Okay, we just couldn’t resist doing a post on some fun factoids about pups and dogs. It’s like not being able to tear yourself away from those cat videos.
Here are our top fun facts about canines.
Words
Have you ever wondered if your pup really understands some words or if they’re just faking it `til they make it? Dogs have the capacity to learn up to a thousand words and Chaser is here to prove it.
Psychology professor John Pilley taught his Border collie mix, Chaser, over a 1,000 words which was demonstrated on a 60 Minutes report. What’s the secret? Make it a game!
A Beatles Legacy
In the song “A Day in the Life”, Sir Paul McCartney recorded a high pitched whistle that only dogs can hear which delighted his Shetland sheepdog.
On Duty
Have you noticed how service dogs seem to understand when they’re on duty and when they aren’t? These dogs are trained to know the difference – when the harness is on, it’s all business.
Getting Busy
We wondered how owners cleaned up after their Seeing Eye dogs. Turns out they are trained to go on command. Males are also trained to pee leaning forward rather than lifting their legs.
Prosthetics Rock
There’s a dog in Colorado who lost all of his legs to frostbite but he’s still motoring thanks to prosthetics.
A Wet Nose
There is actually several reasons why your dog’s nose may be wet. But one reason may be that your dog is releasing heat and trying to cool down. Dogs sweat by secreting moisture from their paws and their nose.
Toothless Wonders
When puppies are born they are totally toothless. Just like humans!
And Senseless Too!
Unlike humans, pups can neither hear nor smell following birth. Their sense of smell develops after about three weeks.
And as for their sight? Gotta wait almost two weeks to see those little orbs.
The Nose Knows
A pup’s nose print is totally individual to him just like fingerprints are to humans and their sense of smell is as much as 100 times greater than ours!
Teeth
What is it about smiling at a pup that gets them riled up? Puppies can take the sight of teeth as an aggressive move.
Speaking of canine choppers, a pup’s teeth grow through chewing. They may try to use your favorite slippers as a chew toy but just replace them with a toy they can chew on. If your pup starts to gnaw on wood like table legs, pick up some Bitter Apple and spray it where they like to chew. Its bitterness will deter them from chewing and help train them not to chew on wood or any other surface.
More Than Humans
This fact is quite amazing: There are approximately 4 million babies born in America each year. Know how many puppies are born in the same time frame? 6.2 million!
It’s Naptime
Just like a newborn baby, puppies sleep as much as 14 hours a day after birth.
They Need Their Mates
Since pups have just spent 60 days in utero with litter mates, they adore being with their sibs so they’ll need lots of time from you when they come home to a new environment.
There you have it! Fun facts on dogs and puppies.
Reference link: http://barkpost.com/fascinating-facts-about-dogs/
Image Credit: istockphoto.com