Contrary to popular opinion, no they are not, it is just that the number of colors they can distinguish between is more limited than what other animals and humans can discern.

In the eye, the cone cells in the retina are what recognize color and dogs have fewer of them than humans, but they do have some. According to scientists, this means that the colors that they do see would seem faded or ‘washed out” to human eyes so they are not good at picking up all the different shades of the basic colors around them. Dogs, say researchers, have dichromatic vision, meaning that they can pick up only two primary colors – blue and yellow, while a human’s trichromatic vision can discern red as well.

Where scientists say dogs do score over humans is that while they lack cone cells, their eyes contain more rod cells, making their black and white vision far more accurate as well as their vision in low light (their night vision).

Still, since there are no dog scientists (or at least no ones that can talk) many people still feel this is all speculation and will swear that their dog can recognize a red or pink blanket or toy over a green or yellow one. This is probably more likely to be related to a personal preference for the texture or size of the blanket than its color.

A lizard’s diet varies greatly depending on exactly what species they are, but the majority of people who ask this question are referring to pet lizards that can be kept at home in a tank rather than those that are roaming free around the desert.

One of the most popular lizards kept as a pet is a bearded dragon. This lizard will usually enjoy a fairly varied diet, consisting of crickets, earthworms and grasshoppers (and yes he wants them alive and kicking so feeding time may not be for the squeamish) mixed with the occasional leafy green salad (but absolutely no iceberg lettuce.) Some bearded dragons are also quite partial to a nice bit of fruit or even a cooked potato chopped into bite size pieces.

If you go a little bigger and head into iguana territory, you'll find he is really a veggie fan, and will enjoy his healthy greens more than the creepy crawlies, but he does need them occasionally to provide him with the protein he needs to stay healthy.

Any lizard needs a supply of nice, clean drinking water and most will benefit from a pet store vitamin supplement once or twice a week. The best way though to determine what the right diet is for your new scaly friend is to ask at the pet store or pet outlet where you purchase him.

Some lizards develop a taste for the strangest things. Some like pizza, some like macaroni and cheese, some like a nice piece of cheddar. These can be fed to them in very small quantities, as a special treat, but the most important thing about any lizard’s diet is that it is balanced.

There are an ever growing number of different rabbit species and therefore how long your pet rabbit might live depends a great deal upon what breed she is. Smaller breeds tend to live longer than their larger cousins, but some smaller breeds, because they have been ‘genetically engineered', can have their own set of unique health challenges that may shorten their lifespan. However on average, a pet rabbit will live 7-10 years if well cared for, and rabbits kept indoors tend to have a little more longevity than those housed outside.

One special point worth noting that if an unspayed female rabbit does not breed she will be particularly susceptible to uterine cancer. Uterine cancer is a problem for rabbits but the risk is lessened if an animal is spayed if she is not to be used for breeding purposes. The ideal time to spay a female rabbit is four to six months of age, but your vet can advise you what is best for your bunny.

Ensuring that a pet rabbit has a good diet is another huge factor in how long they might live. Rabbits have rather sensitive stomachs and certain foods can prove harmful if not downright fatal. Starch and fats are not at all rabbit friendly and although most of them really like it fruit should be fed as occasional treat only. The mainstay of any rabbit’s diet should be grass hay, with timothy, meadow hay and oat or barley hay being ideal.

Housebreaking a new puppy can be one of the most frustrating things that dog owners ever have to get through. You cannot really get angry when Fido Jr has an accident indoors because he simply does not know any better, but it can still be very hard to deal with.

Some dogs get the hang of the whole “potty training’ thing far more quickly than others, but the key to housebreaking any puppy is consistence and patience. There are several different ways to potty train your puppy and it seems no one method is the “best”. Simply, some puppies respond better to certain methods than others.

Potty training puppies has to begin inside. You can lay “wee wee “ pads on the floor and encourage the puppy to do his business there. These pads, readily available at pet supply stores – are pretreated with a chemical that gives of a scent designed to draw your pup to them. As the puppy learns, the papers are moved closer and closer to the door, until he gets the message and begins to understand that his bathroom is outside, not inside.

The problem with paper training is that it allows a puppy to go to the bathroom in the house at all, a habit that it may be hard to break. Some people find that crate training is far more effective.

Puppy is placed in a crate that is just large enough to be his bed. Dogs are loathe to soil their own beds because even a puppy realizes that he will have to lie in that mess afterwards. Proponents of crate training say that this teaches puppies to regulate their bowels and bladder more quickly, to learn that they can “hold it” if they want to. To be most effective the puppy has to be taken out of his crate at regular times for walks, and gradually be allowed to move around the rest of the house.

Some people use neither of these methods and opt for simple vigilance. Puppies have a “pre potty” pattern that is fairly easy to recognize and if you have the time to watch puppy all day, he can simply be hustled straight out of the back door whenever he goes into his routine.