Do you think you know everything about canines? Think again! Check out these 22 interesting facts you may have never heard:
1. D0gs have a sense of time. It’s been proven that they know the difference between a hour and five. If conditioned to, they can predict future events, such as regular walk times.
2. Your d0g is as smart as a two-year old! Ever wonder why children around this age seem to have a special bond with the family d0g? It could be because they speak the same language, roughly 250 words and gestures in fact.
3. A study at UCSD claims that your d0g can genuinely get jealous when they see you display affection for another creature.
4. Dachshunds were originally bred to fight badgers.
5. Stray d0gs in Russia have learned how to ride the complex subway system, and get off at specific stops in search of food.
6. Your d0g can smell your feelings. In fact, your dog’s sense of smell is approximately 100,000 times better than yours. So it shouldn’t be shocking that they can in fact, smell things such as fear. When a human is fearful, they perspire, and a dog is easily able to pick up on this change.
7. Newfoundlands make great lifeguards because they have water-resistant coats and webbed feet.
8. Dalmatian puppies are born completely white, they develop their spots as they get older.
9. Petting a d0g can actually benefit your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that petting a d0g for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure by 10%, can help lower feelings of stress, depression, and combat loneliness.
10. D0gs have wet noses because it helps to absorb scent chemicals.
11. Bluey, an Australian cattle d0g, is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest d0g to ever live. Bluey lived to be 29 years 5 months old and lived from 1910 to 1939.
12. D0gs can be trained to to detect cancer and other diseases in humans. Cancerous cells release different metabolic waste products than healthy cells in the human body. D0gs may even be able to sniff out cancer cells simply through smelling someone’s breath.
13. Three d0gs survived the historical sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Two Pomeranians and 1 Pekingese – all from First Class cabins.
14. Do you have a d0g that experiences separation anxiety? Try leaving some clothing with him that you’ve worn. It’s been proven that the scent you leave behind on your clothes can help ease your d0g’s separation anxiety.
15. When your d0g is carefully choosing the perfect place to do his business, it is because they prefer to go poop in alignment with the Earth’s magnetic field.
16. All puppies are born deaf. As they get older, they can hear 4 times better than humans can.
17. D0gs don’t sweat, instead they pant to cool themselves.
18. A vast majority of strays that end up in shelters are pets who are lost simply because they don’t have any identification. Additionally, Fourth of July is the busiest time for animal shelters as most pets get lost during that holiday due to being scared of loud fireworks and running away.
19. Chocolate can be very deadly to dogs due to containing the ingredient, theobromine. D0gs cannot metabolize theobromine and ingesting chocolate could cause a severely toxic buildup in their system which could become fatal.
20. Maltese d0gs do not shed, making them perfect pups for people with allergies.
21. 45% of d0gs sleep in their owner’s beds. Hopefully those pups share the blanket…
22. A d0g’s nose print is unique, much like a human’s fingerprints.
