Dog Facts

Things you probably didn't know about dogs...

DOG FACTS

Obviously, a great many people are dog owners, but how many of them are aware of the interesting dog facts about their history and the reasons for their sometimes odd seeming behaviour? . Well, we hope this short page of dog facts will prove interesting and instructive.

One very interesting piece of information is that dogs were domesticated from wolves approximately 15,000 years ago. It is thought that dogs were the first species to be humanly domesticated.

There are various World Record Breaking facts about dogs including:

• The largest dog is the Irish Wolfhound;
• The tallest dog is the Great Dane;
• The heaviest dog is the St. Bernard;
• The smallest dog is the Chihuahua;
• The fastest dog is the Greyhound, which can reach a speed of 45 miles per hour;
• 29 years and 5 months was the age of the world’s oldest dog, which was an Australian cattle-dog by the name of Bluey;

. One of the largest dogs recorded by the Guiness Book of World Records was Cloe, a mastiff who weighed 365 pounds, stood 38 inches tall at the shoulder and measured 8 feet, 5 inches in length - that's big...

Have you ever noticed that non-pet owners tend to give strange looks to those people who talk to your dog? It have been proven in a recent poll taken by an American Animal Hospital Association that 33% of dog owners talk to their dogs on the telephone or leave messages on the answering machine while they are absent from the home!!!

Eighty percent of dog owners also purchase their dog a gift for holidays and birthdays. More than half of them sign letters and cards from themselves and their dogs.

Were you aware that there were two dogs that survived the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic?

Are you a Beatles fan? Well if so, did you know that there was an ultrasonic whistle that is only audible to dogs on the song “A Day in the Life”. The whistle was recorded by Paul McCartney for his Shetland sheepdog’s enjoyment.

Dogs have many strange habits. One of these habits is a tendency to lick their private parts. However, this serves an important purpose as the dog’s genitourinary tract will not function without the stimulation that comes from such licking.

As a dog owner, you may find that your dog hesitates before stepping out into the rain. This is not because they are afraid of getting wet; rather it is because rain amplifies sound and causes pain in their sensitive ears.

Expressions and phrases about dogs are something that we have all heard or used, but the origins of such expressions and phrases are not always known. Listed below are some of the more common expressions:

• Three Dog Night

This expression originated with the Eskimos. It refers to a cold night, whereby it was necessary for the Eskimos to sleep with three dogs in order to keep warm.

• Dog Days

This term dates back to Roman times. It is believed that from 3rd July to 11th August, Sirius, the Dog Star, added its heat to that of the sun and created exceptionally high temperatures. The Romans named this period “dies caniculares” or “Days of the Dog.”

• Raining Cats and Dogs

This phrase originated in 17th Century England. It came about when cats and dogs drowned during heavy rainfalls when rivers burst their banks. The bodies of the cats and dogs would float through the streets in the rain torrents, hence the appearance that it had just rained cats and dogs.

• Top Dog

This phrase refers to one who is dominant or victorious.

• Working Like a Dog

This phrase originates from the fact that a sheepdog works from dawn to dusk in order to receive food, board, and affection. This phrase is very often used to describe those people who work extremely long and hard hours.

• In the Dog House

This phrase is used in relation to an argument, generally between a couple who are in a relationship, when one of them is “in the wrong” and figuratively should be sleeping in the doghouse, rather than in the couple’s bed.

Puppies are always adorable, and some very interesting puppy facts include:

• When puppies are first born, they are blind, deaf, and have no teeth.
• 90% of a puppy’s time is spent sleeping during the first week of their lives; the remaining 10% of time is spent eating.
• When a puppy reaches the age of 2 to 3 weeks it begins to get its vision.
• At the age of 3 weeks, puppies develop their sense of smell.
• Some dogs reach sexual maturity at the young age of eight months.
• When a puppy reaches the age of one year it is considered to be an adult.

Some other dog facts which you may find interesting include:

• A dog has forty-two teeth.
• America’s first canine movie star was Rin Tin Tin.
• Dogs have three eyelids: an upper and lower eyelid and also a third eyelid. It is the third eyelid that helps to protect a dog’s eyes from dirt and dust. It is referred to as the “haw”.
• Dogs see in color, though not with such a bright spectrum as humans.
• Female dogs tend to bite more than male dogs.
• It was always thought that Lassie, the canine television star, was a female; however all male dogs were used when filming.
• Smaller dog breeds mature earlier than larger breeds.
• Smaller dog breeds tend to have a longer lifespan than larger breeds.
• The Basenji is the only non-barking dog in the world.
• The spots on a Dalmatian appear as they mature, they are not born with them.
• There are 321 bones in a dog’s body.
• There are 701 different dog breeds.

There are also many interesting dog facts when it comes to the anatomy. These facts include:

• A dog’s heart beats between 70 and 120 times per minute.
• A dog’s temperature is between 100.2 and 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Dogs take between 10 and 30 breaths every minute.
• Dogs can hear sounds 250 yards away, whereby most humans cannot hear more than 25 yards away.
• Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet, not by salivating.
• The number of milk teeth that a young dog possesses is 28.

I hope that you found these dog facts interesting and you may be inclined to pass some on to your friends - who knows, they may even help you win a quiz one day! You will be well aware that dogs are the most faithful companions man can ever have. However; not only are they man’s best friend; they are also second to none in other areas, such as:

• They can lead the blind and assist the handicapped.
• They can assist law enforcement officials.
• They can even cheer the elderly in nursing homes.
• They are intelligent and loving animals.
• They have been known to rescue humans.
• They watch over their human families.

All dogs thrive on love and companionship regardless of their size, pattern, or breed. For this reason, we must ensure that we treat them with the highest respect and give the affection that they desire and deserve. After all, what would we do without a best friend?

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