7 Fascinating Facts About Dogs
Dogs are great pets. They are good companions and provide us with love. But, do you think you know everything about them? I bet there is far more to dogs than you know. Here are 7 fascinating facts about canines that you may have never heard of before:
- A Canine’s Nose Is Always Wet to Help Absorb Scent Chemicals
Have you ever wondered why a dog’s nose is always wet? Most dog owners don’t even consider this fact but here is the reason why. A dog’s nose is always wet to help the dog absorb scent chemicals. Dogs’ noses secrete a special mucus that helps in absorbing scent chemicals. The dog then licks its nose to sample these chemicals, helping it to better understand what the smell is.
- A Dog Can Smell About 1000 to 100,000 Times Better Than Human
You probably know that dogs smell stronger than humans but don’t know how much better. It may interest you to know that a dog’s sense of smell is between 1000 and 100,000 times stronger than that of humans depending on the breed. Dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose while humans have about 6 million – this makes dogs expert sniffers, able to sniff out people, drugs, and even money!
- Dogs Don’t Sweat As We Do
Dogs do sweat but nothing like humans. Dogs sweat on the paws, unlike humans. To cool off, dogs have to pant. This is the reason it is so important for dog owners to keep their dogs cool on hot days to make the heat simpler on them. Also, while humans excrete watery liquid when sweating to cool down, dogs excrete a pheromone-laden oily substance that humans can’t detect.
- Canines Have 18 Muscles to Control Their Ears
Have you noticed that your dog’s ears move about a lot? It’s because dogs have about 18 muscles to control their ears. They help dogs to easily move the direction of their ears a little to hear sounds surrounding them better. These muscles also help them to move their ears, which they use in communicating both with humans and other pups.
- Dogs Can See Some Colours
Most people believe that dogs can only see shades of grey but this is wrong. Actually, dogs can see more colours, though fewer colours than those seen by humans. According to Psychology Today, dogs can see colours like yellow, blue, and grey. So, don’t be surprised if your dog sometimes loses track of its red ball in the grass.
- Canines are as intelligent as a 2-year-old child
Did you know that your dog is highly intelligent with mental abilities close to that of a 2-year-old child? According to Dr Coren, dogs can perform simple calculations, understand up to about 250 words or gestures, count up to 5, and intentionally deceive other dogs and people. Don’t hesitate to start training your dog the basics, take a look at some toys that can help you train your dog better here.
- Dogs can read our emotions
Most times when a dog looks at your face, it isn’t begging for a treat or trying to get your attention. Rather, it may be reading your emotions. Research conducted at the University of Lincoln shows that dogs are the only animals that can read it at a glance and know if we are angry, sad, or happy.
So that’s our list of 7 fascinating facts about dogs! What did you think about them? We believe you were truly fascinated, or is there an interesting fact about dogs that you know but we didn’t mention? Let us know!