20 Fun Dog Facts We Bet You Didn't Know.
Dog's may simply seem to be dog's best friend, here to be loved on and keep us company, yet there are so many interesting facts that revolve around them and their history. We've compiled a few of our favorite dog facts to keep you entertained for just a bit.
1. Your dog can smell actually smell how you're feeling, allowing them to sense when you're scared, upset, or not feeling well. This is primarily because dog's possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to the six million-ish that us humans have. The part of your dog's brain is also dedicated to analyzing smells,is also about 40 times larger than ours. Thus when you're scared or sick and perspire, your dog knows!
2. Dogs can actually sense time! Although it's been said over and over that your dog can't tell how long you've been gone whether its 5 minutes or 5 hours, well that's just plain not true! When conditioned, your pet perceives time by knowing when they receive regular walks and meal times.
3. Your dogs nose is wet primarily because it aids their sense of smell and helps absorb scent chemicals. Dog’s also sweat through their noses and their paws, helping them stay cool. Dog's also lick their noses a lot primarily because they often use their nose to sniff around and can sample the smell by tonguing their nose.
5. Ever notice how your dog is very particular about their poo spot? There's a reason for that and it's not because your dog feels more comfortable in one position over another. Dog's actually relieve themselves in alignment with earth's magnetic field, a study found. The study suggests that dogs are sensitive to small variations in Earth’s magnetic field. There was no determination as to why our dog's sense or do this but it certainly is an interesting fact.
6. The world's oldest recorded dog breed in existence is the Saluki. They appeared in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, and their remains were found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 2100 B.C.
7. Man's connection with a dog is a real thing. When petting a dog and staring into their eyes, the human body releases a chemical called oxytocin, also known as the 'love hormone'. This occurs not only in you but also in your dog!
8. Have you seen your pupper curl up into a precious little ball sometimes to sleep? It may appear that they're forming the shape of a fetus but it's actually an instinctual method to keep warm and protect their vital organs from predators while they rest.
9. Did you know that your dog is as smart as a two year old?! They can understand about 250 words and gestures just like a two year old can. No wonder young kids get along so well with the family pet, they speak the same language!
10. Dogs are dreamers too! More than likely you've seen your pet twitching or running in place in their sleep. This is because dogs have the same type of slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) as humans. Dogs are dreaming in the REM stage and that's when they exhibit the funny little twitches and jerks. Puppies and senior dogs are more prone to dreaming than adult dogs.
11. Ever caught your dog's eye in a dark room and seen a glowing red or green orb peering back at you? Or every time you attempt a photo with your pet and their eyes are always lit up? That's because dog's have a light-reflecting surface known as the tapetum lucidum, that acts like a mirror to reflect light, allowing them to see better in low light. The specific color of the glow varies by animal and the amount of zinc or riboflavin present in pigment cells within the tapetum lucidum.
12. Our doggies run hot. The average body temperature for dog's is between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 97.6 to 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit for us humans.
13. Dog's possess a third eyelid, also called the 'haw' or 'nictitating membrane'. It acts as a windshield wiper for your pet's cornea, removing any debris or mucus from it. It also is responsible for producing about 1/3rd of your pet's tears helping to keep their eye moist and protected.
14. Dog's aren't stuck in a 1940's sitcom, they can see colors beyond black and white and in fact, that's a myth. It's actually believed that dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray. That's why it can be helpful to get bright red and pink toys for your dog so they'll stand out!
15. Notice how your dog uses their ears to express what they're feeling or thinking? That's because they have 18 powerful ear muscles allowing for a wide range of movement.
16. Some of our furry friends have a habit of kicking their legs behind them after using the restroom. Some have hypothesized this is to hide their smell from predators but it's quite the opposite. Our pet's do this to further spread their scent and mark their territory. The scent glands on their paws allow them to do this.
17. When it comes to flavor, you might not want to trust your dogs opinion. Dog's possess about 1,706 taste buds whereas we have about 9,000. That's about 6x less the flavor receptors. Get this, cats only have 470!
18. A dog's nose print is completely unique, just like the human finger print.
19. Yawning is contagious, even for dogs! Research has shown that the sound of a yawn can trigger one for your dog, and it's 4 times as likely to happen if they know the person yawning.
20. Having a dog can actually help support your heart health. Studies have shown that dog owners have lower blood pressure than non-owners, more than likely due to their pets having a calming effect on them, and because they tend to get more exercise.
Comments 0