Strange (But Cool) Facts About Dogs

by Chris Boraas August 10, 2016

 

Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that they’re all weird in their own wonderful ways. Your pup definitely has his own unique personality… and depending on his breed, he might have some other quirky characteristics as well.

Every day on Twitter, we post the fascinating dog facts we stumble across while learning about our four-legged friends… and every day, we’re surprised by how much we learn. Here are 20 of our favorite strange but true dog facts:

1. The reason dogs curl up when they lie down is  because of an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and to protect their vital organs while they sleep.
2. Bloodhounds can trace scents that are 300 hours old. That’s almost two weeks!
3. It’s true: Dogs see better in the dark than humans do. You can still leave a night light on for your pup, though.
4. Most dogs are capable of recognizing around 150-250 words. Remind yours of that the next time she pretends not to understand “No.”
5. Actually, the average grown dog is as intelligent as a three-year-old child.
6. Greyhounds can run up to 45 mph. Needless to say, they are the fastest dogs on Earth. To put it in perspective, the average dog can run about 19 mph.
7. 58% of people with pets include them in their holiday card photos. Is it just us, or does that number seem low?
8. Dogs have no sense of time. This means they never know how long you’ve been gone, hence their excited greetings.
9. We love this one… Dachshunds were originally bred for fighting badgers.
10. Puppies will sleep for 90% of the day during their first few weeks of life.
11. Dogs’ sweat glands are between their paws. On a hot day, you may notice they have smelly “Frito feet.”
12. The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world. France comes in second.
13. Dogs have 13 blood types.
14. Your dog’s sense of smell is a whopping 10,000 times as strong as yours.
15. Cool fact: Humans and dogs are the only two species known to seek visual cues from others’ eyes. Cooler fact: Dogs only do it with humans.
16. Studies have shown that obedient dogs tend to live a little longer than their disobedient counterparts. All the more reason to convince your pup to behave!
17. On average, female dogs bite twice as often as males.
18. 12 dogs were on board the Titanic, and three of them survived: two Pomeranians and a Pekingese.
19. Walt Disney’s family dog was a Poodle named Lady.
20. Here’s an unsurprising fact: Dogs have feelings, too. Canines have been known to show agitated behavior when they see other dogs getting treats they aren’t getting.

Dogs are such wonderfully complex characters. No wonder we love them! 

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