Telenine

(tehl-eh-NINE)

Once a witty, wild pack animal, telenines used their large canine teeth to bring down huge prey. While they were not the swiftest runners, they worked seamlessly in a group to corner their kill, and their teeth were enough to break the neck of just about any animal. The spines on the telenine's back, made out of a hard, bone-like material, served as an extra defense from pounding hooves or sharp claws. This way of hunting changed quite a bit when humans moved into their habitat. Curious by nature, the wild telenines slowly started to approach the newcomers, who were all too delighted to share scraps of food with them. Soon, telenines were sitting around the fire, being pet and scratched and enjoying cooked food. Over the course of the next hundred years, telenines slowly lost their wild urges, and soon they were scarcely found in the wild. It is a puzzle to many that they never lost their overgrown canines - which serve very little purpose these days! - though they have shrunk considerably since then.

Telenines are extremely large, especially for pets. They average around 30 in (76 cm) and can weigh 130-190 lbs (59-86kg). They come into season twice a year, and once mating is finished, the male and female seem to immediately forget each other. About three months later, the female will give birth to a litter of anywhere from 4-10 pups, though 6 seems to be the average. The spines on their back will develop as they age, although even a puppy sports the distinctive canines with their baby milk teeth! They wean at around 8 weeks, and are fully independent at 12 weeks - though they will require training from their new owners to be a well-behaved pet.

While there are still some small packs of feral telenines in the wild, they have become quite reclusive and are rarely seen. Overall, they are considered fully domesticated, and most telenines now live the lives of happy housepets. They are relatively easy to care for; their coarse, thick fur does require weekly brushing, as do their teeth, and they enjoy a good walk or game of fetch. Overall, however, their exercise requirements are minimal, and they are just as happy to sleep at the foot of a bed as they are to chase wild popokos in the back yard. They do enjoy snow and ice, and giving them ice blocks to lick will provide hours of entertainment - just be sure their tongue does not get stuck!