26 Unbelievable Facts About Dogs

Did you know that dogs have been domesticated by humans since 12000 years? That’s longer than what sheep and cattle have been domesticated. Wasn’t this information totally alien to you? Read on for more of such interesting facts.

. In the below image, the name of the dog breed is Saluki. This breed is the oldest known dog breed.

. A puppy is not only born teeth-less but also deaf and blind. As their body develops, they gradually develop a sense of touch. The ‘touch’ is the very first sense that they develop.

. Dogs are the only mammals which have a huge variation in the size of their skulls and skeletons. For example, a pug’s skull and the skeleton are extremely different from that of an Alsatian, similarly with every other dog breed.

. The dog’s sense of hearing is so intense that it can track a sound in about 6/100ths of a second. Isn’t this simply incredible?

. If you thought that dogs had two regular eyelids, then you are wrong. They have three eyelids, the thirds eyelid is called the nictitating membrane. This membrane is responsible for lubricating and protecting the eye of the dog.

. The oldest dog till date is the Australian cattle dog named Bluey. It lived for as long as 29 years, 5 months old.

. The heaviest dog recorded till date is an American Mastiff, which was a mighty 343 pounds.

. The smallest dog recorded so far is the Yorkshire terrier which is 3.5 inches in length and only 4 ounces in weight.

. The nose print of every dog is different and unique. No dog’s nose print replicates any other dogs nose print.

. An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will.

. Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill.

.  The longer a dog’s nose, the more effective it’s the internal cooling system.

. To facilitate greater flexibility for running, a dog’s shoulder blades are unattached to the rest of the skeleton.

. Newfoundlands are great swimmers because of their webbed feet. While Basset Hounds cannot swim.

. Dogs suffer from a lot of diseases that affect humans too. Obesity is a major ailment for both. Another interesting fact is that only dogs and humans have a prostate.

. An elderly woman was saved by her 12 pound Yorkshire Terrier who fought off an 80 pound Akita and survived with only 9 stitches.

. Nearly all dogs have pink tongues. The Chow Chow and the Shar-Pei are some of the breeds with black tongues. While the Basenji is the only ‘bark-less’ dog in the world.

. Dogs with little human contact in the first three months typically don’t make good pets.

. Average body temperature for a dog is 101.2 degrees.

. Many foot disorders in dogs are simply an issue of long toenails.

. Female dogs are only ready to mate – “in heat” – twice a year for a total of roughly 20 days.

. The phrase “raining cats and dogs” originated in 17th century England when it is believed that many cats and dogs drowned during heavy periods of rain.

. Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull which closes with age.

. It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.

. You can lower your blood pressure just by petting your pup!

. If you leave your dog a piece of clothing that smells like you, the scent will comfort them and it can help curb their separation anxiety