Most caregivers are convinced that we know our dogs perfectly. Sharing our lives with them makes us capable of understanding their needs, deciphering their body language, and even interpreting their different states of mind. So much so, that sometimes we just need to look our dog in the eye to know how he is.
However, it is possible that there are some curiosities of dogs that you still do not know. For this reason, in this article on our site we have compiled more than 30 surprising curiosities about dogs about this canine species.
Its domestication began in the Upper Paleolithic
When we think of pets, the dog is undoubtedly one of the first that comes to mind, if not the first of all. But do you know when the domestication of man's best friend began? No more and no less than 16,0000 years ago As a curious fact about dogs, it must be said that it was the first animal to be domesticated by humans from the Asian wolf and the dingo.
It is the animal species with the greatest racial diversity
The differences between a chihuahua and a mastiff are such that it is hard to believe they have a common ancestor, but they do. In fact, All dog breeds belong to the same species: Canis familiaris.
The intense artificial selection carried out by humans has resulted in the great variety of dog breeds that exist today, specifically, 343 breedsaccording to the International Cinological Federation (FCI). Its enormous morphological and behavioral diversity is incomparable with that of any other species. As an example, the weight standards vary from 0.5 to 100 kg, which is truly amazing.
Create democratic societies
The next curiosity about dogs has to do with how they live. Until recently, it was thought that dogs that lived in packs with other dogs and with humans did so following a system of social hierarchy based on linear dominance
However, today this thought is banished, since dogs establish some democratic societies in which the one who is dominant today, it may cease to be tomorrow. That is, dogs do not follow a linear hierarchy.
Your aptitudes for work are multiple and very diverse
Dogs are, without a doubt, the pets par excellence. However, throughout history, dogs have not only been life companions for people, but also excellent work companions.
Of all the characteristics and curiosities about dogs, the intelligence and enormous learning capacity that characterize this species has allowed them to be used for very diverse tasks, What:
- El pastorado
- The hunt
- The guard and defense
- Search and rescue people
- The emotional therapy
- Detecting drugs and explosives
They are not strict carnivores
Unlike cats, dogs are not strict carnivores Another curious fact about dogs is that they were originally hunting animals, but throughout the process of evolution and domestication they included in their diet foods rich in fiber and carbohydrates (such as vegetables and cereals), which has meant that today their diet should not be based exclusively on meat consumption.
We leave you this other article on our site about Fiber for dogs: its importance, food and supplements.
They are very voracious animals
Dogs are voracious animals by nature, because in their natural state they were used to eating large meals to be able to withstand several days of fasting until you get a new prey. In other words, we can say that dogs carry greed “genetically encoded”, which makes it difficult for them to regulate their intake. For this reason, it is important not to provide them with food ad libitum (freely available), but ration it into several meals a day to avoid overloading the digestive system.
How many times should a dog eat a day? Discover the answer in this article that we recommend.
They have “baby teeth”
Just like people, dogs also have a first milk or deciduous dentition, which is replaced by the permanent dentition between 2 and 6 months of age However, it is unusual to detect the loss of milk teeth, since they normally swallow them while eating
Your senses differ from those of humans
The next of the curiosities of dogs has to do with their sensory abilities, since they are very different from ours. We can see that:
- Your sense of smell: It is about 15 times more developed than that of people, being able to detect odors at very low concentrations and distinguish thousands of different smells. They also have a very long olfactory memory. Don't hesitate to consult the following post on our site about the Dog's Smell: how it is, curiosities and stimulation exercises.
- Your ear: it is 4 times more acute than that of the human being, being able to perceive sounds at a frequency 3 times higher than ours.
- His taste: He is poorly developed compared to people.
- Your eyesight: It's also not particularly developed. They have a sensitivity to peripheral movements about 10 times higher than ours, although the sensitivity to light and night vision is similar to that of man. In addition, they are not able to distinguish all colors, only some shades. How do dogs see? Find out more information here.
They are able to diagnose diseases with their sense of smell
What is the most important thing about dogs? Although it may seem incredible, dogs are capable of diagnosing human diseases such as cancer, diabetes or COVID-19 using only their sense of smell, since they have the ability to identify volatile organic compoundsassociated with these pathologies. In this way, it is one of the most important and relevant curiosities of dogs.
They appreciate the caresses
It doesn't seem like we're talking about one of the curiosities of dogs since, although all pets appreciate shows of affection, the power of caressesis especially important in dogs.
What do dogs like the most? Being animals with a highly developed sense of touch, a simple caress is a great reward for them (for some, even better than food), which is a very important consideration to take into account for the training of this species.
How do you pet a dog to make him relax? Find out the answer in the following article on our site.
They use a language different from ours
Dogs communicate differently than humans. Humans communicate primarily through speech, however, dogs use a mainly non-verbal language, including:
- Chemical communication
- The touch
- The auditory
- The optics
How do dogs communicate? If you want to know more about the subject, do not hesitate to consult this post that we recommend.
Understand more than 150 words
Despite communicating mainly non-verbally, dogs are able to understand up to 160 words if they are properly stimulated and educated adequately, coming to understand the human lexicon as children of 2-3 years of age do. Even so, to fully develop their cognitive abilities, dogs must be properly stimulated through the constant practice of positive training.
Your life expectancy is highly variable
Surely, on more than one occasion, you have heard that small dogs live longer than large dogs. But what accounts for this difference in life expectancy based on size? Apparently it's due to the aging rate.
Large dogs, due to their higher growth rate and greater metabolic wear on their body, they age at a noticeably faster rate than small dogs, hence they are less long-lived animals. In fact, it has been shown that for every 2 kg of weight, the life expectancy of dogs decreases by about a month.
If you want more information on the subject, don't hesitate to consult these posts on How do dogs age? o How long does a dog live?
Your body temperature is higher than ours
The normal temperature range for dogs is between 38-39 ºC, so it is slightly higher than that of people. As a general rule, body temperature is somewhat higher in the morning than in the afternoon. In addition, as a curiosity, the temperature increases in pregnant dogs, but decreases 24h before delivery. In fact, it is common to use this parameter as an indicator to predict the time of delivery.
They have 8 blood groups
The next interesting thing about dogs is that they have 8 blood groups, which are called:
- DEA-1.1
- DEA-1.2
- DEA-3
- DEA-4
- DEA-5
- DEA-6
- DEA-7
- DEA-8
These DEA acronyms stand for: Dog Erythrocyte Antigen. Of all of them, the one with greater antigenic power and, therefore, causing the greatest risk of adverse reactions is DEA.1.1For this reason, the ideal donor has traditionally been considered a dog negative for the DEA.1.1 antigen.
May have a communicable cancer
Dogs, along with Tasmanian devils, are the only mammals that can suffer from a transmissible type of cancer. In the case of the dog, it is the transmissible venereal tumor (TVT), also called Sticker's sarcoma, which develops in the genital area and is transmitted from one animal to another during copulation
Do not hesitate to consult the following article on our site on Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT): Symptoms and Treatment for more information on the subject.
His canine genome was sequenced in 2005
Just two years after the Human Genome Project announced that sequencing of the first human genome had been completed, the canine genome was sequenced.
Of dog trivia, what was the reason the dog genome was sequenced so quickly? The fundamental reason is that the dog has been and continues to be an animal model for many human pathologies, and the sequencing of its genome has made it possible to identify many genes involved in diseases that also affect people.
Bitches are non-seasonal monoestrous
The bitch is the only domestic femalewho is non-seasonal monoestrous, which means that she has a heat not associated with a certain season. As a general rule, female dogs have two heats a year (every 6 months), although it is also considered physiological that they have one or three heats a year However, although Let's talk about curious facts about dogs, you should know that there are wild females such as the fox and the bear, which are also monoestrous.
How long does a dog's heat last? Find out the answer below.
Born blind and deaf
The next curious fact about dogs has to do with their birth, since puppies present incomplete nervous, motor and sensory development Their sense of sight, hearing and their ability to thermoregulate are barely developed, so at the time of their birth the puppies are absolutely dependent on their mother to survive. From the second week of life , a rapid maturation of motor and senses begins.
They don't have sweat glands in their skin
Another curiousity about dogs is that they lack sweat glands in their dermis, except at the level of the plantar pads. Having such few and underdeveloped sweat glands, they barely lose heat through the evaporation of sweat. Therefore, need alternative mechanisms to sweating, such as panting, in order to reduce their body temperature when necessary.
How do dogs sweat? Learn more below.
They hate some things about their humans
Another curious fact about dogs is that, even though they are our best friends, there are some things that dogs hate about humans. For example, having much more sensitive senses of hearing and smell, they are deeply bothered by yelling and strong smells In addition, some displays of affection typical in human, like hugs, can be uncomfortable for them, feeling imprisoned.
However, dogs tend to be especially patient and affectionate with us, transmitting with a hidden smug that this annoys them. Even so, do not forget that we must strive to know and respect canine nature, offering them a positive environment and respecting their needs.
Discover 10 things dogs hate about humans below.
Your relationship with humans is not determined in terms of dominance
Unfortunately, it is common to find false explanations on the Internet that associate certain behaviors of dogs in relation to their guardians to the theory of dominanceThis is completely false, since dominance is intraspecific, that is, it occurs only and exclusively between individuals of the same species. Likewise, many people tend to confuse canine dominance with aggressiveness, something totally wrong because, in fact, a "dominant" dog stands out for being balanced and calm in nature.
They can transmit diseases to us
The dog is man's best friend and loy alty is one of the most admirable characteristics of his personality. As a fun fact about dogs, despite their very special bond with humans, there are some diseases that dogs can transmit to people, such as rabies, intestinal parasites, and ectoparasites. To prevent them, it is essential to maintain optimal hygiene at home, respect the vaccination and deworming schedule for our furry friends, offer them balanced nutrition and essential care to preserve your good he alth. Go to your vet if you have more questions!
Dogs can make us live longer
To conclude this article with curious facts about dogs we want to mention one of the many benefits of adopting a dog. When you include a dog in your life and in your home, you will gain the most loyal companion who will want to protect you at all times and accompany you through thick and thin. This will have an extremely positive impact on your self-esteem and mental he alth
Furthermore, sharing everyday life with a dog stimulates us to conquer a he althier lifestyle, helping us to fight against a sedentary lifestyle and associated diseases, negative mood states, loneliness and anxiety. depression. With their very special way of being and loving us, dogs teach us to live longer and better.
Other curiosities about dogs
In addition to the curiosities that we have described in the previous sections, there are other curious facts about dogs that you may not yet know:
- It is estimated that there are about 500 million dogs in the world, of which around 7.5 million reside in Spain.
- The dog and human share about 650 million base pairs of DNA, which representsabout 75% of your genes.
- The smallest dog is the Chihuahua, the Largest is the Great Daneand the heaviest is the English mastiff.
- The Greyhound is considered the Fastest dog in the worldin short race, being able to reach up to 63 km/h.
- The German Shepherd, the Poodle, theborder collie and the golden retriever are listed in smarter dogs.
- The basenji is the only dog in the world that cannot bark.
- The nose of each dog is different, which makes it a unique identification mark, similar to what what happens in humans with fingerprints.
- With one year of life dogs have a maturity comparable to that of a 15-year-old person years.
- Most dogs usually feel terrified when they hear thunder or firecrackers, because in addition to having a hearing capacity much greater than ours, they are unable to interpret that they do not pose a threat.
- Dogs' eyes glow at night because their retina has a layer called the “tapetum lucidum” that allows them to see better in the dark.
- All dogs dream, regardless of their age, so it is common for them to move or even make vocalizations while they are asleep. If you want to know more about whether Do dogs dream? do not hesitate to consult this other post that we suggest.
We leave you the following video on our site so you can learn even more curiosities about dogs.