Animals Library: December 2012

Basketball toys and jerseys for dogs

Dog owners are well aware of how distinct and unique doggy personalities are, with different dogs having a myriad of interests which are just as diverse the interests of different people can be.

Basketball stands to be something a number of dogs share a common interest in, paving the way for the popularity of basketball toys and jerseys for dogs.

In 1997, a movie entitled Air Bud recognized how interested dogs are with basketball, with the story touching up on how basketball became the common vantage point for two complete strangers, a boy and a runaway Golden Retriever.

As Golden Retrievers are practically known for their natural athletic inclinations, matched with their high intelligence factors, Air Bud’s simple story premise was well received by different fans of all ages, making it a popular reference for dogs and basketball even until today.

In fact, a large number of basketball toys and jerseys for dogs are patterned after the one’s featured in Air Bud, with some even coming in Air Bud-themed conventions, from the same uniform featured in the movie, to different doggy toys such as Frisbees and catch toys based on basketball themes.

Though not all dogs are actually capable of playing basketball under standard game rules and conventions, the makers of basketball toys for dogs are well aware of this fact and don’t just offer products which only specially trained or basketball-capable dogs can enjoy and play with.

In fact, most basketball-themed toys for dogs are dog toys first before being basketball specific toys, making them smart and fun investments as a “treat” for one’s dog.

This holiday season, if you’re lost with what gift to give to your furry best buddy, consider his or her interests. If basketball is his or her thing, the prospect of basketball toys and jerseys stand to be a smart move.

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Taking Care of Your French Bulldog

One of the fastest growing popular dog breeds are French bulldogs. These dogs originated from a mixture of bulldogs and terriers, and are a favorite amongst small to medium sized families and celebrities. Probably, this breed got highlighted when celebrity host Martha Stuart showed her French bulldog on her shows and showed how energetic and playful the breed can be.

A small sized dog, frenchies are easy to maintain, well in temperament and have little known health problems. Here are a few tips to help you take better care of your French bulldog.

Diet
Since frenchies are small dogs, you should never over feed them to avoid DM in dogs. Ask your vet about the proper serving size for the breed and keep a strict watch over their diet. Give them dog food, but if you’re planning to make your own meals for them, make sure you give them vitamins and food supplements to compensate for any lacking nutrition.

Regular exercise

They might prefer the indoors, but they still need regular exercise. An hour’s worth of light walking everyday should do it. Regular exercise helps prevent the development of joint and muscle problems like DM in dogs, arthritis and hip dysplasia. It also keeps them in shape.Take them out for a short walk every day since too much exercise can cause them to overheat and trigger breathing problems.

Teeth care and face folds

French bulldogs are particularly high maintenance when it comes to their teeth and face folds. You have to make sure they’re cleaned regularly to avoid mouth, face and jaw problems. When getting their teeth cleaned, try to avoid anesthesia since this compromises their respiratory system.

General grooming
A bath once or twice a week should be enough. But it would also depend on how cold or warm your location is. Brushing should be done daily to clean their coat of dirt and dead hair. They do shed but since they have a short coat, you won’t have to worry about having fur all over the place. They also drool a lot so you might want to bring around a cloth to wipe it out.

Temper
One of the most friendly dog breed, they get along well with other pets and people. However, when around younger children, they do need to be watched over since they don’t do rough play very well. They make snorting, grunting and wheezing sound normally so don’t panic if they do. They also have a tendency to have a hard time when swimming. In fact, most French bulldogs don’t know how to swim.

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Poodle

It’s nearly impossible not to talk about poodles in general dog breed discussions, given how popular poodles are as toy dogs.

Believed to be originally bred for water retrieval excursions during hunting sessions, the poodle is argued to have hailed from Germany where it was once called the pudelhound, taking after the word pudel which translates to “to splash about”.

Bred in miniature, toy dog sizes, poodles are typically small, with their masters often found carrying them around as though they were cats.

The direct-to-video sequel of Open Season, the 2006 released Open Season 2, featured a poodle character named Fifi as its villain, depicting him in a somewhat contradictory manner, just as how Mr Tingles in the Cats and Dogs movie franchise was depicted as a white, generally harmless looking cat, but with evil intents and purposes.

Though the depiction of Fifi as the bad guy in Open Season 2 could be pegged as an ironic take on the poodle, a lot of misconceptions about the breed is known to prevail, with most convinced that they are simply silly dogs who don’t do anything else than just be pampered.

The truth is that poodles are actually very intelligent dogs, and contrary to most opinions, they are highly active and energetic, requiring a lot of regular walks and exercise.

Grooming tends to be a matter of concern when talking about poodles, with different owners giving them regular hair cuts and trims in maintaining their lush looking looks.

Popular among countless dog circles based in different parts of the world, poodles are generally considered as an “elite” dog breed, one where regular grooming plays a pivotal role in their keeping.

Poodle Video

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Wildebeest

Wildebeest are commonly mistaken as “wilderbeast”, a mistake that is borne from how the mammal’s name is spelled.

But as commonly misspelled as its name is, the popularity of the wildebeest is one that mirrors with the lions of Africa, given the fact that they are among the lion’s well documented preferred types of prey.

The 1966 movie Born Free had featured a wildebeest or two, something which couldn’t have been avoided given that the movie told the story of a lion being adopted by a couple.

Also referred to as the gnu, the wildebeest is a hoofed and horned mammal of the antelope genus, one that bears a resemblance with antelopes, only built larger making them look more like “slimmer sized” cows. Growing as large as 4 feet in length, the wildebeest’s lifespan is documented to cover 40 years, though the average wildebeest lives as long as 20 years.

The wildebeest takes it name from the Dutch wild beast, and is known to generally populate two wildebeest types, the black and the blue wildebeest.

Between the two, it is the blue wildebeest that is said to have stayed true to its genetic origins, with the black showing evident sings of evolutionary adaptations. Though the blue wildebeest is not exactly blue in color, its coat is more grayish in hue, while the black wildebeest bears a more brown-toned coat.

In terms of size, blue wildebeests are known to be bigger than the black variety, and as physical differences come, the striped coat patterns and the horn shapes of the two types are also different from each other.

Being one of the lion’s often preyed upon species, the wildebeest has somewhat taken a popular position in the animal kingdom, oftentimes paired with zebras, who are also among the species preyed upon by lions.

Wildebeest Video

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Deadliest Sea Snake

Sea snakes are known to have one of the strong and mighty venoms but there are also other species of sea snakes that are unique and docile and do not have much venom. Of all the sea snakes in the world, which one is the deadliest? What is the gauge of tagging it as deadliest?

There is a snake bite alone that contains more than enough venom to kill 50 people. The number of casualties is about twice as much as the most venomous terrestrial snakes like the King Cobra, the rattlesnake and the Black Mamba.

The Beaked Sea Snake (Enhydrina schistosa) is notorious, aggressive and vouches for nine out of every ten deaths from sea snake bites. Its victims are mostly fishermen and other people who love to wade or fish in murky water. Every year there are numerous victims that nonchalantly paddle into the waters and get injected by the beaked sea snake’s most potent venom. It thrives mainly from the Persian Gulf to Asia and Australia.

It is in fact the 6th of the deadliest snake but the most cunning among the different species of sea snakes combined. Although most sea snakes have relatively low, moderate to high venom potency, this one is responsible for about 90% of all deaths related to sea bites. The Beaked Sea Snake has a long, slender body that reaches up to 1.2 meters long. Its color is generally light or sometimes darker gray with indistinguishable blue-gray strips. It has a sharply pointed head with a paddle-like tail and the fangs of a Beaked Sea Snake are about 4mm long. They usually feed on shrimps, catfish and other sea creatures it
can lay eyes on.

In this predator-prey relationship, the Beaked Sea Snake is most of the time predator but in some cases, its luck falls short and this dreadful and venomous sea snake becomes prey to other big fish and crocodiles.

Sea Snake Video

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Animals in Space

Animals in space has long been explored by the realms of science fiction, but as it has come to be known, a number of actual animals going to space has been documented over the past 50 or so years.

Just as animals are utilized as test subjects for human-consumption products (though this is now being frowned upon in most modern societies), animals were heavily utilized during the early days of space travel and exploration, with records dating back to the 1940s.

In 1978, a movie entitled The Cat From Outer Space managed to draw attention the prospect of animal space test subjects coming back to Earth, this time “mutated” and equipped with powers that were unexplainable by modern science. Though there have been no known reports of animal space test subjects returning to the planet with powers, it is interesting to note how animals had played a pivotal role in bringing the first man to the moon.

Fruit Flies are considered to be the first animals to have been to space, with tests dating as far as the 1940s. By 1949, a Rhesus Monkey named Albert II became the first monkey in space, as the 1950s witnessed mice being launched in space too.

In 1960, dogs were used as test subjects for space exploration, with two dogs named Strelka and Belka on board Sputnik 5. Also, in 1968, a tortoise was launched into space by the Soviet Union, which also had launched dogs as test subjects.

By the 1970s, different animals apart from monkeys and dogs were launched to space, this time including bullfrogs, fishes and garden spiders. Chicken embryos were then sent to space in the 1980s, along with newts, whose regeneration capacities were being studied in space’s airless environment.

Though the United States and Russia’s space endeavors have somewhat come to a pause since two decades ago, Iran is noted to have launched animals in space in 2010, including worms, two turtles and a mouse.

In 2011, the space shuttle Endeavor went to space with two golden orb spiders, along with a colony of fruit flies – which basically says something about coming home to a full circle, given the fact that the first documented animal test subjects in space were, fruit flies.

Animals in Space Video

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Pomeranians

Pomeranians are a popular type of Spitz, whose small physiques have made them the poster dog for toy dogs, a status which it arguably shares with the poodle.

Made more popular during the 17th Century when the royals and nobles of England kept Pomeranians as pets, Pomeranians are also referred to as “Dwarf Spitz”, as well as the more commonly encountered household term, “Pompom”.

In 2003, a comedy entitled Quigley was released, telling the story of how a despicable man was reincarnated as a Pomeranian, tasked to undo some of the damage he had done when he was alive. Starring Gary Busy, Curtis Armstrong and Oz Perkins, the movie didn’t exactly make a dent on blockbuster records, but it did give Pomeranians their due attention.

As toy dogs, Pomeranians are small, typically weighing somewhere around 1.9 to 3.5 kilograms, standing upright somewhere between 5 to 11 inches. With their physiques typically described as compact, Pomeranians, unlike other toy dogs, are quite sturdy and physically robust for dogs their size.

From all-white to two-color-toned Pomeranians, different coat patterns and variants are known to prevail in Pomeranians, and as with most toy dogs, they are known to live long with the average lifespan of a Pomeranian running for 12 to 15 years.

In 1888, Queen Victoria is revealed to have owned a Pomeranian, an ownership which effectively propelled the popularity of the dog type, particularly the brown-black Pomeranian variety.

With such a “celebrity endorser” owning a Pomeranian, the dog type has become quite a hit among toy dog circles, kennels/breeders and dog competitions.

Popularly kept in urban habitats in the United States, Pomeranians remain to be one of the top dog types in the United States, with different countries also having their take in the number of Pomeranians kept by households.

Pomeranians Video

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Emperor Penguin Facts

Emperor penguins were the stars of the Happy Feet series of movies, with Happy Feet 2 released last year.

Revisiting the world of Mumble and touching up on the inherent talents of Erik, Mumble’s son, the second Happy Feet movie bore the same entertainment quality of the first, making it a heartwarming story that is enjoyable for audiences of all ages.

Being the largest of 17 known penguin species, it really is no wonder why Happy Feet focused on Emperor Penguins, a penguin species that is known to stay in the Antarctic all year long. Given the fact that a lot of Antarctic creatures are known to move to warmer climes during winter season, the Emperor Penguin is the only species that stays, “roughing out” the winter frost and cold that comes upon them.

Highly sociable, Emperor Penguins are known to implement a unique tactic in staying warm, huddling together in a group. Though this may not sound much when one says it out loud, but the unique thing about Emperor Penguins is that they actually take turns in being in the middle or center of a huddle, with the practice saying something about their organizational skills as a species.

Also, unlike other birds, Emperor Penguins breed during winter, and unlike most father and mother setups in the animal kingdom, it is the mother penguin who leaves after an egg is hatched, leaving the responsibility of taking care of the young Emperor Penguin to the father.

Once the egg is hatched, the mother penguin then comes back, and does her share in helping rear baby penguins to full growth.

With the harsh cold of the Antarctic, Emperor Penguins are truly built for survival, with a unique hierarchy that works to their advantage. Majestic in their size and stance, the “Emperor” in their Emperor Penguin name is one that is truly apt, with all the given considerations and facts about the penguin species.

Emperor Penguin Facts Video

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Christmas and the poodle-marmaduke mix

When talking about Christmas, reindeers tend to be the most popular animal associated with the season, a status that is borne from the Santa Claus lore, where Santa’s magical sled is drawn by flying reindeers.

Dogs are not particularly associated with Christmas, but one breed has steadily been gaining an association with the season, a reputation that hails from the live-action revival of the classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.

Originally published as a children’s book in 1957, the remake of How The Grinch Stole Christmas was released in 2000, and featured a poodle and marmaduke mix playing the role of Max, the Grinch’s dog, backed by the stellar acting talents of Jim Carrey playing the role of the Grinch.

Though not exactly a testament of truth, the portrayal of a poodle and marmadue mix as Max was quite endearing, leaving countless children associating the dog with Christmas reindeers, mirroring the role Max “played” in drawing the Grinch’s “flying” sled.

As a breed, poodle mixes are known to bear the very intelligence factors of pure bred poodles, along with the physical characteristics that have made poodles one of the world’s most readily identifiable dogs.

As pets, poodle mixes are quite active too, an attribute that complements with their intelligence factors, and poodle-like physical characteristics. Generally small to medium in size, poodle mixes tend to have a penchant for being toy dogs, but are also known to “rough it up” every once in a while.

Given how popular the character of Max is from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the sight of poodle mixes being fitted with reindeer antlers doesn’t come as strange this holiday season.

poodle-marmaduke mix Video

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Elephant Rumbling Explained

If you try to stand beside an elephant you might feel a gush of wind or perhaps a vibration on the chest area. Are you scared? Yes, you have every reason to be, but it’s not the thudding on the chest brought about by your heavy heartbeat. This may be a surprise but the sound comes from the animal situated just beside you. It is called elephant rumbling. Elephants are one of the highly intelligent animals yet they are the ones with the least form of communication. Unlike cats that purr and dogs that bark, elephants have some form of communication and vocalization.

Apart from the trumpeting sounds, the snorts and the croaking that they are popularly known for, elephants produce a rumbling sound. It is actually a deep, vibrating infra sound that is not easily heard by the human ear because it is very low (about twenty hertz) and this rumbling is produced from the elephant’s throat. You may not see them open their mouths, but the rumbling sound comes from the inside. In fact, it is their lively conversation. Try touching their bodies and feel their skin - you will find out that the strong vibration runs throughout the whole body of the elephant, something like a physical buzzing deep within. Most often, when elephants do the trumpet sound, the rumbling follows soon afterwards but not quite easily heard and detected not until you go near one of them.

Rumbling is a form of a long and far distance kind of communication even though it is kilometers apart from another elephant. It helps detect other elephant locations. In determining friends and family members, the intensity of the rumble is relied upon – the stronger the rumble, the closer they are to proximity and kind. Rumbling can be depended upon for protection of one’s kind when there is imminent danger. It is also used for communicating mating behavior.

How far can the rumbling sound be reached? As seen in the Discovery Magazine and Suite 101.com site, a study conducted by Dr Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell, of Stanford University studies elephants in the wild in Nambia, Africa through her nonprofit organization Utopia Scientific revealed “that elephants' low-frequency rumbles can travel over two kilometers, and some studies have suggested that the sounds might travel up to 10 kilometers. Not only do these vibrations travel through the air, but these sound waves can also be transmitted through the ground the elephants stand on. Elephants sense these long- distance seismic vibrations through their feet and also by pressing their trunks to the ground. ”

Elephant Rumbling Explained

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Man’s Best Friend Proves Itself Again

Any pet at home can be considered man’s best friend but why is it that the dog is often times referred to as man’s best friend? Lassie and many dog heroes out there have shown how they can be relied upon whenever we need them. There are virtually many instances why the dog can always be trusted. You name countless dog heroes that have in one way or another saved people’s lives. Just recently, it has proven itself worthy of its name again.

Ashapoo, a trusted canine never left the side of his owner’s two-year-old grandson, Peyton Myrick while the little boy was lost in the woods.

The boy was with his grandfather while taking a trip to Clover, South Carolina at their family land to search for a beautiful and fresh Christmas tree. Keeping up with a two-year old, energetic young toddler was a challenge. The moment his grandfather turned his back, Peyton was gone in minutes. Good thing, their trusted dog Ashapoo was also nowhere to be found.

The family was hoping to see the dog and Peyton together. By the time Peyton’s parents were looking for him they were hanging in to the thought that the adorable boy might just be with his faithful companion, a man’s best friend. In Yahoo News, said dad Rich Myrick to local station on WBTV "In the back of your mind, you know the dog is going to be with him."

It took them four hours and a half of searching and everyone was worried since it was getting dark and cold, the forest getting spooky at night. Mom Carmen Myrick noted to WCNC that she took in the hundreds of volunteers, ambulances, the media, and police cars. She says she remembers thinking, "This is not going to end good.”

After hours, rescuers saw a barn and went inside. They did not expect a dog approaching them. It was Ashapoo. It barked and ran away as the rescuers followed. They soon found Peyton sleeping on the ground and he was completely well.

In the same news, Dad Rich said, "I think he got scared and just lay down and took a nap, and Ashapoo stayed right with him." He added, "I guess he felt that was his job to protect him and be with him." And he also said, "I believe the dog was his guardian angel in fur."

The parents said that the dog was their hero. They plan to get him a well- earned steak, and they are also looking into a GPS tracker for Peyton.

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Tips on giving your Dog a Home Checkup

Sometimes, we’re too busy to drive out to the vet and have our dog checked on. Regularcheckups can actually help your dog live longer and stay healthier. Some dog owners would set up appointments every other month, but many of them can't commit to these schedules. However, there are a few things that you can do at home to check on your dog’s health. Doing a self-check up on your dog can help you spot common health concerns.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Calm the dog down
Many dogs normally hate going to the vet because they associate the trip to an unpleasant feeling, such as the pain the feel when getting their shots. The first thing you need to do is to calm your dog down. Just pat them and let them relax, don't make such a big deal about it. Immobile dogs, such as the ones that have DM in dogs, are easier to handle since they only stay in one corner of their mat or bed, already relaxed.

Head to foot

Start with their head and check their face. Look at their eyes, ears and mouth to see any mucous, abnormal growth, discoloration and anything that looks different. Move down to their torso, check their limbs for anything that looks like an injury or something that could cause pain. Don’t miss out the pads of their paws and check for cuts and marks.

Brush it out

Brush through their fur and check for any lumps and bumps. Their fur needs to look and feel healthy. if it’s falling out, then the dog could be sick. Bumps and lumps under their fur could be a sign of parasites like ticks and fleas, so run your fingers through their fur to check their skin.

Walking

Let your dog walk and run around to check how they balance or if they shake while they move. Shaking on the back limbs is a sign of a number of illnesses such as DM in dogs, arthritis, and other nerve, joint and hip problems.

Stool test

The easiest way to know if your dog is having digestive problems is to check their stool. If you see blood or mucus on their stool or if it’s liquid, it’s possible that your dog is experiencing digestive problems. there are basic home remedies that you can give to your dog but if the problem continues for days, then you will need to send them to the vet.

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Do Otters Make Good Pets?

What exactly are otters? Although not easily pronounced, otter comes from the old English word oter - its most suitable rhyme is the word water which surprisingly, according to Wikipedia came from the root word derived from the word otter itself. Whatever the semantics, needless to say, Otters are water animals, which best befits its rhyming word.

Specifically, Otters are the largest members of the weasel family. Other members related to this mammal are the badgers, the polecats and the wolverines. It is just one species out of the 13 known and living species of semiaquatic mammals that primarily needs a close proximity to water in order to survive. They may be small but their energy is comparable to most active predators who can easily pound on a much smaller prey. Most otters feed on fish and shellfish, certain variety of birds, other invertebrates and amphibians as well as other small mammals.

Otters have long, cylindrical bodies with long tails and four relatively slender and short legs densely covered with thick fur and with webbed paws and sharp claws on their feet. The smallest of the otter species is the Oriental small-clawed otter while the largest ones are the Giant otter and the Sea Otter.

Although it may seem to be the in-thing to own an exotic pet, can Otters be brought home and treated as pets? Do they make good pets? Owning an otter is not legal in most areas. A permit is given, however, to those pet owners who comply with the different locality’s requirements.

Otters ought to be in the wild and domesticating these mammals may be a daunting task. However, there are some otters who have been domesticated enough and thrive in a pet-master relationship. Otters are generally considered part of wildlife and there are pertinent requirements that go with it.

If you are thinking about having an Otter as a pet, be ready to cope with these forthcoming concerns:

- Some Otters Produce a pungent smell and they do spray it just like the skunk’s spray. There are outside animals and not trained to stay indoors.

- Some Otters bite. They have claws and sharp teeth.

- All otters are nocturnal and they tend to look for food at night.

- All otters need water. If you have a pool for them, it is no surprise to seem them engulfed in it. Hope to have a river nearby if you insist.

- Be prepared to have a sufficient stock of fish. Otters eat 15-25 percent of their body weight a day and can spend as much as 5 hours hunting for food.

- You may need to have a permit to be able to take care of an Otter.

Sea Otters Video

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Picardy Shepherd

Picardy Shepherds, also known as the Berger Picard, are a French breed of dogs, made popular in the movie adaptation of the classic Because of Winn-Dixie novel.

Released in 2005, the movie was based on a 2000-released children’s novel authored by Kate DiCamillo, with the story told the tale of a young10-year old girl and how she came across a dog in the Winn-Dixie supermarket.

With the dog causing some trouble in the venue, the girl claimed that it was hers, thus paving the way for a unique heartwarming tale about the value of love in the family.

As a dog breed, Picardy Shepherds are known for their cool and calm natures, naturally reserved towards strangers, yet altogether interactive with those whom they are familiar with. Also known for their intelligence, the breed’s trainability has made them popular as a household dog, with their natures considered by many as ideal for households with children.

Athletic and quite energetic, they are not exactly considered as big dogs, but they can grow to certain sizes which some would consider them as such. With Picardy Shepherds known to measure as long as 23 to 25 inches, and weighing somewhere around 23 to 32 kilograms (somewhere between 50 to 75 pounds), they are quite robust as dog breeds, with their physical traits deeming them as “somewhere in between” strength and carry-worthy sizes.

Though more inclined for outdoor habitats, Picardy Shepherds are known to adapt well with urban life, another Picardy Shepherd trait that makes them perfect as household dogs.

Lovable and generally well-mannered, Picardy Shepherds make for interesting additions to households, a loyal dog which masters and guests to homes will find pleasing to be with.

Picardy Shepherd Video

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Free Ranging Dogs

As it is no secret that there are dogs kept by masters and dogs wandering the streets freely, the concern over free ranging dogs is one that takes on a tiered structure, with different enforcement entities having their take on the issue.

The 1974 film entitled Benji clearly illustrated how the life of a free ranging stray dog goes, with Benji, a lovable and pleasant mixed breed dog charming different people who refer to him by different names.

In today’s setting, however, such a setup cannot be described as applicable, given how strict and controlled the proliferation of free ranging dogs are.

The Status of Free Ranging Dogs

Generally classified into two types, free ranging dogs are either stray dogs or wild/feral dogs.

Between the two, stray dogs are not as feared as wild or feral dogs are, considering that these are actually domesticated dogs, only without their masters. When talking about free ranging dogs, the term pariah dogs is one that can be heard mentioned, with the said pariah dogs originating from parts of Asia and India.

As dogs, pariah dogs are known to have evolved into what they are without or with the least amount of human intervention, with present pariah dog breeds bearing a likeness that links them with the original dog breed.

Different pariah dog breeds have been found in Asia and in India, with the Bali Dog from Indonesia, the Aspin dog from the Philippines and the Santal dog from India. In the United States, the American Carolina Dog is considered to be part of the pariah dog collective, as the Hottendot dog is also part of the group, hailing from South Africa.

With most government agencies quick in controlling the proliferation of free ranging dogs, a number of them have been sequestered in animal shelters, where they are put up for adoption.

Contrary to public opinion, there are actually a diverse range of free ranging dogs found in animal shelters, including full breeds like Dalmatians, saying something about how populated the ranks of free ranging dogs is.

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Bouvier des Flandres

It may not sound like it, but there is a dog breed known as Bouvier des Flanders, typically shortened as Bouviers.

Originally kept as herding dogs, the Bouvier des Flanders hails from Flanders, and was generally kept in farms, not just as herd dogs but also for various functions and work-related tasks like cattle droving and even pulling carts. With male Bouviers known to weigh as much as 54 kilograms, the Bouvier is certainly a big dog breed, with a rugged look that matches with its “sturdy” all around role in the farm.

The 1999 released movie, A Dog of Flanders, featured a Bouvier des Flanders named Napoloeon as its title character “actor”, with Napoleon playing the part of Patrasche. Based on a novel written in 1872.

Effectively drawing the positive personality aspects of the Bouvier breed, the movie managed to capture the loyal nature of Bouviers, as well as accurately depicted the breed’s penchant to be protective of its masters. Gentle and loyal, Bouviers are also known for combining the attributes of strength and sensitivity as their personal quirks, making them a popular dog breed option for households.

Though obedient and loyal, the thing with Bouviers is that they are quite sophisticated, with an acute sense of accountability. Cool and intelligent, these attributes make Bouviers easily bored, something which Bouvier owners have had to contend and deal with from time to time.

Though far from being a huge issue of concern regarding the breed, Bouviers are certainly smart enough, active enough and loyal enough to be a home’s own dog, who will keep household safe from harm’s way.

Bouvier des Flandres Video

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Animals Library

Basketball toys and jerseys for dogs

Taking Care of Your French Bulldog

Poodle

Wildebeest

Deadliest Sea Snake

Animals in Space

Pomeranians

Emperor Penguin Facts

Christmas and the poodle-marmaduke mix

Elephant Rumbling Explained

Man’s Best Friend Proves Itself Again

Tips on giving your Dog a Home Checkup

Do Otters Make Good Pets?

Picardy Shepherd

Free Ranging Dogs

Bouvier des Flandres

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