Lesser-Known Facts About Dogs and Puppies: Unique Insights into Canine Behavior

Dogs and humans have been companions for thousands of years. You can have some references to dogs in ancient writings and literature. Puppy is a French word, and there are about 900 million dogs worldwide. Interestingly, US households have more dogs than children. There are many unknown and surprising facts for dog lovers, kids, and internet surfers. These lesser-known facts reveal pets’ biological traits, cognitive abilities, intelligence, and emotions. This blog highlights the “Top 11 facts about dogs for pet lovers.”

1. Dogs Are Man’s Best Friends

According to an NYC post, owning a dog can help you live longer. That is why dogs are man’s best friends. Facts show that pets’ presence helps their owners boost their health. The finding of this post shows that pet ownership increases physical activity and reduces cardiovascular risks. Moreover, dog owners are least likely to develop the risk of premature death.

2. Dogs Can Eat Cakes

According to PDSA, a veterinary charitable organization for pets, your four-legged companion can eat dog cakes occasionally. But a dog’s portion of cake should be much smaller in size than the human’s portion. It should be 30kcal for a pet who weighs less than 10kg. If your dog weighs more than 10kg, feed it around 60kcal. Don’t feed them cakes every day! Your pet needs six times smaller cake portions than yours.

3. The Ancient Indians Saw Dogs as God-like!

According to rich Hindu mythology, dogs are sacred. They have a symbolic place in our lives. We often associate dogs with Bhairava, a fierce form of Lord Shiva. It is common to see a black dog following Bhairava as his companion. Yama, the god of death, is also linked with dogs. Yama owns two four-eyed hounds who regularly guard the entry points of the afterlife. Dogs are the symbol of dharma and devotion. This assertion relates to a loyal dog who followed Samraat Yudhishthira to heaven in the Mahabharata.

It seems weird, but dogs are divine messengers. The Rigveda has the same mention in its texts. Nowadays, a large number of the Hindu population feed stray dogs as an act of compassion. This kind act fetches good karma and satisfies the gods.

4. Dogs Can Smell Time

In the list of surprising facts about dogs and puppies, dogs’ ability to smell time comes as a surprise. Born with an exceptional sense of smell, dogs can actually perceive time. Compared to human beings, their noses are at least 40x more sensitive. A study on dogs’ behavior by cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz shows the canine has the ability to detect the passage of time. They can intelligently do this by sensing a change in smells. Their ability to anticipate events makes them smart.

5. Dogs Can Experience Jealousy

Unknown dog behaviors explained by pet experts and vets show that your canine friend can feel jealous. Many dog owners believe their pets get jealous, and science backs this up. A 2014 study published in PLOS ONE found that dogs showed jealous behaviors when their owners interacted with a fake dog. They tried to get their owner’s attention or even pushed the object aside.

6. Dogs’ Tails Communicate More Than Just Happiness

Most people assume a wagging tail means a happy dog, but the direction of the wag matters. A study from Current Biology found that when dogs wag their tails to the right, it indicates positive emotions, while a leftward wag may indicate stress or anxiety.

7. Dogs Have Individual Fingerprints—On Their Noses

Just like human fingerprints, a dog’s nose print is unique. No two dogs have the same ridges and patterns, making it a potential biometric marker for canine identification. According to a study by PubMed Central on the canine nose pattern, dogs’ nose pattern remains invariant through the passage of time. In addition, every dog has its own unique nose pattern.

8. Dogs Use Earth’s Magnetic Field to Poop

A study in Frontiers in Zoology shows dogs can align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field. The research suggests they prefer a north-south axis, though scientists are still determining why.

9. Dogs Can Understand Up to 250 Words

A dog can learn about 165 words, as per a study by Dr. Stanley Coren. But it applies only to highly intelligent breeds. For example, the Border Collies breed has the ability to understand 250+ words and gestures.

10. Dogs Recognize Faces on Screens

While most animals ignore screens, a study in Animal Cognition found that dogs can identify their owner’s face on video calls or TV screens, though they rely more on sound and smell.

11. Dogs Display Human-like Emotions

Dogs and their owners have an intense emotional bonding. As per a 2023 survey by the American Kennel Club (AKC) on pet behaviour, 68% of canine owners agree that their dogs display human-like sentiments.

Conclusion

These less-explored facts about dogs help pet owners better appreciate their canine friends’ care even better.

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