Articles written by Scottie Westfall

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About me - Scottie Westfall

I have researched animals as much as possible. This topic is the one I prefer to write about. My professional background is in political science and history, but I have always had a deep appreciation for the natural world.

I have had a background in creative

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Pets & Animals > Dogs (Other) How dogs became known as man's best friend: 1 of 19

Of all the large predatory mammals on earth, only one, the domestic dog, can safely live in an intimate relationship with humans. All other mammals of this type are likely to see humans as a food source or grow too temperamental as their wild instincts come to the fore as they mature. Dogs are different. They see humans as t...
Pets & Animals > Dog Training Tips for dealing with hyper-active dogs: 1 of 11

Hyperactivity is a common complaint among dog owners, especially those who own herding and sporting breeds. Dogs that are often accused of being hyperactive are actually dogs that have high energy and not enough outlets for that energy. In some breeds, such as setters, the original function of the dog required a high energy ...
Pets & Animals > Pet Ownership Comparing loyalty: Dogs vs. cats: 1 of 10

The Ethology of Cat and Dog Loyalty When we discuss loyalty in cats and dogs, we must keep in mind that we are comparing apples to oranges. The two species have very different instincts, different evolutionary histories, and different ecological niches. Further, humans have selectively bred for different characteristics in t...
Pets & Animals > Rodents Tips for keeping hamsters as pets: 2 of 14

Natives to various parts of Eurasia, several species of hamster have been domesticated. The most common of these is the Syrian or Golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). It is native to Syria and Turkey, but it has been rarely encountered in the wild. It is relatively uncommon in the wild, but it is readily propagated in capt...
Pets & Animals > Animal Facts & Resources Animal facts: Coyote: 1 of 6

The coyote represents many things to different people. To the Navajo, he was the trickster, a thinking animal with a playful intelligence. To the first European settlers, he was the scourge of the plains, second only to the wolf in its rapacity against flocks of sheep. A modern view sees them as an integral part of the ecosy...
Pets & Animals > Animal Facts & Resources Animal facts: Mink: 1 of 3

I was driving along a country road that meandered alongside a small creek on a balmy summer evening. As I came around a bend, my lights shone upon three small creatures. One was larger than the other two, which I surmised were the larger one's offspring. At first glance, I though they were ferrets. They so resembled that com...
Pets & Animals > Dog Breeds Dog breed facts: Newfoundland: 3 of 7

Easily trained and possessed of an amicable disposition, Newfoundland makes a good family pet for those who can handle a large that sheds copious amounts of hair, eats plenty of food, slobbers a bit, and loves getting wet and dirty. The breed's name is pronounced New-fun-land, with the last syllable pronounce with a "hard a....
Pets & Animals > Animal Facts & Resources Animal facts: Great white sharks: 3 of 7

No creature of the sea brings up such feelings of sheer terror more than the Great White Shark. It is seen an unfeeling murderer of the deep that preys upon unsuspecting bathers. In the nineteenth century, the great white was called the "man-eater shark," simply because that is all that people thought it did. However, the gr...
Pets & Animals > Dog Breeds Dog breed facts: Walker Hound: 2 of 4

Thomas Walker of Virginia imported a pack of foxhounds to Virginia in 1742 in an attempt to bring the English tradition of foxhunting to the New World. It was only later, as the frontier became more settled, that Lord Fairfax, George Washington, and other Virginia "tuckahoes" began to establish foxhunting in that part of the...
Pets & Animals > Dog Breeds Dog breed facts: Flat-coated Retriever: 1 of 2

"Is that a black golden retriever?" is an all too common question for flat-coated retriever owners. In reality, the flat-coated retriever is a different breed of dog from the golden. It is known for its livelier, more setter-like temperament. It can be slightly harder to train than its blond or red-haired cousin, and it is k...