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| Sunday, 24 October 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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What your pet dog actions mean .. Dogs love to chew bones or special objects given to them for this purpose for the health of their teeth and gums. However when a dog chews anything other then food items, it is best to be alert because it could be because it is distressed at the sudden loss of human companionship. Chewing is a displacement activity that distracts it from worrying. When you leave your pet alone in the house, initially it would resent your departure and worry until you return. So chewing keeps it distracted. In order to prevent this, get your pet dog used to staying on its own in stages by making mock departures or by leaving it alone for a very short spell at a time. Don't expect it to stay alone for long hours alone in just one day without doing something you may consider 'destructive'. You may be aware that dogs mark their territory by urinating. Sometimes they may annoy you by urinating on new furniture or even on your new bike. Some dogs have the habit of scratching the ground with both fore and hind legs after urinating to spread the scent and also to signal its territorial rights. When your pet dog crouches low on its front legs with his back raised and tail held high while barking or lowers its head with its forelegs stretched out, wagging its hindquarters at the same time, it is inviting you to play.A stiff-legged approach with erect and slowly wagging tail indicates submission. The dog will soon crouch down too to show its submission to you. Sometimes it will roll on its side to show its belly or even urinate.If your pet is standing erect, with the hair in its shoulders and rump raised it is showing aggression. But along with this it is fearful, it will lean back slightly on its legs with its tail held below. Tail wagging signifies a general state of excitement. Some dogs, especially large breeds like Labrador Retrievers and Dobermann Pinschers constantly lick an area around the wrist which is called the carpal joint, sometimes doing great damage to their skin which may even lead to wounds. Why do you think they do this ? Because they are bored and stressed. Erect ears and intense gaze means alertness, while turning its head to a side means it is faced with a sound or sight that it is not threatened by but cannot understand. ###### Petbirds need special care Even though caging birds is not something many would approve of, there are some who have birds such as parrots, mynahs and love birds as pets. People who do not have enough space or facilities in their homes to bring up cats or dogs, and also have certain allergies to them, prefer to have birds or fish as pets. Birds may seem easy to bring up but they have special needs. Birds are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and household fumes, so they have to be given proper attention.; If you have a pet bird, find out about their needs from a vet or by reading books about them. Birds in general need a balanced diet, water, light, suitable caging and proper sanitation. Some birds may need special seeds, fruits or vegetables. Some may need larger cages than others. All birds are social creatures and need social contact. If you want your pet bird to sing or talk, make sure it is not lonely, stressed, under fed and confined to a small cage. As birds need special care first time bird owners should avoid expensive birds as pets. Birds of the parrot family are highly trainable, social creatures. Some of you must be having parrots, our local green 'peththappu' as pets. It may be fascinating to hear them 'talk'. But do birds such as mynahs and parrots that talk really understand the words they use, or are they simply mimicking the voices they hear around them ? Let's check out what the experts have to say. Birds do not have vocal systems that match that of humans but yet certain species of birds are able to pronounce human words with remarkable accuracy. How do they succeed is what everyone wants to know, and today much research is being carried out to find out how these creatures talk. The Indian hill mynah is considered the most talented mimic in the animal kingdom. This relative of the starling, has been found to have an extraordinary range of sounds it can initiate such as snatches of songs form many other bird species, noises made by various objects and words spoken by humans. However when it comes to imitating human voices, the parrots take first place. In fact, an African grey parrot bought from a pet shop in Chicago in 1977 by an Ethologist named Dr. Irene Pepperberg attached to the University of Arizona USA, is considered extraordinary because of its ability to correctly identify objects by speaking it's name. The bird named Alex after her research programme - Avian Language Experiment, is believed to have the ability to identify colours too. |
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