Today we're coming at you with some fun facts about dogs! We love our furry friends so much, but how much do we know about them?
We'll admit that we learned a lot as we were writing this article, and you're sure to learn a thing or two as well! When you're done reading, let us know what you learned and what some of your favorite dog facts are in the comments below!
Fun Facts About Dogs - 28 Facts in Total!
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Their sense of smell is 40x better than ours - actually, that's at least 40x better. While all dogs have great sniffers, some dogs are intentionally bred to sniff things out.
- Dogs can sniff out illnesses and medical problems - while many dogs are aware when their owner is in pain or hurt, some dogs can be trained to sniff out certain medical conditions like some types of cancer and other illnesses. The newest disease that dogs have been trained to sniff out COVID -19!
- Their hearing is extremely sensitive - while many of us know that dogs can hear higher frequencies than us, it turns out that they can also hear sounds further away than we as humans can hear.
- Petting a dog can benefit your physical and mental health - studies have shown that petting a dog can lower your blood pressure and releases serotonin, oxytocin, prolactin in the brain to make you happier and lowers your stress levels. Looks like these fun facts about dogs are also necessary for health!
- Dogs with separation anxiety can be calmed with their owner's scent - If your dog has separation anxiety, try leaving some clothing that you've worn for them in a place that they can easily smell it.
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Dogs don't sweat - They cool themselves off by panting!
- Each dog nose is unique - Just like your fingerprint, each dog nose is 100% unique and all its own.
- Newfoundland dogs are the best doggy lifeguards - Newfoundlands have a water-resistant coat and webbed feet that make them strong swimmers. They were initially bred to assist fishermen and, in some cases, rescue humans that were drowning.
- Bloodhounds have the best sense of smell, hands down! - In fact, because of how spot-on a bloodhound's sense of smell is, it can be used as evidence in a court of law.
- The United States has the highest dog population - Country of France holds the title for the second-highest dog population.
- The largest breed of dog is a wolfhound - A wolfhound weighs in at about 180 pounds, and if they were to stand up on their hind legs, they could measure up to seven feet tall!
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However, the heaviest breed of dog is the Mastiff - These furry friends weigh in at about 200 pounds! Talk about some huge fun facts about dogs!
- On the other hand, chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed, only weighing between two and six pounds.
- Speaking of chihuahuas, they are born with soft spots on their head - similar to how a human baby is born with a "soft spot" that eventually hardens with age; chihuahuas also have a soft spot called a molera.
- Dogs are likely descended from an animal species called the Tomarctus - The Tomarctus, which inhabited North America during the Early and Middle Miocene ages (about 23-16 million years ago).
- The oldest dog breed that we know of is the Saluki - They originated from Egypt around 329 B.C.
- Laika, a stray mongrel from the street of Russia, was the first animal in space - She was also the first living being to orbit the earth.
- Dogs rely on their humans for a sense of time - While they might know when mealtimes are, they don't have the same 24-hour clock that we humans do. Dogs will most likely observe their owner's actions to understand what to do at different times of the day.
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The Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom - Other prevalent dogs are french bulldogs, german shepherds, golden retrievers, and bulldogs.
- The greyhound is the fastest dog breed - Greyhounds can run up to 44 miles per hour, and while they aren't as fast as cheetahs, they can outrun them in a long-distance race!
- Dogs aren't actually colorblind; that's just a myth - Dogs don't see in shades of red, but they can see black, white, blue, and yellow.
- Bella, Luna, Charlie, Lucy, and Cooper are the top five most popular dog names: Max, Bailey, Daisey, Sadie, and Lola, round out the top ten most popular dog names.
- Border collies, golden retrievers, and poodles are considered to be the most intelligent dog breeds- no wonder you see these breeds in so many dog shows!
- Chow chows have blackish-blue tongues - Chow chow puppies are born with pink tongues, which turn the black-blue color at eight to ten weeks.
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Puppies gain half of their body weight in the first four to five months of their lives - it will take up to a year to grow and attain the other half of their body weight.
- Dalmatian puppies are born white - They develop spots as they get older!
- Rin Tin Tin was the first dog Hollywood actor - The German shepherd rescued from a World War I battlefield starred in twenty-seven films and T.V. show episodes.
- Three dogs survived the titanic sinking - two of the dogs were Pomeranians, and the other was a Pekingese, who were all in first-class cabins.
Those were some of the best fun facts about dogs we could find, but there are so many more! What are some of your favorite facts about our four-legged furry companions?
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