Dogs! How could you not love these furry, loyal, smart and funny creatures? Many people consider their dog as a member of the family. Some people go as far as leaving their four-legged friends vast sums of money in their will. These facts about dogs set out to answer the question, ‘Why is the dog considered man’s best friend?”. Dogs can provide calmness in times of stress and they can be taught to help assist people with many different disabilities, both physical and mental. The unconditional love you can get from your dog and the bond you form can be like no other friendship. Why have humans forged such a special bond with dogs? And when did it start? Our first bullet on the list of dog facts below can answer that!
5 Fantastic Dog Facts:
- The domestication of dogs occurred in northern Eurasia between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago. (source) Wolves likely started their own domestication by trailing nomadic people and eating the remains of game animals that hunters left behind.
- Dogs can smell thousands of times better than humans.(source) They have more than 100 million sensory receptors compared to 6 million in humans. They also have a great scent memory. So much so they can identify other dogs they haven’t seen in years.
- Dogs can sweat through their paws. (source) A common misconception is that dogs don’t sweat. Dogs actually do have sweat glands but most of them are located on their paws as their fur prevents the sweat from evaporating. Dogs cool off by panting. When they breath air quickly over the wet surfaces in the mouth and lungs, the dog’s accelerates evaporative cooling in a similar way a breeze across a person’s sweaty skin speeds up cooling in humans.
- Dogs can hear sounds up to 50,000 vibrations per second (50,000Hz) while humans can only hear up to 20,000. (source) The shape of the dogs ear also assists them to funnel sound. Dog ears can focus in on a sound and hear it more accurately from farther away.
- Psychologists and dog researchers alike believe average dog intelligence to be on the same level of a 2.5 year old. (source) They can read human cues, display emotional connection to their loved ones, and even emote jealousy. Some of the smartest dogs are capable of learning hundreds of words.
