11 Amazing DOG FACTS You Have Never Heard Before

Dogs are surrounded by so many hidden traits that are perhaps unknown to even the biggest dog loyalists. Below mentioned are amusing dog facts, some of which will heighten respect for man’s best friend and others will leave you curious to know more!

1. Oh yes, your dog can get jealous:

   According to a study conducted by Californian scientists dogs can experience jealousy. The experiment was conducted on 36 dogs belonging to fourteen different breeds. In this the dog parents were made to ignore their pets. Post this, reactions of these dogs were assessed and it was seen that all canines were unaffected by their owners’ dismissal. Later the pet-parents were made to shower love on a stuffed dog. After this the pooches were seen growling and snapping and their behavior clearly depicted jealousy.

   Video: dog jealous of stuffed dog https://boingboing.net/

2. Dogs have awareness about time: A study published in applied Animal behavior Science talks about how when dogs are left alone for a very long time greet their owners more intensely upon being united. Canines can sense how much time has gone by. Dogs can also follow a set routine of walking and meal time. They have an awareness of their masters’ daily regimen as well.
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Dogs are not color blind:

   Dogs can see colors, however in a limited way vis-a-vis humans. They can see beyond black & white. Dogs have two cones in the eyes that help them identify colors on a blue and yellow scale but not red & green. Cones are cells that catch light entering the eyes and detect color wavelengths. (top image credit – allcuteallthetime.com)

4. Dogs can pick up on your feelings:

   Your pet is capable of knowing what you feel like at a given point by smelling the changes in your scent.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Your pup will get to know when you are feeling nervous by picking up the smell in your perspiration. http://mentalfloss.com/

5. Canines can sniff out illnesses:

   To be able to smell a disease can be a life saver for the person suffering from it. Your dog might act strangely around a family member who perhaps is not even aware of a medical condition that has surfaced in him/her. It has been seen that dogs can detect cancer, diabetes, and symptoms of an impending epileptic seizure. Dogs also get to know if their human mom is expecting a baby.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Every dog has a unique nose print, just like finger prints in humans. Research at the Schillerhohe Hospital in Germany concluded that canines can smell a range of organic compounds that depict the human body isn’t functioning normally, the way it should be. Image-www.telegraph.co.uk

6. Dogs too have dreams:

   Ever noticed your dog trembling or moaning in its sleep? It is nothing but a response to a dream. Dogs dream just the way humans do due to same electrical sequences and similar brain wave patterns experienced during sleep. In my personal opinion, most dogs would be dreaming about Meaty Treats

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   A recent research also suggests that animals less intelligent & simpler than dogs dream too. Image: nextgendog.com/

7. Dogs can fall in love:

   Professor at Claremont Graduate University in California Mr. Paul Zak found out that canine-brain releases oxytocin when it interacts with other humans and dogs. Oxytocin is also known as the love/bonding hormone. This hormone surges in the brains of humans when they hug someone or look into their children’s eyes. This physiological response is seen as strengthening the bond between mothers & their babies and gives rise to motherly instincts and caring.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   The concept that dogs can fall in love was proposed by anthropologist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Social Lives of Dogs.  Image –
   
   www.theodysseyonline.com/

8. Canines have their own unique nose-print:

   Just as humans have their unique fingerprint, in canine world it is the crinkles and elevations on the nose that are quite different in each dog. In fact this combination of lines/creases in the nose is so distinctly different for each pooch that it can be easily used to identify/refer to a particular canine. 

9. A dog’s intelligence can be compared to a two year old child:

   Research shows canines are as smart as a two year old human child and are able to comprehend the same number of words and gestures. Border Collies are regarded as the cleverest breed with their ability to understand close to 250 words. Poodles, German shepherds, Golden retrievers and Dobermans are among the top five intelligent dogs’ behind border collies. Dogs are able to feel and communicate emotions such as excitement & joy, shyness, doubt, jealousy, sorrow, disgust, anger, fear, contentment, love and affection, similar to that communicated by a two and a half year old child.
   
   
   Furthermore a study by Blue Pearl veterinary Partners’ Michigan hospitals indicates that a dog’s level of mental cognition is same as that of a human child aged between three to five years.

10.Dog piss can damage metal:

Acids found in dog urine can corrode metal. So the next time your dog sets his position to pee on a lamp post beware the lamp post might eventually collapse with your dog regularly urinating at the same spot!

In the year 2003 dog urine was projected as the main culprit responsible for the collapse of very many lamp posts in Croatia. Image -thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com/

11. Dogs’ use their whiskers to see in dark:

    Whiskers are long coarse hair rising from your dog’s muzzle, jaw and above the eyes. The hair follicles at the base are loaded with nerves that carry sensory messages to the canine brain. These whiskers act as receptors by responding to external stimuli and transmitting signals to sensory nerves.

    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Dog Whiskers easily pick up minute changes in air currents and convey to the dog information regarding the size, shape and speed of near by objects, thus helping it to clearly see in the dark. The ability to sense vibrations in the air also helps a pooch to stay away from possible danger. Image: https://www.psychologytoday.com

These facts are a little window into the amazing world of canines. Dog truly is more than just an intelligent creature and doesn’t stop to amuse us with all its known or lesser known abilities.

Article Resource – https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/dog-facts-10-amazing-things-3908754