A werewolf

A werewolf is a mythological creature that is sometimes a person and sometimes a wolf, usually believed to prey on people. In different versions of folklore, the werewolf is either a magician or the object of a curse. In much modern literature and film, the werewolf is said to shape-shift under the influence of the full moon and to be vulnerable only to a silver bullet. The word werewolf derives from Old English wer-wulf, meaning "man-wolf."

Tales of werewolves abound in cultures from all over Europe, from Russia to England and from Norway to Italy. Werewolves appear in some of the earliest literature of these regions. Because the legend spans such a vast geographical and cultural area, there are many variations.

A person may become a werewolf in many different ways, according to different cultures. The curse may be effected by engaging in cannibalism or Satanism. Alternatively, stripping and wearing articles made of wolf skin, drinking water from a wolf's footprint, or being bitten by a werewolf may cause the change. A superstition arose in Portugal and later in Brazil that the seventh son, or the seventh son of a seventh son, would be born a werewolf. To this day, the President of Brazil is officially the godfather of all seventh sons, a practice resulting from the tendency in earlier times of parents to abandon such children.

Some versions of the werewolf tale claim that there are cures for the condition, while others hold that death by silver bullet is the only solution. One such cure is to remove the wolf skin, if wearing it brought about the condition. Other remedies include religious methods, such as reproaching the werewolf or making the sign of the cross. Magical cures include drawing three drops of blood and striking the creature with a knife three times on the head. Strangely, while most people no longer believe in werewolves, there is a medical condition known as clinical lycanthropy in which the sufferer believes himself or herself to be a werewolf.

Shiba Inu Temperament

Shiba Inu Temperament, Personality, Behavior, Traits, and Characteristics, by Michele Welton. Copyright © 2000-2012

People often find themselves drawn to the Shiba because he is conveniently sized, handsome and hardy, easy to groom, and clean and quiet indoors. However....these interested potential owners must explore this breed in more depth, else they might be making a big mistake.

The Shiba Inu, you see, is very challenging to raise and train. A bold, high-spirited "big dog in a small body," he must always be kept on-leash, for he has a high prey drive and quick reflexes and will pursue anything that moves. He can outrun and outdodge any human....and frequently does, for he has an independent spirit. Shibas are true runners.

Shiba Inu owners need secure fences. Indeed, if you plan of leaving your Shiba outdoors unsupervised, he really should have a covered run (as in chainlink all across the top) if you want to be sure of finding him in the yard where you left him. Otherwise, his ingenuity and agile jumping/climbing/digging skills may send him over or under an ordinary fence. And once he's loose, he's gone.

10 Common People Foods that Can Kill Your Dog

People Foods that Can Kill Your Dog

It would seem dogs don't much mind eating anything they can get their lips around, including those things that are not good for them. With this in mind, I ask one very important question,"Are you killing your dog with everyday people food?"

Over the past say, thirty years, how and what we feed our dogs has evolved drastically. In the past, we were certain that our canines required a very high meat, as well as other protein diet to survive a long healthy life. Because of this, dogs have been fed a high-protein diet that has resulted in poor coat condition, malnutrition, imbalance in metabolism, hair loss, and weakness. Today, we have discovered that dogs are actually omnivores, requiring meat as well as vegetables and other non-meat foods for successful long healthy lives.

Our other favorite furry creature is the house cat. Now this pet is a true carnivore. Cats have the highest requirement for protein of any domestic species.

Kick the Dog

"I'm getting five hundred phone calls a day asking what the hell is going on, that our police force is brutalizing women and misplacing children. Christ, all this picture needs now is for someone to kick a puppy for the cameras."

A character performs an act so casually cruel or evil that you know that they are scum, incompatible with the moral rules of the series that they're in. This is a signal to the audience that it's okay to dislike the character. In short, dog-kicking is a sure sign that the writers want the audience to be wary of this character, even if he is nominally one of the good guys.

What separates this trope from other evil or cruel acts is that not only is the act bad, it's also pointless as far as the plot goes. It is the fact that it had no other point than to be evil, that puts them on the bad side of the Rule of Empathy.

Swapping Germs: Bad for You and Dog

Dog owners and their pets may exchange harmful mouth bacteria that can cause gum disease and tooth decay in both humans and canines, according to a report in Archives of Oral Biology. Previous research has shown people can transmit oral bacteria to children through close daily contact. But few studies have looked at the bacteria exchanged between people and their pets.

About 5% of canines get dental caries, which includes tooth decay and cavities. But rates of periodontitis, an inflammatory mouth disease, in dogs have been reported to range from 50% to 70%.

Researchers late last year worked with dog owners in Japan to assess the prevalence of 10 bacteria that are associated with periodontitis in people. They also analyzed an oral microbe commonly found in dogs but not humans. Study participants were 81 members of 64 families that owned 66 dogs of various breeds and ages. Participants were divided into three groups: Most of the people had a high degree of contact with dogs while the others had little or no contact with dogs.

Analysis of dental plaque found all 10 of the human bacteria in dogs and humans. The most common—Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gulae, and Campylobacter rectus—were detected in significantly higher levels in dogs than owners. As many as a quarter of the dogs and owners with close contact shared Eikenella corrodens bacteria. Periodontal bacteria were more prevalent in high-contact relationships and in older dogs.

The Truth About Corn in Dog Food

Some insist corn is a nutritious dog food ingredient… while others denounce it as nothing more than a problematic cereal grain.

So, what should you believe? What’s thetruth about corn in dog food?

Is it good? Or is it bad?

Well, that depends on whom you ask.

In general, anxieties expressed over the use of corn in dog food seem to come from consumers… pet owners, breeders and the like.

Whereas the “Corn is Great” crowd appears to include those who have something to gain from making or selling products made with this controversial grain.

Myths About Corn Promoted

by the Pet Food Industry

Curse of the Devil's Dogs

Traditionally viewed as dangerous pests, Africa's wild dogs have nearly been wiped out. But thanks to new conservation efforts, the smart, sociable canines appear ready to make a comeback

Sboniso Blessing Zwane, a wildlife biology research assistant, drives me along bumpy dirt trails through the rugged hills of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in South Africa. Rhino mothers and their calves graze alongside zebras; wildebeests, elephants and giraffes mingle on the grasslands; and grizzled Cape buffaloes block the trail, glaring at us before ambling off in their own sweet time. The park, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, was once the heartland of the Zulu kingdom and has some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. But we pass the animals here with barely a glance. We're on the trail of one of the continent's most endangered carnivores—the wild dog.

Members of the canid family, which includes jackals, wolves and domestic dogs, the wild dog is a distinct species, Lycaon pictus, or "painted wolf." Wild dogs once roamed most of sub-Saharan Africa by the hundreds of thousands, but today there are fewer than 5,000. They're victims of habitat loss, which has both reduced their food supply and put them increasingly at odds with lions and hyenas, their natural enemies. Moreover, people have long slaughtered wild dogs, partly because the animals have been known to attack livestock but also, apparently, because of their fearsome reputation; they kill prey with such bloody ruthlessness that some farmers, I'm told, still refer to the animal as "the Devil's dog." Today wild dogs inhabit less than 50 protected national parks and private game reserves in southern and eastern Africa, where the roughly three million-year-old species is making what amounts to a last stand.

"Wild dogs are much better hunters than even lions and leopards," says Zwane, a Zulu who assists on a wild dog research project run by the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo, as we bounce along in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi's late afternoon sun. "Once they target prey, it rarely escapes." The claim is arguable—cheetahs, lions, leopards and hyenas are also superb hunters—but, as if to prove Zwane right, a herd of about 30 impala, led by a big buck, dashes past us heading for thick bush, their eyes wide. He beams. Moments later, two of the most extraordinary creatures I have ever seen run by in pursuit of the impalas. They resemble wiry, muscular dogs, but have long, slender, supermodel legs; broad heads and massive jaws; bushy white-tipped tails; and comical Mickey Mouse-shaped ears. Their sinuous bodies are splashed with dark brown, gold, white and black splotches, like camouflage suits.

The Curse of the Good Dog

We had another fantastic, multi-tasking agility training session/play date with our pals the other day. Natasha’s dog, Polly, is one of those stereotypical, mellow and inherently well-behaved labs that everyone sees in the movies and on greeting cards. She is even-tempered and sweet, and will put up with pretty much anything from everyone, including the children.

In conversation with Natasha, we were pondering the challenges of having such a dog with children, and this brought to mind the kids and dogs safety demo that I did at the C-DOG event this past weekend. Since developing the demo 8 years ago, it has, of course, undergone a number of improvements, but notably, I now find myself telling parents that the fact that they have dogs at home means that they may have to be more vigilant with their children than non-dog owning parents.

Why Do Muslims Dislike Dogs?: Distressing Facts

Muslims don't like dogs? Many of them don't.

As a non-Muslim, I find this attitude shocking and hard to understand. I found this out about six months ago chatting with some Muslims on an international forum. Somehow the subject of dogs came up. What I heard from them was that dogs are dirty, angels never enter a house with a dog, black dogs are evil, and Allah will penalize you for owning a dog. This news was so distressing I had to research further, and this article is the result of that.

In the Islamic religion they have the Quran that can be compared to the Christian Bible. There are also the Hadiths, which are supposed to be a supplementation for the quran. The Quran is to be considered the word of Allah, whereas the hadith is to be considered the word of Muhammad. Hadiths started being written hundreds of years after Muhammad's death. I find it interesting that the hadiths with negativity towards dogs, directly contradicts the teachings of the quran.

Dogs in Quran

In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful (Dogs in Quran)

Dogs in the Quran ?? Are'nt they dirty (Najis) ?!!!!!

I heard this from a Muslim friend. So I told him to read the Quran and find what Quran says about dogs. It is interesting to know that dogs are mentioned in the Quran 5 times, not just once, 7:176, 18:18, 18:22 (three times). NO WHERE does God call the dogs dirty animals or give any indication that they should be avoided or treated the way many Muslims think they should. Actually the story of the people of the cave, in Sura 18, gives the indication. that we should appreciate.

The people of the cave, 3, 5 or 7 were mentioned in the Quran and every time God insists on letting us know that their dog was there with them. Their story can be as complete without the mention of the dog, but God did, Why ?