A small hound with a short coat originally bred for hunting hares. The coat requires little to no grooming. The beagle is a very tolerant which makes it a very good family pet.


Other Names - English Beagle

Native - Great Britain

Height -13 - 16 inches

Weight - 8.2-13.6 kg

Colour - tri-color, red and white, orange and white, or lemon and white.

Coat - Short, close, hard and of medium length

Temperament - Sociable, brave and intelligent. Calm and loving


Life Span - 12 - 13 Years.

The Pharaoh Hound is a wonderful watchdog as he is very observant and possesses keen eyesight, acute hearing and will bark promptly at the approach of strangers.


Other Names - Kelb Tal-Fenek

Native - Egypt

Height - 21-25 inches

Weight - 20-25kg

Colour - Red or tan

Coat - Short, glossy

Temperament - Independent, loyal, affectionate

Life Span - 11-14 years.

Hound dogs were originally bred for hunting to hunt game without feathers. They are able to track game by scent. In size, they range from the tall and lanky Irish Wolfhound to the short-legged Dachshund. They hunt mammals like deer, fox and rabbits. This group includes over twenty breeds. They require a significant amount of exercise. There are Pharaoh Hounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Afghans and Beagles, among others

You have to give a lot of thought and take your own time especially if you are a novice, before picking a dog you are going to live with the next ten or fifteen years. A bad or hasty or careless decision can mean a lot of heartache and waste of money. There are a number of factors to be taken into consideration before deciding on your choice.

First you must have an idea of the different breeds and groups of dogs. Then you should pick one which should suit your personality and your needs( whether you need it for guarding, hunting, showing or just as a companion) and the time you can spare, the space you can provide, the money you can spend etc.

The size of a dog is a practical consideration while choosing a breed .. you must decide whether you want a giant, medium, small or a wee size dog. The size should be compatible for the space you provide. Another consideration is the dog's exercise and care requirements. An active dog needs either space to play or your time to go out for walks. Some breeds may be far more costlier to keep and care for than others. Another factor you have to think about is coat care. A beautifully coated dog may be good to look at but needs constant care which requires lot of time and patience to keep the coat from becoming messy. Characteristics of certain breeds also matters, some dogs maybe loyal to only one person while some others maybe family oriented, certain breeds may be more tolerant of children than others and so on. Certain breed has specific genetic problems that can affect their health. Get an idea about breed specific health problems.

Once you have decided on a particular breed, the next thing is to pick out a healthy one from the lot for sale. It is always better and safer to get a pet from families with dogs having a recent set of off springs so that the puppies are not exposed to the array of diseases found at pet stores, kennels, breeding farms etc. and you also get an idea about the animals parents. Another option is to get it directly from a good breeder or a small familiar pet store

No matter where you get your pet from, have it checked out with a veterinary doctor and make your purchase only on his certification of good health. As far as possible get the necessary papers from the seller like its Pedigree ( a list of the dog's forbears say parents, grand parents and great grand parents etc.) and its registered name, its AKC registration Number/ AKC registration Certificate if any etc. If not, you are entitled to know about the parents, its heritage and background as some breeds are prone to have genetic weaknesses. The seller should give information about the dogs medical history outlining the shots it has had and its food habits etc.

The best age for picking a puppy is at eight - nine weeks, after the weaning and before he/she has gotten used to their birthplace. The pup should have clear bright eyes and clean ears. Reddened or swollen eyes is not desirable. Discharge or pus from the eyes can indicate worms. Ears should smell waxy not foul. Lightly clap your hands from behind while somebody is standing in front to check hearing. The nose should be free of discharge. Sneezing, coughing, wheezing or a runny nose and eyes can indicate Canine distemper in puppies. The teeth should be white and clean and breath should smell clean. Check the skin for patches of flaking, reddening and for signs of fleas and the fur should be shiny in most breeds. While you want to avoid overly nippy pups, don't pick the one that flinches or cowers when you approach either: Puppies should be active but not aggressive. Over-all the animal should feel firm, strong and energetic.

There are many species of animals that share a bonding with the humans.. Foremost among them, the mans most loyal friend has always been the Dog. Humans and dogs have been inseparable for thousand of years depending on each other for protection and survival. From earlier days we have relied on dogs for hunting and guarding and now more as pets for companionship, protection and their showmanship.

Dogs belong to the family Canidae which includes wolves, jackals and foxes. All modern domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have descended from the grey wolf. There are now more than 300 different breeds of domestic dog and these are often classified into different groups according to the tasks such as hunting, guarding and herding, for which they were originally bred.

The right kind of food will increase the activity and longevity of your fish and help them adapt quickly to the aquarium environment. It also helps in keeping your fish healthy and bringing out their best colours. There are a variety of foods available for your saltwater and freshwater fish. It is important to know the types of foods your fish need and how much food they need.

Food may include live foods and processed foods. Live food consists of plants, animals and microorganisms that do not cause harm to the fish. Live foods are always better than dried processed foods as they contain better quality of protein than dried foods. Processed foods include fresh, frozen, freeze-dried, and canned foods. Fresh foods can be small bits of meats, vegetables and fruits like beef, chicken, pea, beans, peeled apple etc. Canned foods provide a balanced diet and comes in a variety of forms such as flakes, pellets, granules etc. Among canned foods flaked food is the most common food used and is best for small fish.

Pellets such as the floating ones and sinking ones are suited for big fishes. Frozen diet such as shrimp or bloodworms provide a good source of digestible protein. Insect larvae, worms, meats etc are available in freeze dried forms. They should be moistened before feeding.

Most fish should be fed two or three times a day. Some fish have slow metabolisms and need be fed only once a day. eg. goldfish. Fish need only a small amount of food at a time. Sprinkle food over the top, wet them if needed. Feeding more than needed will dirty the tank. Stop feeding when they stop eating should be the rule.

There are over 25,000 species of fish. Fish at large are divided into three groups; bony, cartilaginous and jawless fish, the size ranging from a 45 foot (whale shark) to a 8 mm long (dwarf gopi). Four types of fish are kept in the home aquarium:-



Tropical fish - are fish that live in either salt or freshwater but needs a warm (tropical) medium or temperature to live.



Coldwater fish - these fish can be salt or fresh water fish which needs colder water temperatures.



Marinefish - these are fish that live in salty seawater. Most commonly, marine fishes need tropical climate.





 Freshwater fish - these fish live in freshwater and are usually the fish that you would find in inland rivers and streams of most continents. They can be as colourful as marine fish and yet need less care. Most freshwater fish
in the ornamental hobby are tropical fish, which require a heater.



In short, the types can be Tropical Freshwater species, Tropical Marine species, Coldwater Fresh water species and Coldwater Marine species. Broadly the most common classification is Fresh water fish and Marine water fish. Some of the most common fresh water aquarium fishes are the gold fish, Koi (common carp), guppy, molly, swordtail, angelfish etc. Among the Marine aquarium fish species, damsel fish, clown fish (anemone fish) etc are best for beginners where as dragonets and lionfish should be kept only by experienced breeders with large tanks. Sharks, rays, batfishes etc should be avoided. Fresh water species are easier to keep than marine species. Many marine species will be completely incompatible and necessitate careful selection of species when choosing which fish to keep in ones aquarium.

Keeping fish is fun. But there are a few basic things that you will need to know before beginning your new hobby. It is always better to get an aquarium ready before buying fish as the fish needs to have a ready environment to live as soon as we bring them home. Reading all about setting up an aquarium helps a lot in making the right purchase.

The aquarium tanks come in different shapes, sizes and styles. The size of the aquarium you decide should fit most suitably in your room. A 10 or 20 gallon aquarium may be ideal for beginners. The tank should not be placed in direct sunlight since this can adversely affect the temperature of the tank. All aquariums should have a cover to prevent evaporation of water and to keep those leaping fish in the tank.

Aquariums may be made of glass or acrylic. Look it over carefully for scratches or cracks before purchasing.

A tank needs a filter to keep the water clean, a heater if you are planning to keep tropical fish and then one has to decide on the decorations such as the kind of gravel, the type of plants whether live or artificial and other decorations such as natural rock, driftwood and so on. Decorations enhance the look of your aquarium. When setting up the tank, it is important to read all the instructions that come with the filter, the heater, size, temperature, decorations and so on.

A fresh water tank is easier to manage for beginners than a salt water or marine tank. Use clean tap water to fill your aquarium. Let the water stand for several days so that the chemicals in it such as chlorine and ammonia, harmful to the fish get time to evaporate. 10 or 20 gallon of water could support your requirements.

Different types of filters are available to help keep the water in the aquarium clean from the waste excreted by the fish. They are 'under gravel' filters, box filters and outside filters. The more filter material a filter has the better filter it will be. Under gravel filters are kept in the bottom of the tank and are covered with gravel, so cannot be seen. They filter water through the gravel. They work better but are harder to clean as one will need to break the whole tank to clean them. Box filters are smaller in size and are placed inside the aquarium in one corner or is attached to the wall. Although they need frequent cleaning, they are much easier to clean. Outside filters similar to box filters comes in different sizes and are kept outside the tank attached to the outer wall or placed at the back of the tank. They work well and are easy to clean.

Decorative gravel is available in different sizes and colors. Wash the gravel thoroughly with water before laying it it about 2 inches thick inside the tank. Instead of gravel, sand, dolomite, crushed coral etc can be used. Dark coloured gravel will bring out the colors in tropical fish. Besides being decorative, gravel also holds the plants.

Natural rocks or driftwood, plastics and ceramics can be used as decoration. Thoroughly clean and disinfect them before you put them in the tank. Prepared rocks or wood for aquariums are available for purchase. Don't use anything metal because you don't want rust in the tank.

You have to make a choice betweeen live plants or plastic plants to be kept in the aquarium. Live plants look better and help form a natural eco system. They help keep the fish tank clean by absorbing the nutrients from the fish waste. Live plants need proper lighting, a plant growth bulb should be installed in the aquarium. Fluorescent lamps are good as they give off very little heat and so are not harmful for cold water fishes. The only problem with keeping live plants is that some large fishes tend to eat them. Plastic plants look real as well as are easy to care for and comes in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes.

Cleaning the Aquarium

There is a lot of work involved in keeping an aquarium looking nice, and you have to maintain it on a regular basis say about two or three times a week to keep it clean.

You will need a net and wall scrubber or a brush to clean the tank. The net has a long handle and it will help to keep the tank clean of fish waste. The tank scrubber also with a long handle or a brush can be used to clean the walls. When cleaning near the bottom, be careful not to drag up sand or gravel that can scratch the glass. Change water every week or two to remove chemicals that have built up. Never empty the aquarium completely when changing the water. Change 10 to 25 percent of the water at a time.

You will have many enjoyable days and nights watching the fish swimming about in the aquarium water.