Are you thinking about introducing a dog to your household?
Help your kids understand just how special and important dogs are with these 15 unknown and super-cool dog facts:
Your dog’s sense of smell is 40 times better than yours
Dogs are known for their incredible sense of smell. This has come in useful for humans and dogs have played an important role in helping to find missing people, reminding humans to take medications, and even detecting certain medical conditions such as cancer, malaria, and more recently, covid-19.
Dogs can breathe through their noses and mouths at the same time
This might seem insignificant, but most humans can’t even do it. We bet you can’t!
Puppies are born deaf
While human babies are born with the ability to hear, puppies develop their hearing about three weeks after being born. Once they can hear, they are able to hear roughly 4x better than humans!
Dogs can learn over 160 words
Dogs can recognize more words than just “sit”, “fetch”, or their names. The average dog can learn 165 words and elite dogs can learn up to 250, similar to that of a 2-year-old human child!
A dog’s nose print is unique
Fingerprints are unique from human to human and no two are alike. For dogs, it’s their nose print!
Greyhounds can keep up with cheetahs
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals and can run 70 miles per hour in short 30 second bursts. Greyhounds, on the other hand, can run upwards of 45 miles per hour and can keep running for a few miles before they have to stop.
Dogs sweat through their paws
Unlike humans which sweat to keep their bodies cool, dogs pant and release sweat through their paws.
Dogs see color differently
It’s a common misconception that dogs are colorblind. The truth is, they interpret color differently because they don’t have the same amount of cones in their eyes as we do.
The world’s tallest dog was 7ft 4in
Zeus was the world’s tallest dog when he stood on his back legs. He was a great Dane who would drink from the kitchen faucet. He also forced his family to buy a new van because he couldn’t fit in their car!
Australian shepherds aren’t Australian
Australian shepherds were actually bred in California during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. They were often the companions of cowboys.
Dalmatians are born pure white
Dalmations are known and loved for their spots but they aren’t born this way. They develop as they age.
Dogs dream
Puppies and senior dogs dream more than puppies.
Yawning is contagious for dogs
If you yawn, chances are, your dog will soon too.
Newfoundlands make great lifeguards
Newfoundlands have water-resistant fur and webbed toes. They are now specifically bred to save people from drowning.
Dogs have three eyelids
Dogs have an upper, lower, and inner eyelid which keeps their eyes moist.