A Little Bit About The Italian Greyhound

The Italian Greyhound is known in its native land as Picooli Levrieri Italiani. It is an ancient breed that looks like a miniature version of the Greyhound with all the talents of the bigger Greyhound.

The ancestors of the Italian Greyhound probably came from Egypt, Turkey and Greece, where they later found favor with medieval European royalty. The Italian Greyhound became popular in southern Europe, especially in Italy, during the sixteenth century and eventually won the hearts of queens and princesses throughout Europe. This tin, personable miniaturization of the Greyhound probably was bred purposely as a ladys companion but later gained a reputation for having sufficient speed, endurance, and determination for coursing small game.

The Italian Greyhound loves to run in pursuit of small game or just for the fun of it. Exercise requirements can be met by long walks, backyard games and play.

Current function of the Italian Greyhound is mainly just as a classic companion pet, although the Italian Greyhound has sporting qualities. He is equally at home in the comfort of apartment living and a soft bed as he is seen speeding across a yard or field in pursuit of imaginary or real game.

The Italian Greyhound has virtually no fat insulation on its body which does make him a little more sensitive cold. His tiny size and scant, slick coat does not help in this area, but also adds to this dogs sensitivity to the cold. He probably is best kept in warmer climates.

The Italian Greyhound is affectionate, cheerful and intelligent. Avoid rowdy dogs and children when housing the Italian Greyhound. Older children should be taught not to try and carry around the Italian Greyhound. He is definitely not a pocket puppy breed, or one that enjoys being carried around. He is not known as a watchdog, although the bark of this breed sounds like a much larger dog. The Italian Greyhound is often timid around strangers. When properly introduced to visitors the Italian Greyhound warms up quickly.

The Italian Greyhound has an elegant beauty that pleases the eyes of those who meet this charming little dog. He stands about 13 inches tall and weighs about 8 pounds. He is quite similar to the Greyhound only smaller. The Italian Greyhound has a single coat that is fine and lies flat. It is seen in almost every color pattern and hue much like the Greyhound.

Grooming

As you might guess grooming requirements of the Italian Greyhound are quite minimal. The coat is easily taken care of by regular, daily attention with velvet pad or a piece of silk. Equipment needed is a hound glove, velvet glove or pad. Bathe this breed in a good-quality protein shampoo. Use a purifying shampoo and mask on occasions or a condition to enhance the gleam of the coat.

Connie Limon. Visit us online at http://www.abouttoydogs.com and sign up for our newsletters. About Toy Dogs is a guide to the selection and care of toy dog breeds. We feature articles, dog training resources, dog books, dog toys and supplies, and a toy dog breeder directory. Purchase a full page ad with up to 3 pictures, 12 picture video and advertising in our newsletters for one full year at the rate of $25 per year.

Arctic Wolves

The sun hangs leaden in the sky over the frozen tundra of the high arctic. Flat expanses of land are dotted with low-growing shrubs dusted with frost. From the south a herd of musk oxen loiter along, digging away the icy surface of the ground to reach nutritious lichen and ground plants, oblivious as eight stealthy white figures move in around them. As the wolves get closer, the herd snaps into action, forming into two rings, with younger calves in the middle protected by the adults facing outward. The circle would be impossible for one wolf to penetrate, so the pack must work as a team. Back and forth race the wolves, snapping at the legs of creatures five times their weight. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the musk oxen hold their ground, using their massive horns and hard skulls to throw off the charging wolves. The wolves tear from one side to the other, shifting the disoriented herd, until one infiltrates the circle. The herd scatters as wolves give chase. The race does not last long, for musk oxen overheat and tire easily, unlike wolves which are able to maintain high speeds over much longer pursuits. A weakened musk ox falls back from the herd, and the wolves focus in on it. The largest of the pack, the alpha male, leaps and grasps its victims neck in a desperate hold. The mighty animal collapses in a heap.

Statistically, only one in ten wolf attacks are successful, and it has been several days since the pack has obtained such a large kill. They will each eat up to 20 pounds of meat at this meal, leaving nothing of the animal behind, neither bones nor fur. A few miles away the alpha female cares for her month-old cubs, waiting for the herd to bring back food. The pack shares in the responsibility, even regurgitating meat for the cubs to eat.

Arctic wolves, also known as polars and whites, have thrived in the high arctic for thousands of years, one of the few mammals able to tolerate the sub-zero temperatures and five months of darkness. Indeed, they have been more successful than their gray cousins to the south, who have barely escaped extinction due to their encounters with man. There are few differences between the arctic and gray wolf subspecies. The white wolf is slightly shorter, standing 25-31 inches high at the shoulder. But they are bulkier; an adult male can weigh up to 175 pounds. Smaller, rounded ears and thicker fur are physical adaptations that have allowed the arctic wolf to weather its inhospitable terrain.

To survive, wolves live in small packs of 7-10. The family group consists of a breeding pair (the alpha male and female), their pups, and their unmated offspring from prior seasons. A strong hierarchy exists within packs, and the dominant animals will force inferiors to cringe or lie on their backs to show respect. Lesser wolves hold their tails at a lesser angle than the dominant male. Males reach maturity at 3 years old, but they may strike out on their own anytime after their first year. Lone wolves are at great peril, and they will avoid contact with other wolves unless its a potential mate. Then the male will find and claim an unoccupied territory, marking it with its scent.

Wolf territories are vast (as large as 800-1,000 square miles), as they must roam areas large enough to supply the amount of food needed by a pack. Their primary food source is musk oxen, caribou, and smaller mammals such as lemmings and hares, but wolves will eat anything they can catch. They may follow migrating caribou south in the summer. Arctic wolves are found all along along the northern edge of the North American continent, and along the eastern and northern shores of Greenland. They are sometimes confused with another distant cousin, the tundra wolf, of northern Europe.

Wolves may be the most misunderstood and maligned animal in the world, due to their elusiveness and to superstitions stretching back to prehistory. However, their pack structure, hunting methods, and general curious and friendly natures suggest that wolf and man may have more in common than was ever imagined.

Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.

Dog Food Linked To Behavior

We all know the dangers of eating junk food or living on a diet of foods that are processed. We know about them and most of us make a point to avoid them. We also make sure that our children avoid them. This is often because hyperactivity and an array of behavioral problems have been closely linked with the diets of sufferers.

What many pet owners fail to see, is that by feeding our dogs a diet that mainly consists of processed, poorly prepared dog foods or the equivalent of junk food, they may be causing many of the behavioral and severe illnesses that are found in dogs today. Basically, the diet that you are feeding your canine companion could not only be making him aggravated, hyper or plain old mean it could possibly shorten his life span.

A well balanced diet provides quality nutrition and in turn keeps the cells, tissues and organs healthy. This enables an animals immune system to stay in top condition to fight any invaders.

The same holds true for behavior. If you ate fast food and candy bars everyday, eventually it will affect your energy level and your mood.

Because we love our pets, this may be a little confusing for those who think that they are doing the right thing, say, feeding their pets dog foods out of the can. Admittedly, not all dog foods are bad. However, many are and contain ingredients that are difficult for your pet to digest and can make him sick. So how do you weed out the good dog foods from the bad?

In order to give your pet the best life, you must make sure that he has the best type of lifestyle, just like us humans. Before buying pet foods, check the label to see what is in the food. Basically, the first five ingredients are important. Foods that list 2 or more grains in the first 5 ingredients may have more vegetable protein than animal protein which means less nutrition and more clean up.

Canned food can also be full of preservatives, to keep the food inside from going bad. Dog foods containing preservatives should be avoided. Not only has the pet food been filled with preservatives that could cause your pet harm, the pet food has been boiled at high temperatures in the cooking process causing any of the useful nutrition found in the food to be lost anyway. Proper cooking of pet foods will ensure that no preservatives are needed to keep it fresh.

Keep in mind that canned dog food mainly consists of water so feeding a canned diet alone will not give your pet the proper nutrition they need to live a healthy lifestyle.

So lets look at the things that should be avoided when buying pet food:

No Preservatives. Avoid foods that contain chemicals in them such as BHT or BHA. If these preservatives are found anywhere on the label, give the food a miss, as these chemicals can be harmful to your pet.

No by-products. By-products are the parts of meat that are unsuitable for consumption, such as the feet, necks and intestines of other animals. As you can imagine these parts of animals were not made to be digested by humans, dogs or any animals for that matter.

Beware of grains. Soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten are often used as protein sources; however, they are generally inferior and difficult to digest.

Give your pet the chance at life that he deserves, feed him with a good nutritious premium dog food, free from preservatives and additives that are not meant for dogs. A great way to decide what is suitable for your dog to eat is ask yourself if you would eat it? If your answer is no, dont feed it to your pet.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. Enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit http://www.premium4pets.com for more information.