Who knew dogs had this many surprising facts? From their amazing sense of smell to their ability to detect diseases, dogs continue to amaze us with their talents. Check out these 25 interesting facts about dogs that you likely haven’t heard before!
#1: Physical Maturity
A one year old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15 year old human.
#2: City vs. Country Dogs
The average “city dog” lives 3 years longer than “country dogs”.
#3: Dogs Love TV Time Too
87% of dog owners say their dog curls up beside them or at their feet while they watch T.V. (in an independent survey)
#4: Good Resource For Medical Situations
Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.
#5: Titanic Survivors
Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic; A Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese.
#6: Owner’s Will & Testament
An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will.
#7: Talking From A Distance
An American Animal Hospital Association, a poll found that 33% of dog owners admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and leaving answering machine messages for them while away.
#8: Part of the Family
70% of people sign their pet’s name on greeting and holiday cards. 58% of dog owners put pets in family and holiday portraits.
#9: Powerful Ability to Smell
A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a human’s.
#10: Stay Away From Chocolate!
Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill.
#11: Nose Shape Correlates With Cooling System
The longer a dog’s nose, the more effective it’s internal cooling system.
#12: Enemy of the Drug Lords
U.S. Customs dogs “Rocky” and “Barco” were so good at patrolling the border that Mexican drug lords put a $300,000 bounty on their heads.
#13: Fast Heart Beats
Here’s another item to add to the interesting facts about dogs – a dog’s heart beats up to 120 times per minute. That is 50% faster than the average human heartbeat of 80 times per minute.
#14: Average Lifespan
Dogs live 15 years on average.
#15: The Breed That Doesn’t Bark
An African wolf dog known as the Basenji is the only dog in the world that cannot bark.
#16: Just Like Humans
Only dogs and humans have prostates.
#17: …And Bingo Was His Name!
Bingo is the name of the dog on the side of the Cracker Jack box.
#18: Part of the Family for Generations
Humans have kept dogs as pets for over 12,000 years.
#19: A Powerful Mouth
A dog’s mouth exerts 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch, with some as high as 450.
#20: Dogs Can See Color
It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.
#21: Keep This Breed Away From The Water!
Basset Hounds cannot swim.
#22: Watch Their Weight
Obesity is the #1 health problem among dogs.
#23: Ear Muscles
Dogs have two times as many muscles to move their ears as people
#24: Mating with the Wolves
Dogs and wolves can mate to produce feral offspring.
#25: Dog Training Near Glen Ellyn, IL
Nine out of ten dogs interviewed would prefer to be trained by Perfect Manners Dog Training. Call us today to learn more about our in house dog training services!