Have you ever wanted to know super cool fun facts about dogs that make you sound like a professional veterinarian?
The wait is over. Below you will find 26 fun facts about dogs that will make you sound like you went to veterinary school when you share them with your friends. These are great conversation starters!
- Did you know that contrary to popular belief, dogs do sweat?
Dogs do pant in order to moderate their body temperature, however, they do sweat also in between their tows on the pads of their feet. - Did you know that a spayed or neutered dog will live longer?
Statistically speaking, dogs that are spayed or neutered will statistically live 1 to 3 years longer than those that are not. The reason for this is because it helps prevent diseases such as testicular cancer, uterine cancer, breast cancer, and prostrate cancer. - Did you know that the shoulder blades of a Dog are unattached from the rest of the skeleton?
The reason that a dog’s shoulder blades are not attached to the rest of the skeleton, for this is to allow for flexibility while running. - Did you know that dogs can get jealous?
Anyone that has more than one dog can attest to this. In my home, we have two dogs. If both are sleeping on the couch, and we walk up to one and give them attention, the other will immediately get up and walk over and physically place their body between us and the other dog in an attempt get the attention. - Did you know that seeing eye dogs can poop on demand?
Seeing eye dogs are trained to do their “business” when told to do so. The reason for this is because it allows for the seeing eye dog to take his attention off of the one that he serves, to temporarily address his own needs. - Did you know that puppies have 28 teeth while the average adult dog has 42 teeth?
When puppies are first born, like people, they have no teeth whatsoever. However, at about 2 weeks old, their teeth start coming in, and all 28 teeth are present anywhere from 8-10 weeks old. By the time they are an adult, they will have 42 teeth. - Did you know that dogs can see in the dark?
More accurately, the eyes of a dog are 3 times more efficient that our eyes, allowing them to “see” in the dark because of the amount of light that their eyes allow for. - Did you know that a dog’s peripheral vision is 30% better than ours?
In other words, when you look straight ahead, your peripheral vision is 180 degrees, while a dog’s peripheral vision is 240 degrees. That means that dogs can see 30% wider than we can. - Did you know that dogs can’t taste like you and I can?
A dog has 1,700 taste buds, while we have 9,000 taste buds. This is why a dog does not chew his food for enjoyment, but rather “woofs” it down. While their objective is to fill their belly, our objective is to enjoy what we eat. - Did you know that the nose-print on a dog is as unique as a finger print to a human?
If we really had a need to determine which dog did the crime, we could simply “finger-print” their nose to find out. - Did you know that a dog can hear 4 times that of a human?
Because of the shape of the dog’s ear canal, and its uncanny ability to tilt its head and maneuver the muscles within its ear, a dog can hear sounds that are four times beyond what a human can hear. Additionally, it can locate the origin of a given sound in 1/600 of a second. - Did you know that the average dog can run as fast as 19 mph?
What is even more impressive, is that the fastest dog on earth is the Greyhound, which can run up to 45 mph! That’s way faster than the fastest human can run. Maurice Greene, an Olympic Gold Medal winner, holds the world record speed for sprinting at 26.7 mph. - Did you know that there is only one dog that can’t bark?
The only dog that is not capable of barking is the Basenji, a beautiful medium sized dog with a short curly tale that originates in the Congo. - Did you that the bloodhound would make for a great lawyer?
All kidding aside, the bloodhound is the only dog that can provide evidence in a court of law in America. - Did you know that your dog’s feet might smell like popcorn? When sweat and bacteria build up in the paws of your dog, their feet might smell like popcorn. This is known as “frito feet.”
- Did you know that the United States has more dogs than any other country?
In the United States, 60% of households have a pet dog. There are about 400 million dogs in the world, and just over 58 million of them are found in the United States. - Did you know if your dog has “dog breath,” it might be a sign that he has a dental disease?
It’s a good idea to take your dog to the vet once a year for a checkup, but in the meantime, you can regularly brush your dog’s teeth with a Fingertip Dog Toothbrush. If you do not clean your dog’s teeth, harmful bacteria could be introduced into the dog’s bloodstream. - Did you know that there are only two dogs that have black tongues?
The only two dogs in the world that have black tongues are the Chinese Shar-Pei, and the Chow. - Did you know that when puppies are born, they can’t hear or see, and they have no teeth?
Even after birth, puppies are still developing. At 2 weeks old, they will start to see, but even then everything will be blurry for a few more weeks. They won’t be able to hear for 2-3 weeks after birth, and it will take about 4 weeks before their teeth start to come in. - Did you know that the best time to remove a puppy from its mother and siblings for adoption is when it is 49 days old?
Because a dog is still developing its eyesight, hearing, and their teeth still need to come in, it’s best to wait at least 8 weeks before adopting a newborn dog. Beyond that, a dog needs his Mom’s nurturing. - Did you know the part of the dog’s nose devoted to smell is 40 times the size of your nose?
According to Dummies.com, “A dog’s brain is also specialized for identifying scents. The percentage of the dog’s brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is actually 40 times larger than that of a human! It’s been estimated that dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than nasally challenged humans can.“ - Did you know that there are dogs that have been trained to smell cancer?
Dogs have proven to be able to determine if a person has prostate cancer, simply by sniffing their urine. - Did you know that 30% of Dalmatians are deaf in either one or both ears?
If you find yourself frustrated that your Dalmatian never listens, it just may be that they are not capable of listening, because they are deaf in one or both ears. - Did you know that if you want your Labrador Retriever to live longer, you might want to feed it less?
There is a study that shows that if Labrador Retrievers are fed 25% less, they will live 2 years longer than they otherwise would. Of course, before putting your dog on a diet, be sure to consult your veterinarian. - Did you know that if properly trained, the American Pit Bull makes for a great family dog?
In fact, they are very trusting, protective and loyal. The American Pit Bull will never attack a person unless threatened. If it is not properly trained, it can be extremely vicious and aggressive towards people. - Did you know that a Jack Russel is a very intelligent dog?
Jack Russells are relentlessly curious and won’t just chase the squirrel, they will seek out all of it’s acorns. 😉 Needless to say, they are full of energy . . . all day long. They remind me of the curious 3 year old boy who always asks, “Why?,” and then investigates himself.
