Vindictive Dogs

“Vindictive dogs” have been the subject of countless pet owner stories, with different owners from different parts of the world telling and retelling tales over how man’s best friend is capable of actually expressing a very human trait.

Though the vindictive capacities of dogs were not exactly the highlight in the 2012 feature Furry Vengeance, the prospect of animals taking revenge on humans was explored by the movie, focusing on how a group of local woodland creatures were against the intentions of a real estate developer.

Starring Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields, Furry Vengeance didn’t really do all that great as a blockbuster hit, but in delving into the animal capacity to take revenge, the movie did lead many to explore the factual existence of “vindictive dogs”.

In most pet circles, the concept of animals capable of bearing a grudge isn’t not unheard of, along with the jotting down of dangerous animals which are generally unpredictable.

When talking about “vindictive dogs”, a number of pet circles have considered the possibility, but properly assessing its existence as a universal doggy trait has been difficult, given the fact that different situations and different conditions are subject to interpretation.

Generally, dogs are known to exhibit certain likes and dislikes, with the tendency to react badly towards the things which they dislike.

Take the case of giving dogs a bath and their general reactions to it, something which dog owners are very well familiar and acquainted with.

Certain dogs tend to have their own set of “post-bathing rituals”, which could include anything from ripping off a sofa’s cushions to rolling in the dirt while their furs are wet. As a number of pet owners have interpreted such “post-bathing rituals” as manifestations of a dog’s vindictive capabilities, a number of pet care experts note that such “post-bathing rituals” are actually doggy reactions from being given a bath, not necessarily done out of spite over what their respective masters had done to them.

With the subject still being studied and explored, defining a truly 100% status on a dog’s vindictive capacity hasn’t yet been established, but one thing is known about dogs: if they don’t like what’s being done to them, they have their own respective reactions to it.

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Iguanas

Iguanas, as pets, have long been misunderstood, considered to be dangerous and deadly to have around.

The 1998 Hollywood remake of the blockbuster hit Godzilla, managed to add to the iguana’s already misunderstood standing, with the remake reimagining Godzilla as a mutated iguana, growing into a gigantic monster with the capacity to destroy New York.

But as countless iguana pet owners would confess, iguanas are far from being the monsters their outward appearance has led many to assume of them, let alone the monster illustrated in the 1998 remake of the Japanese classic.

Quite docile and quite cool tempered, iguanas are actually popular in exotic pet circles, described as the preferred scaled pet of choice given the relative ease involved in their care and upkeep.

Though certain specifics have to be considered with where an iguana’s enclosures or pens are being talked about, ample lighting – preferably with UV benefits – stand to be one of the must-have essentials required in keeping healthy pet iguanas.

In terms of feeding, iguanas are more inclined to diets of vegetative nature, with the occasional inclusion of insects and small bugs. Fruits and green leafy vegetables are popular among iguanas, though certain species have been found to not work well certain vegetables and flowers.

As with most domestic animals, an iguana bite is not unheard of, though their bites are not venomous. Still, an iguana bit hurts, and depending on where a person is bitten, significant medical attention and treatment should be immediately administered during such occasions.

Generally cool, calm and collected, iguanas may strike the average casual observer as a deadly creature, but beyond its monstrous form, they are actually humble creatures which prefer not to be bothered because of their looks.

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Rats and Amphibians

Rats and amphibians remain to be members of the exotic pet category, kept by a select group of persons who see them as interesting companions.

Pivotal in the storyline of the 2006 CGI feature Flushed Away, the voice talents of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno and Bill Nighy gave life to a unique cast of creatures, creatures which most societies would classify as vermin – rats and toads.

Telling the tale of how a “high class” rat found his way into the real world where his kind is unwanted, Flushed Away looked into the similarities between rats and frogs, focusing on how they survive in a typical urban setting.

As pets, rats and amphibians like toads or frogs are far from being considered to be mainstay domestic pets, pegged to be part of the exotic pet variety. Typically housed by pet owners in enclosures, their respective upkeep generally requires pet owners to “remake” their natural habitats, giving them the necessary natural essentials they need to survive.

However, rats are somewhat more versatile with this habitat necessity than toads, with some pet rat owners allowing their wards to roam free around the house, only inhibiting them from going outside. Though this may sound like rats have one point over keeping amphibians as pets, a number of pet rat owners have confessed that letting a rat loose in the house isn’t exactly 100 % safe for the rat and the household.

As there is really nothing wrong with keeping rats and amphibians as pets, their unpopularity as standard domestic pets is defined by the company they keep, liable to be not as interactive as cats and dogs are.

Still, there are many out there who find them interesting pets to have, and even with the extra chores and pet keeping particulars which come with their keeping, lovers of rats and amphibians confess that they have no problems accommodating the needs of their opted exotic pets.

Amphibians Pet Video

 

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Caring for pregnant dogs

You have successfully bred your dog and you are sure that it is pregnant, but at this juncture, you haven’t quite done your homework on how to meet the new pups.

Below is a simple guide to help you support your dog though the pregnancy. It’s going to be a rough couple of months for you and your dog, and preparing for a safe delivery is going to take a lot of work. For instance, after getting your dog studded, you will need to go to the veterinarian for a checkup. Have the dog tested of any health problems, especially genetic ones like degenerative myelopathy.

1.    First three weeks

Like humans, dogs also suffer from morning sickness when they are pregnant. Their personalities can also change and they might prefer to be alone. The main thing to watch for is vaginal infection due to breeding. If they start to bleed, take them to the veterinarian right away for a check-up. As for their diet, feed them the same amount of food as you did before they got pregnant. If your dog has

2.    Fourth and fifth week

By this time, the veterinarian can feel the embryos during the 27th to 31th day of pregnancy. During this time, be very careful with your dog’s diet. The fetus is prone to taking in any toxic substances that the mother could have accidentally eaten. These could cause illnesses like degenerative myelopathy when the puppy becomes older.

Your dog may also have an odorless and clear vaginal discharge. Their nipples may also start to grow. Try not to give the dog stress or too much physical activity. You can also give your dog a multi-vitamin supplement that’s low in calcium. 

3.    Sixth and seventh week
During this time, the dog’s pregnancy will become very obvious, with its nipples becoming swollen and darkening in color. Its tummy will continue to grow as well.

Give your dog extra nutrients by feeding them a mixture of eggs and cottage cheese. You can also increase the amount of food you usually give iy. By this time, you should also prepare a whelping box where the puppies will be born and nurtured. This can be placed in the corner of the kitchen where it’s cool, dark and quiet.

4.    Eighth week

You might even feel the puppies move when you touch the dog’s belly. Be very careful with how you play or handle the dog since they can give birth at any time during this stage. Once the puppies are out, make sure that the puppies are taken out of that thin sheet of flesh (placenta) and begin breast-feeding.

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Dogs and Basketball

Dogs, as domestic pets, have been labeled as “man’s best friend” for a reason, with one particularly familiar and well established doggy aspect known to one and all – their natural capacity to be trained to do tricks and accomplish certain tasks.

The 1997 family feature Air Bud illustrated one unique “trick” which a dog could be trained to do, telling the story of a stray dog and his inherent basketball playing skills.  Though the odds of actually finding a stray dog with the natural talent to play basketball can be pretty much summed up as really really low, the movie did show just how feasible training a dog to play basketball can be.

Generally, training a dog to play basketball is really no different from training a dog to do different tricks and tasks, requiring a lot of patience in the part of the trainer/owner in working on the “reward system” in imparting lessons.

Most experienced trainers who have had their share of training dogs to play basketball note that the steps involved in the training process is steeped with small steps, from finding or focusing on the ball, actually handling the ball, and pretty much leading to the dog acknowledging what to do with the ball, with each successful step being matched with a corresponding treat.

Some dogs smart enough and physically agile enough could even so a slam dunk with specialized for-dogs basketball hoops, along with doing certain tricks with basketballs as they are going about their “routines”.

Though its is physically impossible for dogs to readily play basketball in human standard basketball courts competitively, the concept of showcasing a basketball trained dog in terms of its novelty value is feasible, one which will surely bring a lot of interest towards a trained dog’s direction.

 Dogs and Basketball Video

 

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Kittens Warming up to being like Dogs

Kittens, as the young of cats, are known for being cute, cuddly and fun-loving innocent felines, somewhat a contradiction to the often-met snooty and insufferable natures of adult cats.

Though far from being anything like to the real thing, the 1988 Animated Disney feature Oliver and Company looked into how a kitten managed to “grow up” with dogs, a story which tells the tale of a kitten which had maintained its loveable and loyal nature, resulting to a cat with a dog-like personality.

As the movie may have been positioned as such for entertainment purposes, many cat and dog lovers have tried their best to induce some “positive” influence into the personalities of kittens as they grow up with dogs around.

Given the classic animosity shared between cats and dogs, one would think that such a setup is an impossible thing to actually occur, but anecdotal evidence would note that kittens growing up with dogs does lead to the development of adult cats whom are more sociable with humans and keen on even following certain voice commands.

Generally, kittens grow up best with the company of others, with having two kittens growing up at the same time often considered to be ideal by most cat lovers. Kittens growing up with dogs does not really result to a constant war in the house, given that in time, kittens and dogs would successfully manage to forge a certain relationship, with the dog influencing certain “doggy traits” into kittens.

Though not exactly scientifically proven, if you’re concerned about how a new kitten would fair with the company of your family dog, things may be rough during the first few months of them getting to know each other, but given time, that relationship could certainly bring about a different kind of cat who is more cooperative and loveable.

Ninja Kitten Video

 

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Common Problems of Big Dogs

Most dog owners have a small- to medium-sized pet dog that they can easily take care of. However, some dog owners actually prefer to have large dogs as pets, for reasons ranging from intimidation factor (for guard purposes) to preference.

However, it should be noted that taking care of a large dog won’t be easy. If you’re a big dog owner, you’re likely to face a few common challenges when caring for larger breed of dog.

Space

This is the number one problem when it comes to keeping large dogs. You can not expect to let a Great Dane live inside a regular sized apartment in the middle of the city. Larger dogs will require a larger space to move in. It would be best to keep these dogs in farms or in homes that have big yards where they can run around and play.

Health

When it comes to health, expect big dogs to have some problem with their bones and joints due to their size. They are also commonly affected by nerve and vein problems such as DM in dogs, which often results in full body paralysis. It’s also important that they are given the right amount of exercise and rest. Talk to your veterinarian about activities that you can do with your dog to keep them active and healthy.

Nutrition

As puppies, big dog breeds will need just the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Too little nutrients often leads to poor muscle and bone health, while too much will cause growth spurts that results in weak muscles and bones. Proper nutrition is also the only way to help stop genetic illnesses like DM in dogs to develop when they are older.

Cost

Larger dogs are obviously more expensive to take care of compared to smaller ones. They need more food and use more dog care products like shampoo and vitamins. If you are planning on getting a large dog breed, you have to make sure that you can afford to keep up with its upkeep.

Temper

If you do not train your dog correctly while it is still young, it might develop a negative temper. While they are still puppies, it’s best to teach them how to act around people. This helps with control to assure that the dog does not act negatively towards other people. 

The point here isn’t to dissuade you from getting a large dog, but rather inform you of what you’re getting into when acquiring a big pooch. Large dogs are great as companions, and when treated right and trained properly, come out as gentle giants.

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Piranhas

It can be said that the success of the Piranha series of horror/suspense features owes its successful run to one name – James Cameron.

Being the director of the second Piranha feature, Piranha II: The Spawning, the film looked into the suspense potentials of mutated piranhas which, through “fin flapping”, could literally fly out of the water and attack prey.

Though the movie’s B-Class qualities is evident, Piranha II: The Spawning says a lot about the pretexts of “superstars in the making”, with Cameron eventually making other movies which raked in box office success accolades and awards.

It also raised the question over the possibility of piranhas mutating and evolving to a “flying through fin flapping” state, a state with experts agree isn’t a likely possibility.

Standing out as one of the more notorious fish species in the Amazon, the piranha is known for its swarm-oriented attacks, with piranha groups capable of ripping off the meat of animals within seconds. Animals which happen to unfortunately come their way are recorded to be reduced to their bones within minutes, a testament to the voracity of the carnivore fish species.

Dangerous and deadly, the piranha’s physical attributes deem them as monstrous fishes, with triangular-shaped rows of sharp teeth lining their mouths, making solo piranhas fishes which you do not want to mess with, let alone have anything to do with a group.

With its infamy for being rabid carnivores, it’s really no wonder why Cameron and his crew thought that the notion of “flying piranhas” would work in a creature-feature movie. Though the movie can’t really be described as a cinematic masterpiece, the track record which its director eventually got to make has made it a cinematic novelty, one which has also once again propelled interest to one of the world’s deadliest fish species, the piranha.

 Piranha Video

 

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Warthog

In the classic Disney movie, The Lion King, audiences are introduced to different animals found in the African jungles and safari. One of the most notable characters would be Pumba the warthog. Warthogs are usually found in central and southern Africa where they commonly go around with the herds of antelopes and gazelles.

The warthog, also known as the Common Warthog, are wild pigs that live in savannas, woodlands and grasslands in Sub-Saharan Africa. They were once considered as a wild pig subspecies, P. aethiopicus. However, this scientific name has become restricted to Desert Warthogs found in eastern Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Warthogs are named after the four, wart-like lumps found on their heads. These are actually their fat reserve and act much like a camel’s hump. Male warthogs also use this as defense during fights. Natives call these pigs "vlakvark" which means "pig of the plains.”

Warthogs are usually 3 to 5 feet long and can weigh up to 100 to 170 lb. they have four tusks that grow from their mouth and curve upwards. These tusks are made from ivory and are constantly growing.  The lower tusks are shorter and become very sharp due to the constant rubbing against their upper pair. The warthog uses their tusks for digging, self-defense and combat.  They can inflict very deep and severe wounds using their lower tusks.

Their heads are large and they have a mane that goes down their spine, ending at the middle area of their backs. They have long tails that have a ball of hair that grows at the end. Unlike other pigs, warthogs are actually very lean and don’t have subcutaneous fats. This makes them very tolerant to extreme temperature and environmental changes.

Warthog Video

 

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Swai Fish

The Swai fish, more commonly known as an iridescent shark, is a type of catfish shark that originated in the deep rivers of Asia, specifically the southeastern part. Although it’s called a shark, the Swai fish is more of a catfish. They are commonly found in the Chao Phraya River and the Mekong basin where they are cultivated and grown for food. These fish feed on smaller fishes, plant matter and crustaceans.

Young Swai fishes have a long, black stripe that goes down the lateral side of their bodies. Below this is another black strip that highlights the first. These fishes have a strange, iridescent, shiny color to them, giving them their name. Adult Swai fish commonly turn a shiny black and grow to about 4 feet long, weighing at 97 lbs.

As mentioned earlier, these fishes are often grown for food. They are widely sold in the United States and have more or less the same delicate texture and flavor as the native U.S. Channel catfish. They have a slightly sweeter, moist and mild flavor to their flesh. Their meat is a creamy beige in color and turns completely white when cooked.

Aside from food, younger Swai fishes are commonly kept as aquarium pets. These fishes are actually a bit challenging to keep as pets. One of the main reason is that they prefer to live in schools, so you will have to keep at least five of them in the same tank. You are also going to need a fairly large tank if you are planning to keep Swai fishes as pets. They also have very bad eyesight, so small movements outside their tanks could distract them and make them think that these are threats, placing them under a lot of stress. When stressed or threatened, they have a tendency to lie on their sides until they recover. 

 Swai Fish Video

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