So with the holiday gift-giving season under way, I write this column for parents who may be asked by children for a dog or a horse.

因而，在赠送节日礼物的季节到来之际，我特地为那些可能被孩子们要求要一只马或者狗的父母写这个专栏。

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The extent of Chaser's vocabulary is astonishing, but it's no surprise that a dog could be trained to sit, stay, or fetch particular objects from under the couch.

对于追赶者具有如此大的词汇量，大家确实感到惊讶，但是假如说可以训练狗坐，站，去沙发下叼东西，大家一定不会感到奇怪。

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Of thosesurveyed, dog-lovers were more likely to be male, living in ruralareas and under the age of 55.

调查显示，喜欢养狗的人多是55岁以下且居住在乡村地区的男性。

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Also, the dog cannot be left in possession or control of anybody under the age of 16.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | Merseyside's dogs amnesty begins

"Dog owners already have a duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act but it can be difficult to ensure that this duty is being met without a reliable form of identification, " he said.

BBC: Dog microchipping to be compulsory in Wales by 2015