dogfacts.txt

In total there is said to be around 400 million dogs in the world.
The domestic dog has been one of the most popular working and companion animals throughout human history.
Dogs perform many useful tasks for humans including hunting, farm work and security as well as assisting those with disabilities such as the blind.
Although experts often disagree, there is scientific evidence which shows that the domestication of dogs could have occurred more than 15,000 years ago.
There are hundreds of different breeds of dogs.
Dogs have formed such a strong bond as pets, workers and companions to humans that they have earned the nickname "man's best friend".
Humans help train various dog breeds to enter in competitions such as breed shows, agility and obedience contests, racing and sled pulling.
Dog have superior hearing than humans, capable of hearing sounds at four times the distance.
Dogs have a remarkable sense of smell, they are capable of differentiating odors in concentrations nearly 100 million times lower than humans can.
The average life span for a dog is around 10 to 14 years.
Those involved in dog breeding refer to males as ‘dogs’, females as ‘bitches’, dogs younger than a year old as ‘puppies’ and a group of offspring as a ‘litter’.
Domestic dogs are omnivores, they feed on a variety of foods including grains, vegetables and meats.
The Newfoundland breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet. This dog was originally bred to help haul nets for fishermen and rescuing people at risk of drowning.
Three dogs (from First Class cabins!) survived the sinking of the Titanic – two Pomeranians and one Pekingese.
It’s rumored that, at the end of the Beatles song, “A Day in the Life,” Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, just for his Shetland sheepdog.
Puppies have 28 teeth and normal adult dogs have 42.
Dogs chase their tails for a variety of reasons: curiosity, exercise, anxiety, predatory instinct or, they might have fleas! If your dog is chasing his tail excessively, talk with your vet.
Dalmatian puppies are pure white when they are born and develop their spots as they grow older.
Dogs and humans have the same type of slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) and during this REM stage dogs can dream. The twitching and paw movements that occur during their sleep are signs that your pet is dreaming
Dogs’ eyes contain a special membrane, called the tapetum lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark.
A large breed dog’s resting heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute, and a small dog breed’s heart beats between 100-140. Comparatively, a resting human heart beats 60-100 times per minute.
According to a Petside.com/Associated Press poll, 72% of dog owners believe their dog can detect when stormy weather is on the way.
A dog’s normal temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unlike humans who sweat everywhere, dogs only sweat through the pads of their feet.
Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” which helps keep the eye moist and protected.
62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 million homes
45% of dogs sleep in their owner’s bed (we’re pretty sure a large percentage also hog the blankets!)
Dogs’ noses secrete a thin layer of mucous that helps them absorb scent. They then lick their noses to sample the scent through their mouth.
Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. Humans have approximately 9,000 and cats have around 473.
A Dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 – 100,000 times more acute as that of humans.
It’s a myth that dogs only see in black and white. In fact, it’s believed that dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray.
Sound frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). The higher the Hertz, the higher-pitched the sound. Dogs hear best at 8,000 Hz, while humans hear best at around 2,000 Hz.
Dogs’ ears are extremely expressive. It’s no wonder! There are more than a dozen separate muscles that control a dog’s ear movements.
While the Chow Chow dogs are well known for their distinctive blue-black tongues, they’re actually born with pink tongues. They turn blue-black at 8-10 weeks of age.
When dogs kick after going to the bathroom, they are using the scent glands on their paws to further mark their territory.
Dogs curl up in a ball when they sleep due to an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and protect their abdomen and vital organs from predators.
In addition to sweating through their paw pads, dogs pant to cool themselves off. A panting dog can take 300-400 breaths (compared to his regular 30-40) with very little effort.
Female dogs bite double the amount of males.
Basset Hounds have the longest ears out of any other dog breed. Many measure between 7 and 10 inches long.
The priciest dog in the world, a Tibetan Mastiff, was recently bought in China for $1.5 million.
More dogs are called Max, Jake, Maggie or Molly than any other pet names.
A dog's third eyelid (yes, it has THREE) is a protective lid called a "haw" which keeps moisture in its eyes.
Smiling at your dog may make him feisty: dogs see your smile not as friendly body language, but detect your "bearing teeth" as a sign of aggression.
Spiked dog collars were used in ancient Greece to protect dogs' throats from wolf attacks.
Dogs could participate in doggie blood drives: dogs are able to donate blood to fellow pooches.
In 1969, Lassie the famous Collie dog was the very first animal inducted into the Animal Hall of Fame.
Dogs who live in cities tend to live, on average, 3 years longer than dogs from the country.
Dogs have feelings, too! Canines show agitated behavior when they see other dogs getting treats while they are left in the dust.
A typical dog has the same brain aptitude level as a toddler. Dogs can comprehend about 250 words and count up to 5.
Dog body odor is often called "Frito Feet," referring to bacteria collected on dogs' paws that often smell like the popular salty snack.
Dalmatians are often deaf doggies. Thirty percent of them cannot hear in either one or two ears.
Studies indicate that petting your dog can lower your blood pressure.
For running purposes, the shoulder blades on dogs are not attached to the rest of the skeleton.
Kublai Khan, who established the Yuan Dynasty of ancient China, had the possession of 5,000 Mastiffs ̶ the most dogs ever owned by a single person.
Dogs' sense of hearing can reach four times the distance of humans.
As per the Guinness Book of World Records, the world's smallest dog, a Yorkshire Terrier from Great Britian, weighed a teeny-tiny 4 ounces at age two.
According to legend, the dog rescued on Noah's Ark was the Afghan Hound.
The oldest in-tact fossilized remains of a pet canine dates back 33,000 years. It was discovered in Siberia in the 1970s.
At age one, dogs have the same level of physical development that humans have at age 15.
Greyhounds can run as fast as 45 mph and are the fastest canines on the planet.
After the scandal, one of Michael Vick's fighting dogs ended up being a therapy dog and brought joy to dying children.
The Australian Shepherd isn't even from Australia. Its origins are tied to the Basque region of Europe.
The Prairie Dog is actually part of the squirrel family. Early settlers named them after canines because their calls sounded like barking dogs.
A dogs' first sense to develop is touch.
In 1937, America's first Akita came over from Japan. Its travel companion was Helen Keller.
Each foot on a Lundehund has six toes!
In Palding, Ohio, it is legal for a police officer to bite a barking dog to keep it quiet.
In ancient China, people used to keep warm by putting dogs up their sleeves.
Man's best friend, indeed! The classic dog name, Fido, means "fidelity" in Latin.
Beagles and Collies create the most racket than any other dog; the Akbash and Basenji dogs are the most silent.
Walt Disney's family dog was a Poodle named Lady.
Academics have theorized that Toto from The Wizard of Oz may have been an allegory for Anubis, the Egyptian god of the afterlife.
A poodle's coat was originally shaved to increase swimming skills.
In French, Bichon Frise means "small, curly-haired dog."
The phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" was born in Germany in the 17th century. When storms flooded the streets, dogs and cats were often pulled into the currents.
The expression "The Dog Days of Summer" goes back to ancient Roman times, where people thought Sirius, the Dog Star, created oppressive heat on Earth.
In Moscow, some stray dogs learned to use the underground transit system to navigate throughout the city in search of food.
Dogs have two times the amount of muscles in their ears than humans.
Puppies are born without teeth and eyesight. They're also born deaf.
The Alaskan Malamute can withstand temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero
Contrary to popular belief, Poodles are not French by origin. They're German dogs, but French nobility quickly became fascinated by these pooches.
The American Eskimo breed has been trained to walk across a tightrope in circuses throughout the early 20th century.
Some dogs can identify the smell of lung cancer from sniffing a person's breath.
Out of the 12 that were on board, three dogs survived the Titanic: two small Pomeranians and a Pekinese.
The seeds of apples and pears should be kept away from dogs. Their composition includes arsenic, which could kill your dog.
It is illegal to keep a dog as a pet in Iceland.
Eighty percent of dog owners shower their pets with gifts on special occasions like birthdays and holidays. On holidays, over half of these pets are included in the signature of family cards.
“Him” and “Her” were the names of President Lyndon Johnson's two beagles.
In the United States, about 1 million dog owners have named their pets the primary beneficiary in their wills.
33 percent of dog owners admit to talking to their dog over the telephone, often leaving them messages on the answering machine.
When drinking water, dogs cup the back of their tongues to transfer water from the bowl into their mouths.
Grapes and raisins even in small amounts can cause kidney failure in dogs.
Ever heard of the Cesky Terrier? Probably not. Only 350 of them exist, making them what may be the world's rarest dog breed.
Studies have shown that obedient dogs live longer lives than pugnacious pugs.
The Chihuahua was named after the spot in northern Mexico where it was discovered in 1850.
Fifty-eight percent of dog owners include their dogs in their annual holiday photos.
In the Harry Potter series, Hagrid's dog, Fang, was a Neapolitan Mastiff- a breed that almost became extinct after WWII.
Most dogs have pink tongues, a sign of good health for its supply of blood vessels, nerves and tastebuds. The Chow Chow and the Shar Pei inherently have black tongues, but this has nothing to do with poor health.
To differentiate between their different types of food, dogs depend more on their sense of smell than their sense of taste. Humans have five times the amount of taste buds than dogs.