Dogs are great – they provide us with love, and companionship and are always there when we need them.
But did you know there’s far more to dogs than meets the eye?
We all know dogs have been ‘man’s best friend for thousands of years, but there are loads more to our four-legged friends which makes them really amazing.
We’ve put together some of our favorite canine facts so you can learn a little more about your pooch.
Dog lovers have always been eager since ages to know the interesting and amazing facts about their paw friends.
Today we will discuss 10 amazing facts that you probably didn’t know about your dear pet!
You can also enjoy this video on the top 10 amazing dog facts!
1. Their sense of smell is at least 40x better than ours
In dogs, the area of brain cells that detect distinct odors is approximately 40 times larger than in humans.
This means that your dog can detect far more odors than we can.
This is why purebred dogs are often used to sniff out people, drugs, and even money.
In fact, several of our own hero dogs have received PDSA medals for their noses!
Buster, an arms and explosives search dog, was given the PDSA Dickin Medal in 2003 for his outstanding performance in Iraq, when he discovered a huge amount of weapons and explosives related to an extremist organization, saving the lives of numerous civilians and service members.
2. Some have such good noses they can sniff out medical problems
Yes, medical detecting dogs exist.
Because of their keen sense of smell, some dogs can be trained to detect medical issues.
They are used to diagnose an ailment or to warn their owners if they require additional medication.
Some are even being taught to detect Covid-19!
Medical Detection Dog Pal (shown above) is one of these outstanding dogs, having received the PDSA Order of Merit.
Pal saved diabetic owner Claire’s life by alerting her to variations in her blood sugar.
These changes could have killed her if not detected in time.
3. Dogs can sniff at the same time as breathing
Dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate food, potential dangers, and pals, therefore they sniff a lot.
Their noses are built to allow odors to remain in their noses while air moves in and out of their lungs!
That means they may breathe freely while still figuring out what that fragrance is!
4. Some dogs are incredible swimmers
Newfoundlands are so proficient in the water that they’ve been used as water rescue dogs for years.
Whizz, a brave Newfoundland, was given the PDSA Order of Merit in 2016 for saving nine people from the sea throughout his career as a water rescue dog.
5. Some are fast and could even beat a cheetah!
Most canines can easily outpace humans because they are built to run and chase!
The Greyhound, on the other hand, is by far the fastest breed of dog.
Within seconds of starting to run, these fast sighthounds may attain a top speed of 45mph.
‘But how does this beat a cheetah?’ you might wonder.
While a cheetah may reach nearly 70 mph, it can only maintain this speed for around 30 seconds.
Greyhound buses, on the other hand, could easily exceed 35mph for seven miles.
So, despite the cheetah’s early lead, they’d quickly catch up!
6. Dogs don’t sweat as we do
While dogs sweat, don’t expect them to have wet armpits very soon.
Whereas humans sweat watery liquid to cool off, dogs generate a pheromone-laden oily substance that we cannot detect (dogs can detect it because of their keen sense of smell).
Because the only place where dogs sweat like humans is on their paws, they pant to cool down.
This is why it’s critical to keep your dog cool on hot days to make it easier for them.
7. Your dog could be left or right-pawed
Several research has been conducted on this subject, and it has been discovered that dogs, like humans, have a favorite hand (actually, paw) to lead with.
Giving your dog their favorite toy or interactive game and seeing which paw they use to help them first will reveal whether they are left or right-pawed.
8. Along with their noses, their hearing is super sensitive
Dogs can hear considerably higher frequencies than humans, but did you realize they can also hear further?
Dogs, in general, can hear considerably softer noises than humans, allowing them to hear things that are much further away.
This is also another characteristic that makes them excellent search and rescue dogs.
While they will mostly use their nose to track, their hearing can be extremely useful (particularly as they approach closer to whatever they are seeking!).
K9 Killer (shown above), which was granted the PDSA Gold Medal for assisting in the capture of rhino poachers, is an expert at tracking using both smell and hearing.
9. Dogs have 18 muscles controlling their ears
If you have a dog, you may have noticed that its ears move a lot.
They actually have roughly 18 muscles that move their ears.
These assist them in gradually changing the orientation of their ears to better hear noises around them and play an important role in telling us how our dogs are feeling.
Because much of a dog’s body language is expressed through what their ears do, a dog’s ears are critical in assisting them in communicating with both us and other dogs.
10. Dogs are about as intelligent as a two-year-old
According to studies, dogs can learn over 100 words and gestures, putting their intelligence and knowledge of humanity on par with a two-year-old.
Dogs, on the other hand, are considerably easier to teach than a two-year-old!
Because they are both intelligent and incredibly loyal creatures, they are utilized for a wide range of vocations, from military roles to support dogs.
To start training your pup the basics, take a look at some top tips from our qualified behaviorist.
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the top ten most astounding dog facts!
What were your thoughts?
Were you astounded by our facts, or do you have a favorite canine fact that we didn’t cover?
Please let us know in the comments section!
Author
Sarwar Abdullah
Content Developer at Dog Region
Author Bio
Content writing is my passion. And I believe in following my dreams to achieve my goal in life! I am a full-time entrepreneur who believes in investing his time in his profession and passion equally.
