Doggy Facts 101

We love dogs. They are the most highly valued and most commonly owned pet that we humans keep. They are lovable and they do the cutest things. Most of us consider them a part of our family. Along with the love and companionship they provide, they often perform a service for us or for others. You probably know all of this already. Some of the following Doggy Facts 101 may be new to you.

In honor of our close relationship with the many dogs who have made our lives better through the years, here are some interesting doggy facts we want to share.

Very Basic Details of Doggy Facts 101

• When taking home a dog, we make our selection from over 150 breeds. It is best to choose the breed that is most suitable for your lifestyle.  All breeds are lovable but not all of them will fit in with a specific family.
• Dogs were the first animal to be domesticated. Initially, they were used to make our lives easier and then became our loving companions.
  
• With the many dog breeds from which to choose, we find many different shapes, colors, sizes, temperaments, and innate skillsets represented.
• When adopting a canine, you should consider their age. It is best to adopt puppies that are not younger than 2 months old. That being said, many older dogs have made great additions to the adopting family as well.
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• Labrador Retrievers are the most favored canine companion in the United States followed closely by Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Beagles, and  Dachshunds.

  A Few Very Unique Physical Details Found In Doggy Facts 101

• Are you a runner who wants to challenge yourself? Well, maybe the best breed for you is the Greyhound. This is the fastest breed and can run up to 45 miles per hour. Let’s see if you can win a race with one.
• Not all dogs have a pink tongue. Some have black or blue-black tongues like the Chow-chow and Shar-Pei. The tongue may be black or blue and solid or spotted with pink. This is a Chow.
• Are you familiar with the Basenji breed? Basenji is one of the hunting breeds. They have been hailed as the “Barkless” dog. This is associated with their differently shaped larynx.

  

  • A dog’s haircut, like in Poodles, is not just to enhance their beauty. It is to increase their swimming abilities. Docking ears and tails are done to make it easier for the dogs to live up to their breed standards based on jobs assigned to them in the past.

     

    

    Dogs are very helpful to humans, especially in times of crisis. They can be trained to find and detect the exact location of a buried person even in a collapsed building because of their strong sense of smell.

• • Bloodhounds are well known for their ability to track animals, drugs, and people either dead or alive.
  • There are several kinds of services for which dogs can be trained to help humans.https://excellentdogsclub.com/?s=service+dogsSocial

  • Doggy Facts 101 of A Social Nature

  • Most of the U.S. Presidents have owned at least one dog.
  • Are you thinking of a name for your new pet? The most popular names for dogs are Max, Duke and Bella. The three are almost always in the top 100.
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  • This is our grandchildren’s Bella! seen above!
    
  • Dogs can communicate and interact with humans. They can learn to understand hundreds of words. Teach them while they are still puppies. They are capable of understanding more than one language.
    
  • Like kids, dogs love to play hide and seek. It may be their favorite game of all time. They also love to play tug of war.
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  • There are insurance companies that offer policies for your dogs, especially for particularly expensive breeds. Some insurance companies will not cover your home if you own certain breeds that they consider high risk for biting. Some condos and apartments will not allow those dogs on their property.
    

  • Biologic Details of Interest

  • A Saint Bernard, named Barry, lived in the Swiss Alps in the early 1800s. He is one of history’s most famous dogs because he saved many people during his life. Barry was a hero and the foundation for an entire breed of dogs. The original St. Bernard had a smooth coat (short hair) and later the breed added a rough coat (long hair) version to the breed.
    This is a short-coated (Smooth) Saint Bernard the day she won her Championship title. The smooth coat is a dominant trait.
  • This is a long-coated (Rough) Saint Bernard. The rough coat is a recessive trait.
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  • A dog’s color vision is not the same as ours.  This is because they only have 2 cone cells in their retina, yellow and blue. But, it doesn’t mean that they can’t see other colors like red and green. They simply can’t distinguish between what is red and what is green.
  • Have you ever wondered how many teeth your dog has? Well, your adult dog has 42 permanent teeth and 28 baby teeth. Yes, they also have baby teeth. Like us, their baby teeth serve as a guide to their permanent teeth. 

• Here is another article you might enjoy. https://happymutt.org/why-was-the-labradoodle-created/

Do you have any interesting facts that you would like to share with us about our four-legged best friend? If so, please share them with us!

Photos Courtesy of my photo album and Pixabay,