Here is the real truth about cats and dogs- they are just not as desirable as they used to be to a new generation of pet lovers. These days exotic is the new buzzword when it comes to having a pet- and from horses to guinea pigs, parakeets and white mice, Indians are increasingly choosing the more unusual option. And when they do opt for a cat or a dog, there is an unique request like a Brown Labrador or a Persian cat. Exotic is the new trend and people are hugely buying into it.
People are becoming more experimental about the kind of pets they want, especially small animals which they can easily keep in smaller places and flats. But even as animal breeders seek to introduce new varieties into the country, ultimately for most pet owners, there is only one reason to choose an animal, bird, fish or a more exotic creature and that’s the love, affection, companionship they receive from their pets.
You are in the market for a new pet, but cats are too insolent, dogs are too subservient and tropical fish can’t garner any envy from your neighbour. There is no need for despair, as there is a massive- and mostly legal exotic pet business that makes the rare, the freakish and the wildly expensive companions available for purchase.
There is a seperate allure of owing exotic pets. A Menagerie in the house, snakes wrapped around any kind of a post, rhesus monkeys leaping from counter to counch, lions sunning themselves on your gravel driveway, capuchins and bears and wolves hugging you and clambering over you; the experience or if an imagination in itself will be awesome. They are the most unusual animals kept in captivity and there can be a difficulty in meeting their needs. But this challenge is a must if you house exotic animals, under the law of Animal Welfare Act.
FENNEC FOX is a small desert fox, one of the most popular mammals because they thrive with the owner being more ‘easier’ to manage. Unlike other foxes they make good house pets. They are high maintenance animals but are harmless.
BENNET’S WALLABY are simply too small, unlike kangaroos. They come with no possible threat and should be kept in a sufficient pen with available shelter. They thrive in domestic settings after adolescence and are cool and calm to handle.

SUGAR GLIDER are popular marsupials who weigh not more than five ounces. Their lively and curious nature help them bond with the humans. They are social and nocturnal and tend to seek attention. They need suitable environment and diet which sometimes become a matter of concern.
KINKAJOU are nocturnal rainforest mammals, friendly and affectionate and therefore can enjoy human companionship. They have sharp, carnivorous teeth, marshmallows and gummi bears. This preserves their wicked, bacteria loaded bite for when scared.

BENGAL CATS have no relation to the Bengal Tiger but is a hybrid creation featuring pre-designed genetic characteristics that are cross-bred with the likes of something more exotic like an Asian Leopard cat. The result is a new feline breed that acts more like a mellow domestic but looks like he just walked off the Savannah plains. The more pure bred the cat, the more costly it is.
MUNTJAC DEER are kept by some as House Pets as they are unique to their larger counterparts. They reach the size of a large housecat, are extremely affectionate and thrive with proper human care. A deer indoors can sound a bit bizarre to your neighbour but they are excellent pets, apart from the owner’s dealing with the chewing habit of this species.
SPOTTED GENET are wild African exotic mammals, attractive due to their harmless intimidating look. They are higly energetic nocturnal and arboreal ‘cat-ferret’. They combine several good qualities of other animals as well as possessing some of their own, making a rewarding pet for the right owners. They are skittish, hate to e restrained by human’s; scratch marks can be expected. Every Gennet owner knows their animal’s behaviour well.
BOBCATS are great pets; a small exotic feline, correct for homes but the trouble is deciphering how the ‘right owner’ of these animals are. Bobcat owners must be willing to fully anticipate issues like spraying, aggression, the need for outdoor enclosures and other modifications to accomodate potentially destructive factors, whether they occupy or not.
CAPYBARA AND PANTAGONIAN CAVIES are the world’s largest rodent clocking in at 150+ pounds and their alone world could arouse interest from the non-exotic pet owner’s crowd. Pantagonians are small, terrestrial versions who just require some room to roam and obviously aren’t dangerous.

The word ‘exotic’ can frighten many people but little do many people know that when they support exotic pet bans, they may be empowering bans for their own pets. The word ‘exotic’ was never synonymous to the words “large” and “dangerous” but this is what people associate them with. Animal Rights Groups are not ignorant to the word- they just keep quiet on their anti-position towards more common and less overtly threatening animals such as hedge dogs and other reptiles. Housing Exotic creatures can sound a little weird and can even invite objection from your neighbour, but you enter into a completely unique pet world which thus becomes an experience of a lifetime. No wonder, your attachment with them becomes exotic and memorable.

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The most common non – medical problem in dogs is aggression towards people and other dogs. Many people do not prefer to buy a dog because of this reason. In order to prevent from biting, first you have to understand why they gets angry and then bites. Here are some reasons :-

1. POSSESIVENESS :- Without proper training dogs get possive about their things and this can cause biting. Usually this includes those dogs from whom we expects to behave like a human, what we need to understand is that dogs are not humans and we should not expect them to act and behave like one. Also we need to taught them that they do not rule the home and we CAN take things back from them. Many children are bitten when they try to take toys from dogs which obviously dogs considered as their “Personal Property”.

2. FEAR :- This aggression is usually towards strangers like veterinarians but they are experts in handling them. Fearful dogs can hurt you, do not ever sneak up on him or bother him when he is sleeping. Usually children tries to cuddle or hug him when he feels frighten but this might frighten him more, then they could bark more to keep them away and ultimately can hurt him if they do not.

3. PAIN :- The dogs suffering from pain can cause even the friendliest dig bite. In this case, you should check if he is having any disease or wounds. Also keep your children away from him in order to prevent from biting.

4. MATERNAL AGGRESSION :- When female dogs gives birth to puppies, she knows that her puppies rely on her fir everything like nutrition, stimulation, protection etc. However this is completely natural and you cannot control this behaviour but you can adopt some safety tips in order to prevent from biting for example, don’t let your children to handle puppies without your supervision, do not tease them etc.

DO THEY WARN US BEFORE BITING? 

Yes! They always show warning signs before biting however these signs are so subtle, that it is often missed by the people. If you could know the warning, you can be safe. Dogs often show signs that can include licking lips, yawning, wagging tail, – these sign means that they are uncomfortable with you however licking could often misinterpreted as the sign of affection but it could also be a sign of stress. Below are the signs which if your dog shows, then it could mean he is ready to bite you.

♦  Growling

♦ Showing teeth

♦ Snarling

♦  Jump towards you

♦ Ofcourse Biting

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG BITES SOMEONE?

1. First control your dog’s aggression by cool him down and putting him a leash on immediately then check the person’s condition, if necessary take him to the doctor.

2. Ask address and contact number from the victim so that you can know his condition later on.

3. Provide some necessary information to the person like the date of your dog’s last rabies vaccination.

HOW TO STOP DOG BITING FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?

There is no guarrantee that your dog won’t ever bite someone again but you can definetly reduce the risks by following the steps :-

1. SPAYING / NEUTERING YOUR PET :- As I have already told you about the benefits of spaying or neutering your pet in one of my previous article, spayed / neutered pet is less likely to bite as it will reduce the desire to roam of your dog which means less fight with other dogs.

2. TRAINING :- Training dog is very important but you must know that only you can teach him how to properly behave at your home, so do not send him away. Training is the perfect way of socializing. In the method of training, you can also make your dog to introduce new people, places and situations which will help him to face normal social circumstances. You must teach him to behave properly. Do not tell him to chase someone or other animals, not even in fun as it may be fun to you but dogs cannot make the difference between fun and real life.

3. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN HOW TO BEHAVE AROUND HOUSE :- Children do not know how to handle dogs and they treated them like a toy. They also wants to play with dog everytime, even when dogs don’t want to, child may harrass the dog and this might encourage the aggression of dogs towards that child. So never leave your child alone with the dogs.

4. BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER :- You must provide regular veterinary care which also includes rabies vaccination. Whenever you take him outside for a walk, make sure to put him on a leash for everyone’s safety. If you do not know how will your dog reacts infront of visitors then its better if you keep him in other room or if he feels frighten in the crowd then it will be better if you leave him at home. If you aren’t confident of his behaviour, you should avoid stressful situations.

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Friendly, loyal, sweet, intelligent, playful, exuberant, mouthy, mischievous, naive, curious, loving and protective are some of the adjectives we use to describe dogs. But then some dogs are labeled dangerous, ferocious, aggressive, savage, vicious and unpredictable. This thought has mainly developed based on the fact that some dog breeds have a history of being violent with animals as well as people. Since big dogs create bigger wounds they’re reported more frequently and this causes the medical data to be skewed inaccurately toward big dogs. Truthfully, all breeds can be provoked to bite. Whether or not a dog actually bites is generally a result of how well it’s been trained and treated. Nevertheless, it can’t be helped that some dog breeds have more potential to cause serious harm to a person if the dog were to decide to attack. But why would a dog, man’s best friend, decide to attack? Here are some of the most common reasons:

1)      The dog is protecting or thinking that it is protecting its owner.

2)      The dog is protecting its owner’s property.

3)      The dog is protecting its puppies.

4)      The dog is guarding its food.

5)      The dog is provoked by the actions of the victim like pulling its tail, hurting it by mistake etc.

6)      The dog is not properly trained and does not interact well with strangers.

7)      The dog is having a bad day, is irritable and its tolerance level has fallen.

8)      The dog’s sixth sense tells it that the person/ animal has bad intentions.

9)      The dog is in pain, injured or sick.

10)   The dog is involved in rough play with the victim and gets overly excited.

11)   The dog does not know how to bite and does so by mistake.

Dogs are intelligent creatures and do not like to assault without reason or warning.  A dog bite rarely happens without warning, so chances are these warnings are being misunderstood or ignored. The best way to avoid such a situation is to learn a dog’s language and respect its boundaries. A dog could be humungous in size or have very large teeth but could be very docile while a small and petite dog could suddenly bite! A dog’s disposition should not be judged by its looks or its breed. Every dog is different. But like humans speak with their mouths, dogs express themselves with their body language. Some of the warning signs before a dog becomes fierce and aggressive are given below:

1)      Pleading eyes: The dog looks at you with a pleading expression.

2)      Physical Retreat: The dog takes a few steps back. One must not try to approach it.

3)      Head turn: The dog turns his head indicating that it does not want an altercation.

4)      Yawning: Dogs yawn when they are nervous and try to calm themselves down. Although a yawn is not always for this reason.

5)      Licking: Incessantly licking either you or itself could be a request to back off and give it space but you might also taste very good!

6)      Whale eyes: Seeing the whites of a dog’s eyes, also known as “whale eyes”, a fixated look and dilation of its pupils is a serious warning sign.

7)      Body Language:A hard stare, ears back, head lowered, fur standing and most of its body weight on its front legs is a sign of an aggressive or threatened dog.

8)      Tail position: A wagging tail is not always a friendly sign.

9)      Growling & Snapping: Critical warning point i.e. just before the attack.

10)  Two or more signs together: If any of the above signs are combined, most probably the attack is imminent.

I am a proud owner of a Doberman pinscher a.k.a. Doberman. She is about 11-12 months old but is quite big in size already. She is the friendliest dog I have ever petted. She does not bark at strangers unless she senses that they are a threat to me. She only barks in defense and so far she has never growled or snarled. But still sometimes, she shows one or more of the warning signs above while we are just playing or running around. Since she is still a pup and is in her training period, I say ‘No!’ whenever she gets aggressive. My training and my upbringing will design her temperament. Same goes for all the other dogs and their owners. Some of the other dog breeds, including Dobermans, that are considered more aggressive and dangerous than the others are:

2)    Rottweiler

3)    Pit bull

4)      German Shepherd

5)      Boxer

6)      Presa Canario

7)      Dalmatian

8)      Giant Schnauzer

9)      Bull Terrier

10)   Alaskan Malamutes

One must know that no dog is minacious without some kind of provocation. The reason for an attack could have just been perceived by the dog rather than an actual reason. That is why the owners as well as other people should be wary of the signs a dog displays. One must know how to read a dog’s body language. Dogs are one of the best creations of nature. They are cute and faithful. No dog should ever be punished. Pain should not be inflicted on any dog to train it or teach him a lesson. Dogs are creatures full of love and no lesson can be taught better, than with love. Happy petting!

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