Category: Pets Trivia

Strong and aloof. Fierce and protective. These are the terms used to describe a Rottweiler. Also known as the Rottweil dog, the Butcher’s dog, the Rott and the Rottie, they are a solid and deep chested dog who are highly intelligent and have a strong guarding instinct.

Sadly, the Rottweiler has developed a bad reputation of being a dangerous dog because of irresponsible breeders and owners who have not trained or socialised their dogs. When a Rott is raised the right way their confidence, calmness and the need to please people make them the right choice for police, therapy, show, service and guide dog work.

Appearance              

Male Rottweilers will stand 24 to 27 inches at the shoulders and weigh between 90 and 130 pounds. The females will be smaller and lighter at 22 to 25 inches and weigh around 100 pounds. They have a short coat that is easy to groom and regular brushing will control shedding. The Rottweilers have one standard colour, that is solid black with rust to mahogany markings. Their high tail is usually docked and kept very short.

A well bred Rottie will be poised, calm, courageous and not unjustifiably aggressive. The aloof behaviour these amazing guardians portray to everyone masks their playfulness and silliness that their owners absolutely adore. Training at an early age and socialisation will channel a Rottie’s territorial instincts in a positive direction.

Origin

The origin of the Rottweiler is not so well known. But most historians believe that this breed has descended from the drover dogs that were being used by the Romans to move livestock centuries ago. The Rottweiler has played various roles in its history that include being livestock guard and herder, guard dog, police dog, therapy dog and house pet.

Personality

Popular media have deemed the Rotts to acquire a bad reputation of being aggressive and an unsafe dog, but despite being portrayed negatively by the media their true nature is entirely different. Rotties are very loyal which make them an ideal watchdog and they will also protect your family fearlessly. But for them to act viciously, that can happen only if they are trained like that.

When they have been efficiently trained from puppyhood, Rots will have a calm disposition and make wonderful companions. They do not take to new people immediately but take their time to gauge if the person is worthy of their attention. With their own family the Rotts are extremely affectionate and playful. This breed is ideal for experienced pet parents who have the time and energy to spend on a large breed.

Activity requirements

To maintain their even temperament and calm disposition, Rotties need regular exercises. They are not meant to be kept in apartments but need a large home with plenty of space for them to run around. They need to be walked several times in a day and need an hour of running time as well. It is very necessary for Rotts to burn away their excess energy as a bored Rott will chew and destroy your home.

Trainability

Training a Rottie can be quite a task, especially for inexperienced pet parents. This breed tends to be very dominating and thinks that they are in charge of the house. So, you need to show then who is the boss!

The training must be done with confidence and firmness. But never with harsh punishments. Remember this, a Rottweiler must respect you in order to adhere to your leadership. If you treat them harshly they will hold you in contempt and take the role of the leader themselves.

Rotts should be trained from an early age and before they can develop any bad habits. Socialisation also must be done early and regularly. Since they do not take to strangers immediately they should learn that guests pose no threat to the household and are most welcome.

Behavioural traits

Well brought up Rotties are wonderful to live with and show no aggression towards strangers. However, indiscriminate breeding of this dog has led to many Rotties to have unstable blood lines. Aggression is not a trait found in Rottweilers and any breeder who tells you so must not be believed. It is always a good idea to do a thorough research on the breeder or the lineage of the dog before bringing them home.

An undesirable trait found in Rotts are their desire to chew anything under the sun. If they are not exercised enough they will start destructive chewing and since they have strong jaws it is very easy for them to have your home in shambles, particularly your furniture. So, remember to always exercise your Rott before leaving them on their own.

Rotts are highly intelligent dogs apart from being affectionate and protective of their family members. If you have strong leadership qualities and are well experienced in training and handling dogs then this breed is ideal for you!

    

If you are looking for an energetic, affectionate and friendly dog then look no further than the Shih Tzu. The word Shih Tzu is a Chinese term for ‘lion’. Also known as the Chinese Lion dog, the Shih Tzu is an ancient breed that has been existing since 600 AD.

They are obedient and intelligent dogs. Their sunny and happy temperament make them all the more endearing.

Appearance

Shih Tzu is a toy breed. It stands from 9 to 10 ½ inches but never less than 8 or more than 11 inches. They weigh between 9 and 16 pounds. The most attractive thing about a shih tzu is their long double coat, that comprises of a thick woolly undercoat and a long silky topcoat. Their long coat falls to the ground and their tail curls at the back.

Since they have a long coat they require regular grooming. Some get their hair trimmed for easy maintenance. Pet parents can even try their hand at making creative hairdos by tying their hair in ribbons or bows.

They may be of any colour seen in dogs, but a white tip on their tail and a blaze on their forehead should be noticeable in a pure shih tzu breed.

Origin                                                          

The Shih Tzu has its roots in China and is a very old breed that has been existing from 624 AD. The breed was developed by crossing small Tibetan breeds with miniature Chinese breeds, particularly the Lhasa Apsos with the Pekingese.

Shih Tzu is one of the most popular toy breed who make good companions, are extroverted, gregarious and dignified. They are very social and affectionate.

Personality

Shih Tzu in Mandarin means ‘little lion’. But these tiny buggers are anything but fierce! This breed is ideally suited for families, singletons and make good companions for elderly people. Since they are a small breed they can live in any sized home, from an apartment to an estate.

Apart from looking very adorable, Shih Tzus are also well behaved and easy to train.

Activity requirements

Shih Tzus are not a very active and outdoors sort of a dog. A short walk around the neighbourhood or a quick play in your garden or the park are quite enough to meet their daily exercise requirements. Their small size makes them an ideal choice for people staying in apartments or condominiums. But they can also be equally happy in a large mansion or a huge estate.

Trainability

Shih Tzus can be stubborn and will not be willing to learn unless they are given suitable rewards. Training must begin at an early age. The sessions must be short, with new activities to ensure they never get bored. Lots of praises and treats will motivate a Shih Tzu to learn a new trick.

Housetraining a shih tzu can take about six to eight months, depending on the dog.

Behavioural traits

Shih Tzus are excellent watch dogs. They are alert and aware. They will bark at anyone who approach your home. However, if they are not properly trained they can be barking for no reason and this may go out of control. So, training should begin at an early age and you must include lesson on obeying commands to stop the unnecessary barking.

So, if you are looking for a small sized four-legged companion then Shih Tzus are an ideal choice. They are good watchdogs and very friendly. They are also very trusting and can live anywhere from a poky flat to a palatial estate!

Dogs have a stupendous ability to sense our emotions through our facial expressions. They even follow our hand gestures. They seem to know exactly when we need their loving presence and stick close to us. But we do not know much about how their hearing plays a role in gauging our emotions.

A recent research done by the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the Bari Aldo Moro University, in southern Italy studied how dogs analyse human emotions based only on our vocalisations. Previous research has shown that dogs combine hearing and sight to match angry and happy human faces with happy and sad vocalisations.

While using only their hearing ability, researchers found that dogs know the difference between a positive laughing sound and the negative crying sound. They also found that dogs get upset when they listen to negative sounds more than when they hear positive sounds.

There are basically six emotions that humans recognise from vocalisations which are fear, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise and happiness. The study aimed to determine if dogs can recognise all the six emotions through just non-verbal vocalisations.

30 dogs were given food in a bowl at the center of a testing room and two speakers were evenly placed at either side of their bowl. While the dogs ate, non-verbal sounds were played on the speakers. For instance, fear sounds were screams and happy sounds were giggles or laughs. The dog’s reaction to each of the sounds were videotaped.

The scientists wanted to find out if the dogs turned their heads to the right speaker or the left, although the two speakers played the same sound. It was important for two reasons. Firstly, just like humans, dogs use the left part of their brain to control the right side of their body and the right part of the brain to control the left side of their body. Secondly, previous research showed the fact that dogs process emotionally positive sounds with the left side of their brain and emotionally negative sounds with the right side of their brain. So, if a dog turned left after hearing a sound it means that they were analysing the sound with the right side of their brain. Which means that they have interpreted the sound as negative.

Results further stated that dogs turned to the left when they heard fear and sad vocalisations. They showed the same for anger as well. This means that they were processing these sounds on the right side of their brain which has been associated with negative emotions. When happy sounds were played, the dogs turned to the right and it was processed in the left side of their brain that has been associated with positive emotions.

Disgust and surprise did not show much of significant trends as those emotions were more dependent on the context. For example, poop may be disgusting to us but it is exciting for dogs. So, they would not know how to interpret the vocalisations of disgust and surprise without more detailed information.

To sum it all, dogs can determine human emotions by using their ears, at least for emotions like happiness, sadness and fear. The use the right side of their brain for processing negative emotions and left side for positive emotions. Additional information that was collected like their heart rate, tail wagging and yawning further supported these above mentioned findings. This definitely gives us more insight about animal emotions. As we cannot ask a dog how they feel in a situation, but with the help of these methods we are able to determine if dogs are able to determine if the feelings are positive or negative!

Indian cooking is a fusion of various spices. The aromatic spices and herbs like coriander, dill and turmeric not only adds pleasure to our taste buds but is known for its medicinal value as well. While we indulge in spices that are high on medicinal value what about our canine buddies? Can they have spices like garlic, turmeric or basil?

Here is all you need to know about safe spices for our canine pals!

• Basil or Tulsi is antibacterial and anticancer. It protects the liver and help to fight diabetes. It also helps to reduce pain and inflammation. So, it is especially useful for dogs suffering from arthritis.
• Coriander helps to alleviate nausea, soothes intestinal gas is antiparasitic and antidiarrheal. It also helps to detoxify the body.
• Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory. It regulates the blood sugar levels and helps to fight cancer. It protects the heart against diseases and also lowers the risk of your dog contracting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease.
• Dill is antibacterial and antifungal. It improves digestion and lowers blood sugar levels. It also regulates menstruation and relieves diarrhea.
• Fennel or saunf detoxifies the body. It aids digestion and has anti-cancer properties. It relieves constipation and soothes diarrhea and intestinal gas.
• Ginger is anti-inflammatory. It alleviates nausea and upset stomach. It boosts cognitive function and regulates blood sugar levels. It can stop the growth of cancerous cells and reduces pain of osteoarthritis. Feeding ginger to a senior dog helps to boost their cognitive function and reduces joint pain that usually comes with old age.
• Peppermint or pudina eases spasms in colon. It relieves indigestion and intestinal gas and soothes an upset stomach. It also helps to treat diarrhea.
• Turmeric has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. It boosts brain function and reduces the symptoms of arthritis. Just add a small pinch of it to your dog’s meal as too much of it can turn them off their food.

While serving the above ingredients it is advisable to serve them in moderation as anything served in excess will always cause problems. Make sure your pet is not allergic to any of the above ingredient before serving it to them on regular basis. It is always advisable to contact your vet for further advice.

Once you understand what spices are safe for dogs, its time you also learnt what is unsafe for them:

• Garlic when served in small amounts is safe and good for health but too much of it can lead to toxicity.
• Onions can cause haemolytic anaemia in dogs. So, it is best to avoid this particular ingredient.
• Black pepper is considered toxic to dogs as the piperine in black pepper enhances the absorption of the prescription medicines thereby increasing the chances of an accidental overdose.
• Nutmeg has myristicin that is toxic to dogs and will cause symptoms of disorientation and seizures.

Now that you know what spices are safe and unsafe for your pet you can go ahead and prepare a healthy and flavour filled meal for them!

It’s quite a dilemma ain’t it? To allow or not allow your dog to sleep next to you on your bed. While some love to cuddle their furry buddies during their sleep time, others out of force are made to bring their pet to their bed just to avoid losing their sleep when their pet decides to throw any nightly tantrums.

A new research done by Mayo clinic helps us to better understand if letting a dog sleep in the bedroom helps or affects a person’s quality of sleep. According to Lois Krahn, M.D, the author of the study from Mayo clinic, states that most people believe that having a pet sleep with them disrupts the sleep. But in the study, it has been found that many people derive security and comfort with the knowledge that their pet is sleeping close to them and helped them get a good night’s rest.

The Mayo clinic sleep study included 40 adults with their dogs, who either slept on the bed with them or elsewhere in the house. Their sleep pattern was observed close to five months. For a week, both the owners and their dogs wore activity trackers to monitor their sleep habits.

It was observed that sleeping with the pets helped most of the people get a good night’s sleep. It was therefore noted that allowing a single dog to sleep in their owner’s bedroom does not affect the quality of human sleep. People who slept with their dogs in their bedroom were able to get sufficient amount of sleep.

The changing relationship between pets and their caregivers over a period of time is responsible for this. A lot of people spend less amount of time with their pets during the daytime. In order to spend quality time with their pet, most pet owners allow their pets to their bed during bedtime.

On the other hand, there are some exceptions that make sleeping with one’s pet not so easy. People suffering from asthma, pet allergies and those that have low immunity must not be encouraged to sleep with their pet.

As it has now been found that having your pet close to you at night allows you to get quality sleep, you can go to sleep with the knowledge that sleeping with your pet is good for your well-being!