With our pal Dr. Karen Becker recently delivering some surprising facts about dogs and the events of the last few days having graciously come to an end, I thought I would take a lighter look at things today and offer up some of my own dog scoop.
These amazing animals are often our best friends from an early age and we form unique bonds, but even the most seasoned dog lover may find themselves astonished at what they don’t know.
So without further ado, here are some surprising and (hopefully) fun dog facts:
- The part of a dog’s brain that deals with smell is about 40 times larger than the same part in our brains
- Dogs hearts beat between 70 and 120 beats a minute
- Dogs have sweat glands between their paws – the only sweat glands dogs have, in fact
- Dogs actually have three eyelids, with the third (the haw) keeping the eye lubricated and protected from harm
- The most popular names for male dogs are Jake and Max
- The most popular names for female dogs are Maggie and Molly
- About one in three American families own at least one dog
- Greyhounds have been clocked to run at least 45 miles an hour
- “Fido,” a clichéd dog name, actually means “fidelity” in Latin
- Despite having rigorous views toward neutering and spaying, the United States has the highest dog population in the world
- Dogs have more muscles in their ears than humans, helping them move them in order to find where a particular sound is coming from
- Bluey, a cattle dog from Australia, lived for 29 years and five months
- The largest litter of puppies on record is 24
- There are 14 mentions of dogs in the Bible
- Dogs have been traced back about 40 million years to a weasel-like creature called the Miacis
- An estimated 70 percent of dog owners sign their pet’s name on greeting cards
- An estimated 58 percent of dog owners include their dogs in family photos
- Researchers believe dogs see in shades of grey, brown, yellow, and blue — I however, regardless of research and science, believe differently and feel they see many more colors!
- The average adult dog has 42 teeth
- 80 percent of dog owners purchase a present for their dog at holidays and birthdays
- Females tend to bite more than males (actually 50% more). Women! 🙂
- You are not allowed to keep a pet dog in the country of Iceland. You’ll find this statement all over the internet, but it’s not exactly accurate. Learn more here.
- MANY dogs, approximately 1 million are the sole beneficiary to estates in the U.S.
- 3 Dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic.
As you can see, dogs are remarkable. There are far, far more amazing facts about dogs out there, but these are just some of the more interesting things I was able to track down.
If you have any dog poop or facts that you’d like to share, feel free to join in on the conversation below.