Pigs Swallows

Pigs were domesticated thousands of years ago. They are farmed for their meat and hides. There are still many wild pigs, like the wild boar, the warthog, and the bushpig. Pigs are found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

Names: Pigs are also called hogs or swine. The adult female is called a sow. The adult male is called a boar. A baby is called a piglet.

Anatomy: Pigs vary in color from brown, black, white, to pinkish. Some wild pigs have large tusks, overgrown teeth used for fighting and digging for food.

Diet: Pigs are omnivores . They eat a variety of plants and small animals.

Classification: Class Mammalia, Order Artiodactyla, Family Suidae.

A pig has a snout for a nose, small eyes, and a small tail, which may be curly, kinked, or straight. It has a thick body, short legs, and coarse hair. There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used for walking.

pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Pigs will scavenge and have been known to eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, and even other pigs. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. Occasionally while in captivity, pigs may eat their own young if they become severely stressed. A typical pigs has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special bone called the prenasal bone and by a disk of cartilage in the tip.The snout is used to dig into the soil to find food and is a very sensitive sense organ.

Pigs have a full set of 44 teeth. The canine teeth, called tusks, grow continually and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other.

Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent sense of smell, they are used to find truffles in many European countries. Domesticated pigs are commonly raised as livestock by farmers for meat , as well as for leather. Their bristly hairs are also used for brushes. Some breeds of pigs, such as the Asian pot-bellied pigs, are kept as pets.

Breeding occurs throughout the year in the tropics, but births peak around rainy seasons. A female pigs can become pregnant at around 8-18 months of age. She will then go into estrus every 21 days if not bred. Male pigs become sexually active at 8-10 months of age. A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 piglets. After the young are weaned, two or more families may come together until the next mating season.

Pigs do not have functional sweat glands,so pigs cool themselves using water or mud during hot weather. They also use mud as a form of sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn. Mud also provides protection against flies and parasites.

for:http://www.pigs-house.com

What You Need To Know About Doggie First Aid

Knowing first aid can save the life of your dog. Just like people, dogs have accidents and need medical attention sometimes. And the thing is that sometimes there is just not time to get to the vet, that is when doggie first aid is so handy to know. Knowing what should go into your animal first aid kit is the key to keeping your dog alive and well no matter what happens. If you do a lot of hiking and walking in places like parks or on trails then you should also have a kit in your car for emergencies out of the home.

Most of the items in your doggie first aid kit are similar to those you have in your regular one for the family. There are however some things that need to be specialized for the animal of your life.
Here are some of the basics that your first aid kit cannot do without:

Hydrogen peroxide
Sterile eyewash solution made specifically for pets
Roll of absorbent cotton
Some cotton balls
Clean, white cotton sock (to cover wounded paws)
Gauze pads
Tape
Small scissors with rounded tips
Tweezers
Instant ice pack
Bulb syringe for suctioning mucous from mouth or nose
Injection syringe without the needle (to give liquid medication)
Small flashlight

All of these things should fit neatly into a container that has a nice tight lid. This will help to keep everything clean and sterile no matter how long it is sitting on the shelf or in the car. It is also a good idea to have the name of the vet and his or her phone number right there on the lid so that even in a panic you will know what to do. You may even want to put the number of the local emergency animal hospital as well in case something happens early in the morning or late at night when the regular vets are all closed.

Bee stings are one of the most common of all dog injuries. It is important that you get the stinger out right away before an infection has time to set in. This will also help to minimize any pain that your dog may be in. If you have to, restrain your dog and then use the tweezers in the first aid kit to pull out the stinger. You can then wash the area with some luke warm water and baking soda. This can help to take some of the nasty stinging away and easy the pain suffered by your dog. Ice and Benadryl will also help to keep the pain and swelling to a minimum, just make sure that you ask the vet just how much Benadryl is enough for your dog. Just like kids it is important that dogs get the right dosage when they take medications.

Never rush an injured animal. While it may be your instinct to run over and start taking care of the injury, this may spook your dog and scared animals can get a little upset. You do not want to end up with an injury as well, do you? Of course not, so take your time and let the animal know that you want to help not harm.

What You Should Know About Using Food As Reward Training For Your Dog And Calling Your Dog To Come

Training with treats and other food based rewards is a great way to motivate your dog and speed the training process along. Most dogs are highly motivated by food rewards, and treat training using this kind of positive reinforcement is used to train all sorts of animals, including tigers, lions, elephants and even house cats.


Before you begin a treat based training session, however, it is a good idea to test the dog to make sure that food will motivate him through the session. Begin around the dog’s regular meal time by taking a piece of its food and waving it in front of the dog’s nose.

If the dog shows an enthusiasm for the food, now is a great time to start the training. If the dog shows little interest, or none at all, it may be best to put off the training until another time. Don’t be afraid to delay the start of meal time in order to pique the dog’s interest in training. The advantages of proper training will far outweigh any delay in feeding.

It is generally best to get the dog used to regular feedings, instead of leaving food out all the time. Not only does free feeding encourage the dog to overeat and increase the chances of obesity, but a free fed dog may never be fully motivated in reward based training.

The come when called command
Once your dog has shown interest in the food offered to it, it is time to begin the training. Since you already got your dog’s undivided attention by showing it food, now is a great time to start. Give the dog a few pieces of food right away, then back up a few steps. While holding the food in your hand, so “come here”. When the dog comes to you, praise him effusively and give him a few pieces of food.

After the dog is coming to you easily, add a sit command and hold the collar before you give the food. After the sit command is mastered, other commands, and even some tricks, can be added. Food based positive reinforcement training is the best way to teach a variety of important behaviors.


One good exercise is the sit, stay, come when called exercise. This exercise can begin with the owner walking the dog, then stopping and asking the dog to sit. After the dog is sitting quietly, the owner backs away and asks the dog to stay. Ideally the dog should continue to stay until called by the owner, even if the leash is dropped.

At the end of the exercise, the owner calls the dog. When the dog comes to the owner, it receives food and praise from the owner. This exercise should be repeated several times, until the dog is reliably coming when called.

It is important to keep the training sessions short, especially in the beginning, to keep the dog from becoming bored, and from consuming its entire meal in the form of treats. After the dog has been responding regularly, the treats and food rewards can be slowly reduced. It is important to still provide these food rewards, but it may no longer be necessary to provide as many.

After awhile, as well, it will not be necessary to give the dog treats every single time he responds as requested. In general, it should only be necessary for the dog to receive a food treat one out of every five times he comes on demand. The other four successes can be rewarded with praise and scratches.

Once the dog understand the basics of the “come here” exercise, the basic exercise can be expanded, and many games can be created. These type of games can be great fun for owner and dog alike, as well as a great learning experience. Some off leash work can be introduced as well, but it is always best to start with the dog in a safe environment, such as a fenced back yard.


For variety, you can try taking the dog to other safe environments, such as a friend’s house, a neighbor’s fenced yard or a local dog park. Try turning the dog loose in these safe places, and practice the come when called exercise. Always praise the dog extensively, scratch him behind the ears and tell him what a good dog he is. The goal should be to make coming to the owner a more pleasant experience than whatever the dog was doing before he was called.