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Interesting Dog Facts
This page is full of interesting but inconsequential dog facts. We hope you like them... Dogs were domesticated from wolves at least 17,000 years ago, but maybe as early as 150,000 years ago. This is based on recent genetic fossil and DNA research. During these thousands of years, the dog has been bred into hundreds of different breeds with heights at the withers that range from just a few inches (such as the tiny Chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the large Irish Wolfhound), and colors range from white to black, with reds, grays, and browns in a great variety of patterns Helpful dog facts: What Breeds Are Good For People With Allergies?
Weird dog facts: Do Dogs Sweat? Dogs sweat only from the bottoms of their feet ... and the only way they can discharge heat is by panting. Did Any Dogs Survive The Sinking Of The Titanic? Two dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic. They escaped on early lifeboats that carried so few people that no one objected. Miss Margaret Hays of New York brought her Pomeranian with her in lifeboat No.7, while Henry Sleeper Harper of the publishing family boarded boat No.3 with his Pekinese, Sun Yat Sen. Dogs Facial Expressions Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with their ears. However, bulldogs and pit bulls only have 10, due to their breeding. As a result, these dogs easily get misread by other dogs and often get into fights. A Dog's Nose Human's have 5 million cell receptors in their noses, while most dog breeds have more than 100 million. The membranes in a dog's nose, if unfolded and laid out, would be larger than the dog itself! Useless Yet Interesting Dog Facts An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while away. An estimated 1 million dogs in the United States have been named the primary beneficiary in their owner's will. The common belief that dogs are color blind is false. Dogs can see color, but it is not as vivid a color scheme as we see. They distinguish between blue, yellow, and gray, but probably do not see red and green. This is much like our vision at twilight. The smallest of dog breeds, the Chihuahua, is also the one that tends to live the longest. Named for the region of Mexico where they were first discovered, the Chihuahua can live anywhere between 11-18 years. The theobromine in chocolate that stimulates the cardiac and nervous systems is too much for dogs, especially smaller pups. A chocolate bar is poisonous to dogs and can even be lethal. Dog facts about poop Before the enactment of the 1978 law that made it mandatory for dog owners in New York City to clean up after their pets, approximately 40 million pounds of dog poop were left on the streets every year. A dog's memory lasts only about five minutes. This is good to remember when you want to yell at your dog for making a mess hours ago - he really won't understand why he's being scolded. Dogs turn in circles before they lie down, because in the wild, this instinctive action turns long grass into a bed The bloodhound is the only animal whose evidence is admissible in an American court. The world's first dog show was held in Britain in 1859. The heaviest dog ever weighed 319 pounds. The oldest dog ever died at age 29. The tallest dog ever was a Great Dane who stood 41 inches high. If a dog tolerates gentle handling between its toes, it probably is suited for children. Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible. It is a dog fact that dogs can hear sounds that are too faint for us to hear, and also can hear noises at a much higher frequency. Their hearing is so good that they probably rely more on sound than on sight to navigate their world. Dogs' eyes have large pupils and a wide field of vision, making them really good at following moving objects. Dogs also see well in fairly low light. Dogs have far fewer taste buds than people -- probably fewer than 2,000. It is the smell that initially attracts them to a particular food. Each day in the US, animal shelters are forced to destroy 30,000 dogs and cats. Spay and neuter!! Most pet owners (94 percent) say their pet makes them smile more than once a day. There are 701 types of pure breed dogs. It is estimated that there are 58 million dogs in the United States. |
