Pawesome Facts About Dogs

August 21, 2017 | Alex Smith

Pawesome Facts About Dogs


38. Which Way

A dog will wag their tail to the right when they feel happy, but to the left when they are scared or anxious.

Happy DogPikwizard

37. Smarty Pants

The average canine is as smart as a two-year-old child.

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36. Unsinkable

Of the 12 dogs aboard the ill-fated Titanic, 3 managed to survive.

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35. What’s For Dinner

In Switzerland it is perfectly legal for people to consume dog and cat meat as food. In China, 30,000 dogs are slaughtered for their meat and fur daily.

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34. Speed Racer

The Greyhound is the fastest dog breed, capable of running up to 44 miles per hour! The name Greyhound comes from German, meaning old or ancient dog, not the color gray.

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33. What’s In A Name

Corgi is derived from the Welsh language, meaning ‘dwarf dog.’ A group of pugs is called a ‘grumble.’ Lots of love come from the littlest packages!

 

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32. World’s Oldest Breed

The Saluki is the world’s oldest dog breed. They originated in Egypt around 329 B.C.

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31. Sad Dog Fact

A dog lives an average of 10 to 14 years. However, smaller breeds typically live longer than larger dog breeds. A dog that has been spayed or neutered lives longer than dogs who have not been fixed.

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30. Instinct For Cuteness

Dogs don’t just curl up to look cute, it is actually thanks to an instinct to protect their organs and keep themselves warm while sleeping. Experts have also figured out--or at least believe that have--what dogs dream about. The answer, it seems, is you: dogs dream about their owners.

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29. Snuggle Up

In ancient China, people would put dogs up their sleeves in order to keep warm.

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28. Like A Wet Fingerprint

No two dogs have the same exact nose print, as each nose is as unique as a human fingerprint. Also, dogs have wet noses in order to better absorb scent chemicals.

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27. The Scent Of You

Leaving a piece of clothing behind with a dog, that smells like the owner, will keep separation anxiety to a minimum.

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26. Yodel Over Barks

The basenji is the only domesticated dog breed that does not bark as its primary form of vocalization. This breed prefers to howl or yodel and can yodel like no one’s business.

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25. Poop With A Purpose

Dogs prefer to leave their droppings in alignment with the Earth’s magnetic field. Maybe it optimizes the fertilizing properties?

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24. One Step For Dog Kind

Laika, a Russian dog, was the first animal in space. She traveled around planet Earth in the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 in 1957. She is said to have died painlessly in orbit approximately a week after launch.

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23. Best Wing Man Ever

If a man is looking to score a date, he should bring a dog with him. Men who have a dog with them are 3 times more likely to get a lady’s phone number.

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22. More Paws To Love

The Norwegian Lundehund is the only canine that has six toes on each paw.

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21. Not Colorblind

Dogs are not only able to see shades of black and white, but can also see shades of blue and yellow. Dogs are not able to see reds.

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20. Trifecta Vision

Dog have three different eyelids. The third lid, called the ‘haw’ is specially made to keep their eyes clean and moisturized. Think of it as the windshield wiper of the eye.

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19. By Leaps And Bounds

When a puppy is born, it is blind, deaf, and toothless. Puppies grow to half of their adult body weight within the first four to five months of life. After that, it takes a year or more for puppies to fully develop into their adult bodies.

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18. Spin Cycle

When dogs run around in a circle before settling down, it’s a way of getting comfortable. It is a nesting trait passed down from their ancestors.

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17. Trust In Me

Bill Irwin was able to successfully make a trek through the Appalachian Trail, over 2,100 miles long. This was all thanks to his companion Orient, Bill’s seeing-eye dog. Orient, a trusty German shepherd, led Bill to become the first visually impaired man to make the trek.

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16. Made For This

Thanks to their water-resistant coat and webbed feet, Newfoundlands are one of the strongest swimming dog breeds.

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15. What The Funk

Dog’s paws sometimes smell a little funky, because they have sweat glands in their feet.

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14. Word Smart Dogs

Most dogs are capable of remembering over 150 commands. In fact, there is a border collie by the name of Chaser who knows up to 1,022 words.

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13. Guess Who

The name of the dog on theCracker Jacks box is Bingo.

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12. Train Commuters

Stray dogs in Moscow have learned how to ride the subway to get around.

Dogs FactsWikimedia Commons

11. War Dogs

Dogs wore spiked collars to protect them from wolf attacks in ancient Greece. Mastiffs wore armor and were sent to do battle in ancient Rome.

Dogs Facts Wikimedia Commons

10. Look Out Badgers

The daschshund was bred originally to fight badgers.

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9. Hollywood Inspiration

Sunnee, Walt Disney’s family dog, was the inspiration for the animated film ‘Lady and the Tramp.’

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 8. Diet Dangers

Dogs can suffer renal failure from consuming grapes or raisins. Chocolate, cooked onions, macadamia nuts, and caffeine can also be harmful to canines. Apple and pear seeds may also be deadly, as they contain arsenic.

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7. A Sad Story

The well-used phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs,” has its origins in 17th-century England. When there was a heavy storm, dead animals would be washed into the streets. This made it look like it had indeed rained cats and dogs.

Raining Cats and Dogs  This one goes out to all my friends in the UK at this time. Stay dry, stay warm, and most of all stay near the kettle!Flickr

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6. Dog Lover

Kublai Khan is credited with having the most dogs owned. He had 5,000 Mastiffs!

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5. Weird Laws

In Ventura County, California, cats and dogs are not allowed to have carnal relations... unless they have a permit.

Ew.

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4. To Ancient Platonic Relationships

There are cave paintings in Spain dated around 10 000 B.C. displaying some of the earliest European images of dogs.  The first identifiable breed of dog appeared around 9000 B.C. Globally, dogs have lived with humans for over 14,000 years.

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3. Smell Your Feelings

Your dog can pick up on changes in your scent, which can help them determine changes in your mood. Dogs can smell your perspiration when you become nervous and can tell if you are sick by the changes in your scent the illness causes.

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2. Zorba The Great

Zorba was an English mastiff. He was the biggest dog ever documented, measuring 8 feet 3 inches from tip to tail, and weighing an amazing 343 pounds!

Dogs FactsFlickr

1. Smell You Later

A dog has a sense of smell that is 10,000 times stronger than a human being. Bloodhounds can pick up on scents that are over 300 hours old.

Dogs FactsFlickr

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8


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