10 Little Known Facts about Dogs

This is a sequal to my other topic on 20 Little Known Facts about Cats.  The list of 10 Little Known Facts about Dogs is below, but first I wanted to go over some interesting information about dogs in general and tell you a little bit about my current experiences.

A Man’s Best Friend

My family has just recently given home to a new family member.  His name is Jack and he’s a miniature poodle.  Right now he’s still just a puppy at 13 weeks old, and a little fire ball.  It’s amazing just how much energy these little fellers can harvest.  He’ll lounge around resting all day and then when it’s time to go to bed he’s roaring to go!  The poodle breed is actually one of the smartest breeds in the world, but like all dogs they take care and training.  We got him when he was only 6 weeks old, and from what I’ve read that is a little too young for this breed.  I think since he was separated from his Mother and Siblings so early, that he wasn’t given a chance to learn some do’s and don’ts.  But he’s a lot of fun and we’re glad to have him.

Anyway this new addition to our family got me to thinking.  Imagine that, right?  I wanted to give my readers some interesting information pertaining to dogs that you may find useful.  So here’s what my research has uncovered.

Some Interesting Information about Dogs

Dogs are one of the most widely domesticated animals in the world. They have become a loyal part of many families and can bring an uplift in spirit and give us company when we need it the most. The world is home to approximately 400,000,000 dogs.  This number is comprised of many different breeds all of which have some interesting traits and origins.  Let’s go over some of these breeds and a few facts surrounding them.

Dogs, like many animals, have become topics for many superstitions and traditions. One old superstition says that by swallowing the hair from a dog that has bitten you, it will protect you from infection.  This is probably where they old drinking saying, “Hair of the Dog that Bit You” comes from.

Certain breeds have even been bred for protection, rescue and even medical purposes. One such medical purpose has been to detect certain cancerous cells in the human body. They have been trained in the to sniff out breast and lung cancer.  Some may also detect several types of ovarian cancers.

Some types of dogs have been bred for the sole purpose of protecting their owners from different threats. The Doberman Pinscher, it was originally bred by a German tax collect by the name of Ludwig Dobermann (2 n’s).  He bred the dog for protecting him during his tax collecting journeys. Also the Dalmation was bred for the purpose of guarding horse drawn carriages.  They would trot along side the carriages waiting to take guard when their owner was away. Ever hear the term “lap dog”? They were originally bred to detract fleas from their owners.  The first dog bred for this was the Bichon Frise, this was in the Middle Ages.

Some breeds of dog can reach staggering proportions, and some may have very long life spans. There was an English Mastiff named Zorba who was 8’3″ long, 37″ tall at the shoulders and weighed 343 pounds. This is about the size of a large donkey. One of the oldest living dogs was a wire-haired Dachshund named Chanel.  This dog lived to be 21 years old, dying in 2010.

10 Little Known Facts about Dogs

1. The British Isles is home to many breeds.  Such as Retrievers, Setters, Collies, Terriers, Spaniels and Corgis.
2. A breed known as Basenjis actually yodels instead of barking.  They are also known as the “barkless” dogs.
3. The largest bones in any dog are found in the basset hound. Basset is from a French word “bas” meaning “low”.
4. The name Corgi is a Welch word, meaning “dwarf dog”.
5. The Ibizan hounds are believed to be descendants from dogs bred in Egypt in 3400 BC.
6. The top two dogs most likely to bite are the German Shepherd and the Chow Chow.
7. The mouth of a Golden Retriever’s mouth is so soft they can actually pick up three raw eggs in it without breaking them.
8. Some believe the Dalmation originated in Dalmatia, there is actually no proof to support this.
9. A good 30% of all Dalmations suffer from either partial or total hearing loss.
10. Other breeds with a high chance of hearing loss are Boxers, Bull Terriers, Great Danes and Poodles.

Of course I realize that not everyone is a dog lover.  But usually during everyone’s life at one time or another a pet has drifted into it.  For those of you that are cat lovers, check out my topic on 20 Little Known Facts about Cats.