Interesting Dog Facts
1. Sink or swim. Three dogs from First Class cabins survived the sinking of the Titanic – one Pekingese and two Pomeranians.
2. Chasing their tails. Dogs chase their tails for a variety of reasons: curiosity, exercise, anxiety, predatory instinct or, they might have fleas! If your dog is chasing his tail excessively, talk with your vet.
3. Dreaming dogs! Dogs and humans have the same type of slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) and during this REM stage dogs can dream. The twitching and paw movements that occur during their sleep are signs that your pet is dreaming
4. Seeing in the dark. Dogs’ eyes contain a special membrane, called the tapetum lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark.
5. Pitter patter. A large breed dog’s resting heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute, and a small dog breed’s heart beats between 100-140. Comparatively, a resting human heart beats 60-100 times per minute.
6. It’s not a fever… A dog’s normal temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. How much do you know about dog health? Take a Doggy First Aid Quiz!
7. Is something wet? Unlike humans who sweat everywhere, dogs only sweat through the pads of their feet.
8. Here’s looking at you. Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” which helps keep the eye moist and protected.
9. Why are dogs’ noses so wet? Dogs’ noses secrete a thin layer of mucous that helps them absorb scent. They then lick their noses to sample the scent through their mouth.
10. Yummy! Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. Humans have approximately 9,000 and cats have around 473.
11. Watch that plate of cookies! A Dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 – 100,000 times more acute as that of humans.
12. It’s not so black and white. It’s a myth that dogs only see in black and white. In fact, it’s believed that dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray.
13. Did you hear that? Sound frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). The higher the Hertz, the higher-pitched the sound. Dogs hear best at 8,000 Hz, while humans hear best at around 2,000 Hz.
14. Express yourself. Dogs’ ears are extremely expressive. It’s no wonder! There are more than a dozen separate muscles that control a dog’s ear movements.