Top 10 Secrets Most Dog Lovers Don’t Know About Dogs!
Luv Pup scoured the web, resourced rescues, and spoke with the top experts to come up with our list of 10 things Most Dog Lovers Don’t Know About Dogs! How many of them did you already know?
- Why do dogs curl up when they lie down to sleep? : Dogs don't curl up to sleep, just to look cute, or even to just stay warm… The act of curling up to sleep is a trait that has been passed down from our fur baby’s primal ancestors. They do this to protect their vital organs from predators that may come along during their rest.
- In what direction does your dog poop? Everyone knows that dogs have a keen sense of smell, and can sense other things, but did you know that they are sensitive to Earth’s magnetic fields? Dogs tend to align themselves along the north/south axis for their bio breaks, and will avoid pooping in the east/west directions.
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Why do dogs have wet noses? It’s common for humans to put a strong importance on their sense of sight. We rely heavily on interpreting things through our vision. Likewise, canines have an equivalent dependence on their sense of smell and their physiology is set up to support this. Dogs have 100 million olfactory receptors compared to only six million in humans. In addition to the scent receptors that we have in our sinus cavities, our furry friends have an additional olfactory organ called Jacobsen’s organ that opens into the roofs of their mouths and increases their ability to smell. In fact, it is estimated that a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than ours. Now, you can understand that a dog licks its nose to transfer scent particles from mucus on its nose to the Jacobsen’s organ to better identify a smell.
The wetness and temperature of a dog’s nose is no indication of health or sickness. Dogs who just woke up will often have a dry nose because they haven’t licked it yet. A dog’s nose can frequently go from wet to dry within a short period of time, so don’t panic if you feel a dry nose. It’s best to pay attention to other more reliable signs if you could think something might be wrong.
Beagles, German Shepherds and Dachshunds have the strongest smell - not stinkiest.
- Why do dogs have whiskers? Dogs are known for their great sense of smell and hearing but vision is not their strong suit. Their whiskers (or vibrissae) are actually specially tuned sensory equipment that give dogs a sort of night vision! The follicles at the base of the whiskers are dense with nerve-endings, similar to our fingertips, and they send sensory messages to the dog's brain. Whiskers are extremely sensitive to touch, or air movement and help your dog to navigate their surroundings, even in the dark!
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Superpower? Can Read Body Language better than you and i - service dogs - seizure dogs. They are being trained to sniff out lung, breast, skin, bladder, and prostate cancers. Researchers believe they are picking up scents given off by abnormal cells. They also seem to be able to smell diabetes, ovulation, and even high blood pressure! Their sense of smell is so sharp that it could be considered a superpower – or mistaken for psychic ability!
Can sense Earthquakes, Storms, Illness (cancer, diabetes) If a dog is sniffing a particular area on the owner’s body obsessively, a trip to the doctor should be in order. Seizures, Labor
- Doesn’t taste so bad… to them! While we have 10,000 tastebuds adorning our tongues, our L-word lickin’ labs only have 1500
- Fri-toes - pups version of smelly feet! Many people think dogs do not sweat - only pant. Not true, but they only sweat from feet and nose and develop a yeast-like smell from bacteria. Sweating through their feet isn’t to cool down, it is believed it is to help them not slip on surfaces by adding a moisture to what would be dry pads.
- Separation anxiety - leave a piece of clothing with your scent, and turn on some classical music to help keep them calm
- Chick Magnet! Do you know why most dating sites recommend men post a picture outdoors, with their pets? Men are 3 times more likely to get a woman’s phone number if he has a dog with him!
- Puppies are born not quite fully developed - short gestation period, eyes and ears closed for few weeks - why so important to not wean a dog too early - why dalmatians are born without spots
- Twins are rare, Multiple dads, not so much! First confirmed Identical twins in 2016, South Africa - genetically identical from sharing the same placenta
- Oh, but you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Unlike humans, dogs aren’t set in their ways as they grow older. Canines can always learn something new and older dogs are sometimes easier to train than younger pups because they’re able to focus for a longer period of time. However, younger animals have increased coordination and greater amounts of energy.
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