Interesting Facts About Dogs

I am a dog lover and have two types of different dog breed; a Labrador and a Thai Ridgeback. I try to understand their needs and behaviour and have posted this blog for all of the other dog lovers out there to do the same. I hope you like it and find it useful.
1) The dog can be traced back 40 million years.

2) Jackals and wolves are part of the dog family.

3) There are certain foods which can be harmful and at times fatal if eaten by a dog; chocolate, macadamia nuts and cooked onions contain caffein and if consumed by a dog it is very poisonous. Also pear and apple seeds contain arsenic which can kill a dog.

4) Dogs have sweat gland between their pads of their feet. They also pant to keep themselves cool. The longer the nose, the better the cooling system. Dogs also pant when they are excited or nervous.

5) Dogs have three eyelids; the third one keeps their eyes lubricated and protects them from foreign bodies.

6) Puppies are sometimes rejected by their mother if they are delivered by cesarean if they are cleaned up before given back.

7) A puppy is born blind, deaf and toothless. Touch is the first sense that a puppy develops.

8) A female dog carries its puppies for about 60 days before giving birth.

9) Dalmatian puppies are born completely white and develop their spots over time.

10) If a dog has a large pointed head it will live longer in comparison to a dog with a flat face which have a shorter life span.

11) Dogs with large square heads and large ears are better at hearing subsonic sounds.

12) A dog’s nose is very unique, like a human finger print. Dogs can smell cancer on a human’s breath, dead bodies under water and natural gas 40 feet below the Earth. On average a dog’s nose is 1000 times stronger and more effective than a human’s.

13) A dog has a wet nose in order to collect chemical droplets in the air.

14) Dogs have the ability to see in colour but see better in dim light.

15) A dog can run on average at about 19 mph; Greyhounds can run up to 45 mph. Speed depends on the type of dog breed.

16) By smelling other dogs’ urine, they can tell whether the dog is old, young, sick, healthy, happy or angry. Some dogs aim high when urinating to show it is tall to intimidate other dogs. You sometimes see small female dogs cock their legs up in order to achieve this.

Some dogs urinate on top of another dog’s urine to leave their scent and show dominance.

17) The Beagle and Collie are known to be the noisiest dogs.

The most intelligent dog breed are the Border Collie and the Poodle.

18) On average, a dog can understand 150-200 words, including hand signals and facial expressions!

19) Dogs are naturally pack animals and they need closeness, touching and petting to be happy and content. Studies have shown that the more love and attention a dog receives, the more healthier it will be.

Two dogs alone can form a pack.

20) If a dog is frightened it will put its tail between it’s legs in order to cover the scent gland around the anal region.

Dogs try to sniff what looks like another dog’s bottom, but in fact close to  the tail near the anus there is a scent gland. It gives off all sorts of information, such as age, health, happiness and sadness.

21) A dogs temperature should be around 101.2 degrees F.

Here are a couple of common “Why” questions:

1) Why does my dog eat grass?

Dogs like to explore and sniff around. Grass to a dog is sweet, has an interesting feel and generally tastes nice.

Some dogs crave nutrients such as fibre, minerals and vitamins. Grass can replace the nutrients a dog feels is missing.

Healthy dogs can eat grass without vomiting and it simply passes through the dog in a stool. However, if a dog eats grass in order to vomit it can be due to a couple of reasons; firstly, if a dog has eaten something which has upset its stomach, it will eat grass to vomit and generally feel better afterwards. On the other hand, if a dog continually eats grass in order to vomit it could be for a more serious problem like an internal blockage or a parasitic infection. If this is the case then your dog needs a vet.

2) Why does my dog eat birds poop, cats poop and cow poop?

This is mainly due to dogs having a craving for protein, minerals and fibre. Most animals’ poop contain these ingredients and they taste nice to a dog. However, it is not healthy in the long term to allow your dog to eat faeces of another animal because of the bacteria. It can cause diseases.

A dog has 1700 taste buds.

Finally, here is an excellent tip for those little naughties that won’t stop digging.

Fill the hole with the dog’s own poop and cover it over . Dogs hate the smell of their own poop and avoid it at all costs. Do this each time a new hole is made and eventually the dog will give up digging. Believe me . . . this really works from personal experience.

Depending on the type of dog breed, the dog will be either prone to digging as in my Thai ridgeback dog, or not, as in my labrador who is as good as gold.

Jayne Baker