Middle School Curriculum
Unit 7: Exploring Animal Science
Lesson 8: Pleasure and Companion Animal Industry
OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Define a pleasure and companion animal.
Identify species of pleasure and companion animals.
Identify the responsibilities of owning an animal and the care involved.
Describe ways companion animals are used to assist humans.
Be able to define zoonoses and be able to name several types.
Be able to list which animals in Georgia can only be kept with a permit and which
ones are illegal to have as pets.
Agriculture QCC:…………………………………………….…13, 14, 18, 19, 20
Language Arts QCC:………………………………………...6-16, 48, 55, 70, 74
7-20, 38, 50, 65, 70
8-20, 39, 49, 65, 70
Mathematics QCC:……………………………………………………...6-8, 9, 47
7-13, 14, 38
8-15, 40
REFERENCES
Herren, Ray V. Exploring Agriscience. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, Inc.
Lee, Patrick, Vaughn, Murphy. Agriscience Discovery. Danville, IL: Interstate
Publishers, Inc.
4-H Virtual Farm. Virginia Tech Extension Service.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/equine/equine.html
Morgan, Lee, Wilson. Agriscience Explorations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall Interstate.
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS
Dog, cat, or stuffed animal for demonstration.
TEACHING PROCEDURE
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
1
Introduction
Not all animals in agriculture are used for meat or animal products. There are many
animals in the industry that are used to provide companionship or pleasure. This lesson
focuses on these animals.
Mental Set
1. Teacher: Tell story to catch students’ attention.
In the 1950’s dogs exhibited a bizarre behavior called “running fits.” These dogs
would take off running for no reason, crying and barking as if being chased by a demon
or in extreme pain. After researching this peculiar problem, veterinarians finally
concluded that the chemical used to treat flour dog food was causing the dogs to exhibit
this bizarre behavior. The chemical in the dog food was changed to a less harmful one
and the dogs’ behavior was normal again. Sometimes, dogs still behave this way and the
reason may be a result of trying to burn off excess energy.
2. Ask students: Where did the name Hush Puppies originate?
Answer: Some farmers were frying fish and when they finished, they had
cornmeal left over. Their dogs were hungry and their hunger caused them to whine and
bark. So, the farmers rolled up the leftover cornmeal into balls and fried it. In an attempt
to appease the dogs, the farmers tossed cornmeal balls and said, ‘hush puppies’. The dogs
ate the hush puppies and quit whining. Hush puppies are also called ‘dodgers’ because
the balls of cornmeal are hot after leaving the fryer. The farmers would tell the dogs to
‘dodge’ the hush puppies.
3. Tell a Joke: What happens when a cat eats a ball of wool?
Answer: She has mittens!
4.Tour the local animal shelter and talk with an official about responsible pet ownership.
5. Invite a veterinarian or pet shop owner to speak to the class about animal care.
6. Have students and their parents bring their pets to class for a “pet day.”
Discussion
1. Ask students: What is a companion or pleasure animal?
Answer: Any kind of pet can be considered a companion or pleasure animal. They
serve as companions and friends, and bring pleasure to people. Companion animals
have been proven to increase the life expectancy of elderly people.
2. Teacher: Divide the class into five groups and ask them to think of as many
companion animals as they can and write them down. Examples are listed below.
 Dogs
 Cats
 Horses
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
2















Rabbits
Hamsters
Gerbils
Guinea Pigs
Ferrets
Parrots/Birds
Pot bellied pigs
Reptiles (Snakes, Iguanas, Lizards)
Fish
Goats
Rats
Mice
Hermit Crabs
Spiders
Turtles
2. Ask students about their pets at home and ask them to identify the specific
species. Have one student keep tally of the different types of animals listed.
Present this information:
There are 68 million owned dogs in the U.S. and 1 out of every 4 households owns a
dog. There are 73 million cats owned as pets in the U.S. and most people with cats
own two or more.
3. Ask students: Who has to take care of a pet at home and what are some of the
responsibilities?
Listed below are some of the practices used to care for different types of species.
Horses
 Groom daily
 Keep water out of the horse's ears and dry quickly after a bath
 Inspect and clean hooves daily
 Cool horse thoroughly after riding or workouts
 Do not overfeed
 Feed on a regular schedule
 Never use moldy feed
 Always provide plenty of clean water
 Follow a exercise program, whether hand walking or riding
 Keep stall clean
 Immunize against diseases
Dogs
 Groom daily
 Exercise
 Feed daily (Start puppies with four meals per day, cut back to two when
older).
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
3




Cats







Always provide plenty of clean water
Vaccinate for rabies
Immunize against diseases
Training the dog so that it is not out of your control.
Feed twice a day. (Start kittens with four meals per day and then cut back to
two when older.)
Keep litter box (indoor cats)
Groom as needed
Exercise/Play
Provide scratching post (indoor cats)
Immunize against diseases
Always provide plenty of clean water
4. Activity: Keep a “class” pet, such as a gerbil, rabbit, bird, or some fish. Divide the
students into groups of 3-5 and give them the responsibility of taking care of the
pet each week.
Fish









Select an appropriate tank (glass or plastic)
Provide large enough tank (size is determined by number and size of fish to be
housed)
Provide quality water (correct amount of dissolved oxygen, water hardness,
acidity, and nitrate level)
Provide proper water temperature for tropical fish (73' to 79'F). Provide
optimal lighting
Feed small amounts once to twice daily (Rule of Thumb: Only feed enough
food for the fish to consume in 3-5 minutes)
Clean tank on a regular basis
Maintain a health watch, looking for fungus, white spot, etc
Handle correctly to prevent injury
Work with the science program in setting up a fish aquarium in the
department
Hamsters/Gerbils/Rabbits
 Provide a large metal cage to allow for exercise
 Use light fluffy material for bedding (cedar shavings)
 Feed mixture of seeds and vegetables
 Feed only to replenish supply (hamsters hoard their food)
 Supply clean, fresh water
 Keep animals away from human diseases (colds, pneumonia, and bacterial
infections)
 Provide vitamin supplement
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
4
Birds








Provide a roomy and sturdy home (Rule of thumb: Birds should be able to
stretch out their wings without touching the sides; heads should not touch the
cage top; nor tail feather touch the sides or floor when perched.)
Place cages away from drafts and odors
Keep birds on a routine (water, feed, and clean cage at same time daily)
Always have clean water for drinking and bathing
Provide a varied and well-balanced diet (pellet, grains, fresh vegetables, fruits,
meat, and dairy products)
Trim nails, beak, and wings when needed
Provide exercise
Follow a health plan to prevent parasites, diseases, and injuries
5. Ask students: Name what kind of food each type of companion animal should be
fed and what type of eater it is: omnivore (eats both meat and plants), herbivore
(eats only plants) or carnivore (eats only meat).
 Dogs-carnivores, although they will eat some vegetables!
They should be fed a dry or dry mixed with moist quality dog food.
Store brand dog food is okay, but Iams, Purina, and other brand foods are better
since they contain higher quality ingredients.
Store brand dog food is cheap, but you get what you pay for.
 Cats-carnivores.
They require twice as much protein as dogs.
Should be fed a mixture of moist and hard, quality cat food.
 Rabbits/Gerbils/Hamsters-herbivores.
Feed pellets, grass, hay, carrots, fresh veggies, etc.
6. Ask students: What are some foods you should NOT feed cats and dogs?
 NEVER feed them:
o Chocolate-it is toxic, can cause vomiting and may be fatal
o Onions- are toxic and can be fatal
o Chicken bones-they splinter and may cause damage to the animal
o Raw eggs- they cannot digest the whites and may get sick
o Table scraps- our food often contains a lot of fat and a pet can become
overweight be eating leftover human food.
o Poisonous plants- keep your pet away from plants, such as Poinsettias.
6. Ask students: Has anyone ever seen a stray dog or cat? Where do you take the cat
or dog if you cannot adopt it off the street?
Answer: Before purchasing or adopting a pet, it is important to realize the care and
responsibility involved in owning a pet.
 Some pets can live to be 20 + years old!
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
5


The Humane Society or a local animal shelter takes care of stray animals.
Unfortunately, 6 to 8 million stray cats and dogs are turned in to animal
shelters every year.
Sadly, half of these dogs and cats have to be killed because there are no homes
for them and the shelters run out of room.
7. Ask students: If you find a stray animal what should you do? Should you try to
catch it and take it home?
Answer: Never approach a stray dog, cat, or other animal…no matter how friendly
they seem.
 You may catch a disease, or worse get hurt/bitten if the animal becomes
frightened.
 Remember, stray animals are often hungry, scared, and are trying to defend
themselves from harm. They may think you are trying to harm them!
 Tell your parents or call the local animal shelter. The shelter has trained
professionals that can come pick up a stray.
8. Ask students: What does it mean to have a pet neutered or spayed and why is it
important?
Answer: The veterinarian does a surgical procedure on the pet so it can no longer
reproduce.
 The correct term for the surgery on male pets is neutered and the correct term
for a female is spayed.
 It is important to have your pet neutered/spayed because there are already
enough homeless animals in the world
Share this information: In 7 years a single female cat and her offspring can produce
420,000 cats! It is really hard to find homes for that many cats! In 6 years a female
dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs! Have your pet neutered or spayed!
9. Activity: Invite the K-9 Police Squad or an expert on guiding/canine assistant
dogs to come and speak to the class.
Ask students: How are companion animals used to help and assist people?
Answer:
 Guide dog for the blind-guide their owners to places
 Hearing ear/signal dogs-let heir owners know when they hear the alarm clock,
doorbell,etc.
 Service dogs-help people in wheelchairs, they open doors, etc.
 Hippotherapy-horses that are used to help physically challenged children
10. Ask students: Has anyone ever been bitten by a dog? Did you get rabies? Do you
know that rabies is considered a zoonose?
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
6
A zoonose is an infection or disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Examples of zoonoses:
 Rabies
 Parasites such as lice, mites, roundworm, tapeworm, fleas.
 Fungus such as ringworm
 Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
 Allergies
As a rule, to keep from getting infected with a zoonose, follow these practices:
 Don’t handle animal feces without gloves or washing your hands afterwards
 If scratched or bitten, clean the wound thoroughly and get medical treatment if
it swells
 Remove ticks from your pet as soon as possible
 Use a flea/mite/tick/lice control program with your pets
1. Ask students: Did you know that certain animals in Georgia cannot be kept as
pets without a permit? Which animals do you think should not be kept as pets?
Answer: Almost any wildlife, animals that cannot be purchased at a legitimate pet
shop, should not be kept as pets. Ferrets are actually illegal to keep in Georgia, but
the law is poorly enforced.
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
7
ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS
Language Arts
Middle School Connections in Agriculture Education
Language Arts QCC: Grade 6-16, 48, 55, 70, 74
7-20, 38, 50, 65, 70
8-20, 39, 49, 65, 70
Name____________________________________ Period____ Date______________
Teacher’s Note: The students may require encyclopedias or textbooks to complete this
assignment.
Recently in class you learned about how to care for pleasure and companion animals.
Pick one animal that you have or wish that you had. How would you care for the animal
on a daily basis? What responsibilities would you have in owning the animal? What type
of eater is your animal? What type of food should your animal be fed? What would you
do with your animal for fun (ex: go to the park)? Answer these questions in the space
below. You may need to use an encyclopedia or textbook to find all of the information.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
8
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
9
ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS
Mathematics
Middle School Connections in Agriculture Education
Mathematics QCC: Grade 6 – 8, 9, 47
7- 13, 14, 38
8- 15, 40
Name____________________________________ Period____ Date______________
1. Tommy has a 4-year-old mare, Chestnut. If Tommy feeds Chestnut 10 pounds of
feed a day, how much does Tommy feed her in a week?
2. Tommy buys 40-pound bags of feed. How many bags of feed will he need to feed
Chestnut for 4 weeks?
3. If Tommy pays $5.00 for each of the 40-pound bags of feed he buys, how much
will it cost Tommy to buy feed for Chestnut for 4 weeks?
4. Julie feeds Butch 1/4 of a pound of food 2 times a day. How much does she feed
Butch in one day?
5. How much does Julie feed Butch in a week?
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
10
6.
Answers:
1. 70 pounds
2. 7 bags of feed
3. $35.00
4. ½ pound
5. 3 ½ pounds
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
11
SUMMARY
Conclusion
Animals kept in captivity (cats, dogs, horses, snakes, or tarantula spiders),
depend on humans to take care of them. Taking the necessary steps to provide
the animal with a healthy life will bring much enjoyment to the companion or
pleasure animal and its owner.
Evaluation
Written quiz
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 7 Lesson 8
Updated May 2004
12