10 little-known facts about dogs
Dogs and humans have been living together for around 15,000 years but how well do you know your canine friend? Here are some fun facts about man’s best friend.
1. Dogs are as intelligent as two-year-old children, according to a study by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. They found dogs were capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and do simple maths calculations.
2. It’s a myth that dogs are colour blind. They can see colour but not as vividly as humans do. They only have two cones in their eyes to detect colours, whereas us humans have three.
3. Our pooches’ only sweat glands are between the pads of their feet. They cool down by, you guessed it, panting.
4. The wetness of a dog’s nose is essential to them as it helps to absorb scent chemicals.
5. The nose print of dogs are unique to that dog, just like fingerprints are to humans.
6. Ever wondered why frightened dogs put their tails between their legs? It’s because it blocks their personal scent glands in the downstairs region so other dogs can’t identify them.
7. Dogs can smell disease, according to research at the Schillerhohe Hospital in Germany. They found that dogs could recognise the smell of a range of organic compounds that show the human body isn’t working as it should. Scientist are exploring further but have so far found dogs that have detected cancer, diabetes and the early signs of an epileptic seizure in people.
8. The shoulder blades of your canine friend are unattached to the rest of the skeleton to allow greater flexibility for running.
9. The average dog can run about 19 miles per hour. Greyhounds are the fastest dogs in the world and can run at speeds of 45 miles per hour.
10. We might not like the smell of their urine but dogs can tell by the remaining scent whether the dog is male or female, old or young, sick or healthy and happy or angry.
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