expresses excitement with 'looking forward to' and future 'it'll be' for predictions. 'Burn off some energy' is a common phrase for benefits of play. Good for positive closings.