Canine Facts of innate and learned behavior of the pure bred and mixed breed canine.
Domestic dogs still carry primordial instincts including an intrinsic love for roaming through forests.
Dogs show affection in a variety of ways. They may wag their tails, follow you around, sit on or near you, or offer you their favorite toys. Or they may just look at you.
Dogs pant to cool down but also to communicate anxiety and pain.
The Collie became popular after Queen Victoria of England championed the breed in the 1800’s.
American Staffordshire Terriers are strong and confident, but also sweet, placid, and good with children.
The pads on dog’s paws have a layer of fatty tissue that protects their paws when they walk on cold ground.
Newfoundlands are massive dogs with kind and goofy spirits.
A Samoyed’s thick fluffy coat protects against temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees F.
Dog tails have their own language. A dog’s tail can tell you a lot about how they are feeling. A wagging tail doesn’t always indicate a happy dog. A loose wag from side to side means the dog feels relaxed and content. More fervent wagging with hip movements means the dog is happy or saying hello to a loved one. If the tail is straight up, it’s a sign of confidence or aggression; down and curled between the legs usually means fear or submission.
Afghan Hounds often don a snood just before mealtime in order to keep their silky ears out of the food bowl.
Canines have three sets of eyelids. The third, the nictatating membrance, protects the eye and produces tears.
Basenjis don’t bark. They are known as Africa’s Barkless Dog. But, they can yodel, whine, and even scream.
Having two different colored eyes ia a relatively common occurrence in the Alaskan Malamute.
Dogs have about 300 million scent receptors in their noses; humans have only 6 million.
The sound of a human yawn can trigger one from your dog. And it’s four times as likely to happen when it’s the yawn of a person he knows.
Dogs munch on grass for a variety of reasons ― one being that, as omnivores, they simply crave plants.
The Cirneco dell’Etna, named after the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna, is one of the world’s oldest dog breeds.
Australian Cattle Dogs were crossbred from blue merle Collies and tamed Dingoes.
The Saint Bernard was developed over several centuries by hospice monks in the Alps.
The practice of cropping Doberman ears originated with safety. Floppy ears are an easy target for other animals.
Dogs curl up in a ball when sleeping to protect their organs—a hold over from their days in the wild, when they were vulnerable to predator attacks.
A dog’s nose is a miraculous gift capable of detecting conditions like Diabetes and some types of cancer.
Dogs’ noses can sense heat/thermal radiation, which explains why blind or deaf dogs can still hunt.
Border Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds are considered to be among the smartest breeds of dog. To be placed in the top tier of intelligence, breeds must understand a new command after only five repetitions and follow the first command given to them 95 % of the time.
Dalmations are skilled coach dogs and would run alongside carriages before the days of cars. Later, they ran behind fire trucks: now they have a place of honor in the front seat.
Corgis are great at herding cattle. The Welsh used these short dogs as herders as early as the 10th century. There were no fences in those days and pastures were considered common land. In order to keep a farmer’s cattle together and separated from other herds, corgis would nip at their legs to herd them. Because of their closeness to the ground, corgis had easy access to the cows’ ankles and were difficult targets of any retaliatory kicks.
It is very rare, but puppies can be born green. This can happen if a green bile, called, biliverdin, the same pigment that causes bruises to turn green, comes in contact with light colored fur in the dog’s womb. It temporarily dyes the the puppy fur green but after birth, the fur goes back to the original ― and ― intended color ― that it should be!
Dogs are not colorblind. They can see blue and yellow.
Unbaked yeast dough can be deadly to dogs (and cats).
Greyhounds are the fastest dog breed. Although a cheetah can get up to almost 70mph, they can only keep this going for about 30 seconds. Greyhounds, on the other hand, could easily run at speeds in excess of 35mph for seven miles. So despite a cheetah’s head start, the greyhound could easily take the lead.
A high number of dogs in the U.S. have been named primary beneficiary in their owner’s wills.
A bloodhound’s sense of smell is the strongest among any dog breed. The sense of smell is so strong and impressive that it’s admissible as evidence in a court of law.
There’s a dog breed with six toes called the Norwegian Lundehund. Lundehund translates to puffin dog. In addition to their six toes with extra pads on each foot, these special dogs have an elastic neck, and the abilty to fold their ears closed. Norwegian Lundehund are hunters and their physical characteristics are helpful while climbing the jagged, slippery rocks where puffins like to make their homes.
Most times, when dogs bow, it is a signal that they want to play. When a dog crouches forward with its elbows on the ground and its rear end in the air and wagging its tail, it is most commonly referred to as the “play bow” and best expresses how they’re feeling. It is a common body language gesture dogs use to communicate. This is the ultimate sign of playfulness.
