Fur-babies, pups, doggos–whatever you call them, there’s no denying the fact that dogs have firmly established themselves as man’s best friend. With their unwavering loyalty, wagging tails and diverse appearances and personalities, dogs have always been a subject of fascination and delight for humans. Whether you’re a seasoned dog owner or simply like to admire them from afar, here are eight facts about dogs that are sure to make you appreciate canines even more.
8 Delightful Dog Facts:
1. Dogs have been man’s best friend for tens of thousands of years.
Genetic evidence indicates that the first domestication of dogs occurred in Northern Eurasia between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago. Modern dogs likely descended from an extinct branch of wolves that branched off from modern wolves 30-40 millenia ago. These wolves were able to facilitate their own domestication by feeding on what was left behind of game animals hunted by early nomadic humans. Over time, these wolves would have been naturally selected for lower aggression and better compatibility with human lifestyles, culminating in the dogs we know and love today! (source)
2. Dogs can smell thousands of times better than humans.
Have you ever returned from a day out only for your dog to sniff you voraciously the second you walk through the door? Smell is a primary means by which dogs communicate, and they can tell a lot just from the lingering odors left behind on your clothing! This is because dogs have more than 100 million sensory receptors, whereas humans have only 6 million. Their sense memory is also so good they can identify dogs they haven’t seen in years and even remember which of them was the more dominant one in the interaction.
Dogs’ noses are even sensitive enough that they can smell emotions like fear and anxiety by the subtle chemicals extracted through the skin! (source)
3. Dogs sweat through their paws.
It’s a well known dog fact that they pant to cool down, but did you know dogs have sweat glands too?
While it’s a common misconception that dogs don’t sweat, they do have a few places on their body that produce sweat. However, the thick fur on other parts of their body would prevent the sweat from evaporating, which is the reason most of their sweat glands are located on their nose and paws. To make up for this lack of sweat, dogs primarily pant to keep cool. When they breath air quickly over the wet surfaces in the mouth and lungs, the dog accelerates evaporative cooling in a similar way a breeze across a person’s sweaty skin speeds up cooling in humans. How’s that for a cool fact about dogs? (source)
4. Dogs’ ears are more than twice as sensitive as human ears.
While humans can’t hear sounds greater than 20,000 vibrations per second (20,000Hz), dogs can hear sounds up to 50,000Hz! That’s why dog whistles are imperceptible to most humans. The reason their ears are so much more sensitive is due largely to the anatomy of their ears. Humans have only six muscles and have limited range of movement for their ears. Dogs, on the other hand, have 18 muscles. This greater dexterity combines with the dog’s longer ear canal to make for such sensitive hearing. (source)
5. Dogs are as smart as toddlers.
Research in recent years has given scientists reason to believe that dogs have the intellectual and emotional capacity of humans at 2.5 years old. Dogs can read human cues, display emotional connection to their loved ones, and even emote jealousy. Likely due to their evolution alongside humans, they’re believed to be better at understanding human emotions and feelings than our closest primate relatives, chimps! Some of the smartest dogs are even capable of learning hundreds of words and cues. (source)
6. Dogs find yawns contagious.
A 2020 study confirmed that dogs can “catch” yawns from humans and other dogs. Perhaps you’ve seen it happen yourself: you yawn, and then notice your dog watching you across the room follows suit.
The results of the study aren’t quite sure why this happens, though one theory hypothesized that contagious yawning may be a sign of empathy in animals. While the research doesn’t seem to back that up currently, it certainly indicates we have more in common with our furry friends than we realized! (source)
7. Their wet noses amplify their sense of smell.
Ever had a dog run up to sniff you and get your hand (or leg, or face) all wet? Turns out that moisture helps them do the job.
The moisture on their noses is a combination of sweat, mucus, and saliva that absorbs scent chemicals to help them smell better. Dogs will often lick their noses to sample these chemicals and present them to the olfactory glands on the roofs of their mouths, as well!
While a dry nose can sometimes indicate a problem, sometimes it’s nothing more than a sign that your dog has been napping and hasn’t given their snoot a lick in a while. (source)
8. Dogs align their bodies with the earth’s poles to relieve themselves.
For our final interesting fact about dogs, it turns out dogs are more sensitive than humans to the Earth’s magnetic field. A 2013 study revealed that dogs will usually prefer to align themselves with the north-south axis of the earth while pooping. Current research hasn’t shed much light into why this is, but over thousands of recorded bowel movements, it’s clear that dogs will avoid positioning themselves east to west under “calm magnetic field conditions.” (source)
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