Pug

One of the great things about pugs is their size. The Pug is a small breed of dog with a wrinkly, short muzzled face . Pugs are small dogs, but their small size is deceptive, they pack a punch! The word "pug" may have come from the Old English pugg or "puge", which were affectionate terms for a playful little devil or monkey. Adult pugs vary in weight from approximately 17 to 24 lbs, the females on the lower end of the scale. An adult pug is only about the size of a big cat.
They say that pugs are a big dog in a little package and it's true. They are not fru-fru dogs that are delicate or require a lot of primping and preening. Pug puppies are often called puglets. The breed is often summarized as multum in parvo ("much in little"), describing the Pug's remarkable personality despite its small size.

Temperament: Pugs are friendly, playful dogs with wonderful temperaments. They are natural clowns and will keep you entertained.
They are wonderful with children and older people too. I have never seen a pug act out aggressively towards any person. I have two unneutered male pugs who get into occasional scrapes with each other, but only very rarely with other dogs and only then with other unneutered males. They get along well with other dogs, even much larger dogs. I have never known pugs to be intimidated by any other breeds and are good playmates at the park. Pugs are very loving and will follow their owner wherever they go.

Training: Pugs are very smart and stubborn dogs. They can be trained with a little persistence and patience. Pugs will do anything for food. Training with a treat or a toy and lots of praise seems to work the best for me. Start training right away. Instead of training in one long session that can get boring and frustrating to the dog, train in short 5-10 minute sessions throughout the day. This keeps training fun for your pug. The following are the most important things for your pug to learn. Pugs are sensitive to the tone of a human voice, so harsh punishment is generally unnecessary. While Pugs usually get along well with other dogs and pets, they generally prefer the company of humans and require a great deal of human attention; they may become slightly anxious or agitated if their owner ignores them or does not play with them. In general, they are very attentive dogs, always at their owner's feet, in their lap, or following them from room to room.

Types of pugs: It is common today to see a few different types of pugs around the place. Many people will know about black pugs and the common white pug, but many have never heard of the Chinese pug. The Chinese pug is in fact exactly the same as the Western pug but many people traditionally call them the Chinese pug because that is there proper name. This is usually the hardcore breeders whose livelihood is based around breeding the most traditional looking pugs possible. Most breeders in fact are so traditional that they actually believe that the pugs they have are the original Chinese pugs because of their difference in appearance.

First one is the chinese pug, second is the black pug, third is also chinese, and the one in the beginning is the fawn pug. I love black pugs the most.

Flemish Giant

Flemish Giant is a type of rabbit, most famous for its unusually large size compared to other rabbits.

Flemish giants come in seven varieties recognized by the American Rabbit Breed Association(ARBA): black, blue, fawn, light gray, sandy, steel gray, and white. They are shown in six classes (three buck classes and three doe classes): Junior bucks and does under 6 months, Intermediate bucks and does 6-8 months, and Senior bucks and does 8+ months. The show classifications under the ARBA Standard of Perfection declare that Juniors should be 6 pounds and over, Senior bucks a minimum of 13 lbs, and Senior does to be 14 lbs. There is no maximum size, however, and they commonly attain weights in excess of 22 lbs.

No one knows the exact origins of the Flemish Giant breed. Some suggest that the during the 16th and 17th century, Dutch Traders may have brought giant Patagonian rabbits from the Argentine Republic back to Europe with them. The large rabbits of Flanders were well known at the time, and may have been cross bred with the Patagonian. While the name "Flemish" comes from Flanders, the similarities to the Patagonian lead many to speculate that this giant is in fact descended primarily from the wild Argentine rabbits.

Why do pigeons bob their heads when they walk?

Most evidence suggests that the head bobbing serves a visual function.

See video: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=NHtrsbw3K0g

This has always been an intriguing phenomenon. Pigeons (or ‘Rock Pigeons’ to be exact) have a peculiar habit of bobbing their heads up and down when they walk. This leads to a common misconception – that the legs of a pigeon are somehow connected to their heads. When they walk, they move their heads up and down; when they stand still, there is no movement!

Birds have eyes on either side of their head, so don't have stereoscopic vision. In order to see depth, they take snapshots with the same eye from two points, and their mind makes the depth calculation.

In order to shed more light on this conundrum, one must first understand the basics of ‘bird vision’. From Ornithology (the science of birds), it can be inferred that as the pigeon’s eyes are on the side of its head – allowing a greater range of vision to stay vigilant against predators from all directions – they also disable the pigeon from its sense of depth. Pigeons cannot establish distances easily. Luckily we humans have eyes on the front of our heads, giving us depth perception.

For the pigeon to compensate this shortcoming, the bird moves its head, deciding on differences in apparent motion from nearby and/or distant objects. Closer objects move faster, distant objects move slower.

Now when rock pigeons stop in one place, there is no requirement for depth perception, hence the cessation of the head bobbing. But once they start foraging for food again, the need for depth kicks in and they start moving their heads up and down – giving the illusion that their heads are somehow connected to their feet!

To illustrate this concept, here is a common example: In the past, you may have tried to shoo away a pigeon in an outdoor picnic area. When a hand is wafted towards the pigeon, it turns sharply head first – in a desperate attempt to ascertain the depth of the attack – before attempting to fly/walk away. It all happens very quickly, but look out for it next time!

Chickens bob their heads while walking. So do cranes, magpies and quails. In fact, head bobbing is a unique feature in birds and occurs in at least 8 of the 27 families of birds.

There are a few theories why some birds bob their heads when they walk:
1. Assists with balance
2. Provides depth perception
3. Sharpens their vision

However, most studies suggest that birds in motion bob their heads to stabilize their visual surroundings. In comparison, we rely more on our eye movements, not our head movements, to catch and hold images while in motion.

Picture a pigeon on a moving treadmill. What do you think would happen as the pigeon walks with the speed of the treadmill and its environment remains relatively the same? Dr. Barrie J Frost (1978) did this experiment and the pigeon’s head did not bob.

Dr. Mark Friedman (1975) also conducted a series of experiments to test the head bobbing actions of birds, using doves. His research demonstrated that the head movement is controlled more by visual stimulation than movement of the body.

Scientists continue to research head bobbing in birds. For example, scientists are currently investigating question such as “Why do some birds exhibit head bobbing, while other do not?” For more information on this topic see the related Web sites section.

Domestic, Feral or Rock Pigeons

Pigeons are actually domesticated rock doves that have returned to wild or semi-wild conditions. Some rock doves were domesticated for food, others as homing pigeons, and some as ‘fancy’ pigeons, bred for their plumage. Feral pigeons, also called city doves, city pigeons or street pigeons, are derived from domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild Rock Pigeon, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains. All three types readily interbreed. Feral pigeons find the ledges of buildings a perfect substitute for sea cliffs, and have become adapted to life and are abundant in towns and cities all over the world.

Life span: They average 3-5 years in the wild. Captive pigeons can live for 15 years but some have been known to live for up to 35 years.

Statistics: Length: 29-33cm, Wingspan: 60-68cm.

Physical description: Feral pigeons are a generally grey bird with slightly iridescent feathers on the neck that shine pink and green in the sunlight. Coloration is very variable with some individuals being white, others brownish-red, some grey and many mixtures. The eyes are orange and shine brightly in the sunlight.

Distribution: Feral pigeons are widespread and very common throughout Europe. They are also found in Africa, North America, South America and Asia.

Habitat: They inhabit coastal cliffs or buildings in towns and cities.

Diet: Wild rock doves feed on seeds but the diet of the pigeons has grown to include bread, vegetables, meat and other food discarded by humans. Pigeons are not generally fussy eaters, they have only 37 taste buds (humans have around 10,000).

Behaviour: Pigeons feed on the ground in flocks or individually. They roost together in buildings or on walls or statues. When drinking, most birds take small sips and tilt their heads backwards to swallow the water. Pigeons are able to dip their bills into the water and drink continuously without having to tilt their heads back. When disturbed, a pigeon in a group will take off with a noisy clapping sound. This helps inform the other pigeons that there is danger present. If a pigeon is alone it will respond to danger by keeping very still and trying not to be noticed. Pigeons are excellent fliers and can reach speeds of up to 50mph. They are capable of rapid dives and changes in direction and most of the time will easily out manoeuvre a bird of prey such as a sparrowhawk. They are resident and do not migrate.

Reproduction: During courtship the male will follow a female around bowing his head, fanning his tail and making ‘cooing’ noises. Eventually a short dance begins with the male’s beak being held in the female’s. Mating occurs shortly afterward and is fairly brief. The male sits on the female’s back flapping his wings to keep balance. It may take several clumsy attempts before the male successfully mates with the female. Nests are built by the female using material collected by the male. The female lays clutches of two white eggs. Young pigeons are known as ‘squabs’. They are fed from a special substance produced in the pigeon’s crop known as ‘pigeon milk’. This substance is high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrate.

Conservation status: Feral pigeons are very common and widespread, their wild cousins in Britain, however, are limited to the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland. In Northern Europe they are limited to the coast of Brittany in France. They are more widespread in the Mediterranean.

Pigeons and Doves

Pigeons and doves constitute the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerine birds. In general parlance the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological practice, there is a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently applied, and historically the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the term "dove" and "pigeon." This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. The young doves and pigeons are called "squabs".

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.

Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests from sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees, on ledges, or on the ground, depending on species. They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the young, which leave the nest after 7 to 28 days. Doves feed on seeds, fruit and plants. Unlike most other birds (but see flamingo), the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk," which is secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both sexes produce this highly nutritious substance to feed to the young.

Diet

Seeds and fruit form the major component of the diet of pigeons and doves. In fact, the family can be divided into the seed eating or granivorous species (subfamily Columbinae) and the fruit eating or frugivorous species (the other four subfamilies). The granivorous typically feed on seed found on the ground, whereas the species that feed on fruit and mast tend to feed in trees. There are morphological adaptations that can be used to distinguish between the two groups, granivorous species tend to have thick walls in the gizzards, whereas the frugivores tend to have thin walls. In addition fruit eating species have short intestines whereas those that eat seeds have longer ones. Frugivores are capable of clinging to branches and even hang upside down in order to reach fruit.

In addition to fruit and seeds a number of other food items are taken by many species. Some species, particularly the ground-doves and quail-doves take a large number of prey items such as insects and worms. One species, the Atoll Fruit-dove is specialised in taking insect and reptile prey. Snails, moths and other insects are taken by White-crowned Pigeons, Orange Doves and Ruddy Ground Doves.

Macaw Parrots

Macaw parrots are the colorful and captivating type of birds. Near about 18 species of macaws are recognized. These parrots are well known for having largest numbers of species. Macaw parrots are very playful by nature and counted among the most interesting bird. Macaw parrots are the great combination of intelligence and beauty. Loving characteristics and loyal personality makes them a great selection as the pet bird. It’s a large sized bird and lives mainly for 25 to 80 years.

Due to their critics, many people don’t like to keep a pet macaw parrot because it’s more noisy, demanding and destructive. Many people dislike macaw parrots because they screech loudly. It is also said that these parrots are expensive. It is important to arrange enough information before keeping a macaw parrot as pet. Among all the species of macaw parrots, blue and gold macaw parrots are most popular and available in a large number.

Macaw is an intelligent type of parrot and known as an excellent talker. Macaw has a great capability for speech. If you are willing to have a pet macaw parrot then you should be sure that you can fulfill the demand of the bird and can spend enough time for his care. Macaw parrot have a changing temperament and feels aggressive, if not treated properly. Thus macaw parrots are talking birds that are very moody and highly expensive to afford.

Feeding Macaw

Macaws eat nuts, seeds, fruit, and sometimes insects. Macaws are a very high energy bird and for good health they will need plenty of good foods rich in oils and calories. In the wild the larger Macaws eat a variety of palm nuts while the smaller Macaws eat seeds, nuts and fruit. Foods available for Macaws include formulated diets, either pelleted or extruded, seed only diets, and parrot mixes which offer a mixture of both. There are pros and cons to feeding only a formulated diet as well as feeding only a seed diet. A formulated diet provides a good nutritional base so does not require the addition of vitamins, however it does not contain the phytonutrients (antioxidant pigments) that are found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and seeds. Phytonutrients are believed to boost the immune system, help a body to heal itself, and to prevent some diseases. Also parrots can become bored with it due to the lack of variety. A seed only diet offers much more variety but requires additional vitamin and calcium supplements. Macaws need not only nutritional requirements met but also variety for psychological enrichment.

A Macaw diet consisting of a good parrot mix which includes formulated foods, a variety of seeds, dried fruits, and nuts is generally regarded as a suitable base to provide nutrition and variety. Along with this, provide a daily supplement of fresh fruits and vegetable. Each macaw, depending on its size, will eat about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of parrot mix and about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of fruit and vegetables. All types of fruits such as apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, oranges, bananas, mangos, papayas, and even berries such as strawberries and blueberries are enjoyed. Many vegetables including carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, dark green leafy veggies, many garden vegetables, and even dandelions and chickweed are good. Do not feed avocado as it may be toxic to birds! Offer nuts for treats, such as macadamias, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and filberts. Additional proteins can be offered such as sprouted legumes and cooked chicken or meat. Grit is not considered essential as macaws will shell their seed before eating it.They also gnaw and chew on various objects. They show a large amount of intelligence in their behaviour and require constant intellectual stimulation to satisfy their innate curiosity. They often learn tricks easily.

Taking care

The personal hygiene of your Macaw includes a regular bath or shower for good plumage and skin condition. One way to accomplish this is with either a hand held shower sprayer or a hose with a fine spray head and lukewarm water. The wings should be kept trim if you want to discourage flight and to prevent the loss of your pet through an open window or door. Clip most of the primaries (10 feathers closest to the wing tip) and only enough so the bird can glide to the floor. The beak needs to be trimmed if it becomes overgrown or deformed. There are many mineral blocks, lava blocks, and other beak grooming items available at your pet store to help your bird keep its beak in shape. A variety of concrete type perches are also available to help the keep nails trim, but they should be trimmed if they become overgrown.

About parrots

Parrots make wonderful family pets because they are great companions, they are beautiful birds with colorful feathers and you can teach them to talk. Parrots are very enjoyable pets and are relatively easy to feed and maintain. But you must have a strong level of commitment to your parrot because he will need daily and weekly maintenance, as well as plenty of attention.

The basic things you need to commit for taking care of your bird are quite simple, but they do require some effort on the owner's part. In addition to never leaving his food bowl empty, you will need to provide him with fresh water twice a day. You will need to clean his cage on a weekly basis. You will also need to groom him 2-3 times per week. This can include a full bath given in a sink or washtub or by simply misting the bird and using specialized bird shampoo on him.

Do parrots make good companion?

Whether or not parrots make good pets is largely a matter of personal opinion, as there are many advantages and disadvantages to keeping parrots as pets. Similarly, some of the advantages to keeping parrots as pets may be considered disadvantages by certain pet owners, and vice versa.

For example, parrots have a long life expectancy. If properly cared for, many species of parrots can live for around fifty years. This is more than twice as long as the life expectancy for dogs and cats, which are the most common household pet. Therefore, someone looking for a nearly lifelong companion may find parrots to be an ideal choice. At the same time, a parent looking to purchase a pet for his or her child or someone who is not prepared to commit to caring for a pet for such a long period of time may find the life expectancy of parrots to be a disadvantage.
Parrots also provide excellent companionship because of their ability to learn how to speak. Although there is little evidence to suggest that parrots understand the words they are using, it is still quite amusing to the owner to hear pet parrots repeat the words they have been taught. In addition, the time spent talking with the bird in order to get it to learn new words is a bonding experience that many owners and their parrots enjoy.

There are many different types of parrots to choose from when shopping for one for a pet. In general, male parrots that have been raised by hand make the best pets, because they tend to interact more and are less likely to experience illnesses related to breeding. Female parrots are also good pets, but they are more likely to have health issues and problems with egg laying. Therefore, female parrots may require a bit more care than their male counterparts.