Dogs and Humans :
1. Dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations. The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child.
2. Dogs don’t enjoy being hugged as much as humans and other primates. Canines interpret putting a limb over another animal as a sign of dominance.
3. Unlike humans who sweat everywhere, dogs only sweat through the pads of their feet.
4. Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. Humans have approximately 9,000 and cats have around 473.
5. A Dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 – 100,000 times more acute as that of humans.
6. Dogs hear best at 8,000 Hz, while humans hear best at around 2,000 Hz. Humans can detect sounds upto 20,000 Hz, while dogs can sense frequencies upto 30,000 Hz.
7. Dogs have their own ‘fingerprint’. A dog’s paw print may look pretty generic but their nose print is actually as unique as a human fingerprint.
8. Dogs can fall in love. It is found that a dog’s brain releases oxytocin - the love hormone - when it interacts with humans and dogs, just the same as a human brain does when we hug or kiss.
9. It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.
10. Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull which closes with age.
11. Female dogs bear their young for 60 days before they’re born while humans' gestation period is about 9 months
12. Dogs’ sense of hearing is more than ten times more acute than a human’s. That's why they can sense Earthquakes.
13. Dogs and humans have the same type of slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) and during this REM stage dogs can dream. The twitching and paw movements that occur during their sleep are signs that your pet is dreaming.
Some Breed Specific Facts :
14. Dalmatian puppies are pure white when they are born and develop their spots as they grow older.
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| Just born Dalmation Puppies |
16. Newfoundlands are great swimmers because of their webbed feet.
17. Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, with speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
18. There are only 350 Cesky Terriers in the world – perhaps the rarest breed.
19. The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound.
20. The world’s smallest dog breed is the Chihuahua.
22. An African wolf dog known as the basenji is the only dog in the world that cannot bark.
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| Border Collie |
Some Anatomy Facts :
26. Dogs’ eyes contain a special membrane, called the tapetum lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark.
27. All dogs are identical in anatomy – 321 bones and 42 permanent teeth while puppies have twenty-eight teeth.
28.Dogs’ noses secrete a thin layer of mucous that helps them absorb scent. They then lick their noses to sample the scent through their mouth.
29. In addition to sweating through their paw pads, dogs pant to cool themselves off. A panting dog can take 300-400 breaths (compared to his regular 30-40) with very little effort.
30. Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” which helps keep the eye moist and protected.
Health and Behavior :
31. Obesity is the #1 health problem among dogs.
32. Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill.
33. A wagging tail doesn’t always mean they are happy. Tail wagging has its own language. Apparently dogs wag their tail to the right when they’re happy and to the left when they are frightened. Wagging low means they are insecure and rapid movements accompanied by tense muscles or dilated pupils can signal agression.
34. Dogs can smell disease. If your canine chum is acting strange there might be nothing wrong with them - the problem could be with you.
35. Puppies sleep ninety percent of the day for their first few weeks.
Some Famous Dogs and their Acts :
36. Some stray Russian dogs have figured out how to use the subway system in order to travel to more populated areas in search of food.
37. Two stray dogs in Afghanistan saved 50 American soliders. A Facebook group raised $21,000 to bring the dogs back to the US and reunite them with the soldiers.
38. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic – a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese.
39. In 1957, Laika became the first living being in space via an earth satellite.
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| Laika |
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| Rin Tin Tin |
41. The oldest dog on record – a Queensland “Heeler” named Bluey – was 29 years, 5 months old.
42. A Pomeranian dog named Boo became internet sensation in few recent years. He was tagged as cutest dog in the world . He has his own facebook page with over 15 million fans and even a book was published on him.
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| Boo |
Some More Facts :
42. Service dogs are trained to know when they are on duty. When their harness is on, they know it’s business time. When you take it off, the pups immediately become playful and energetic.
43. In ancient China, an emperor’s last line of defense was a small Pekingese dog literally hidden up his sleeve.
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| Depiction of Ancient China |
45. The Russians trained dogs during WWII to run suicide missions with mines strapped to their backs.
46. The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.
47. Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.
48. An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will.
49. There is a dog-shaped building in New Zealand.
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| Dog shaped building |
50. The phrase “raining cats and dogs” originated in 17th century England when it is believed that many cats and dogs drowned during heavy periods of rain.
51. Smaller breeds mature faster than larger breeds.
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