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1) Dogs dont feel guilt

Your pet pooch may get jealous, but researchers found those puppy dog eyes are not a sign of guilt.
In fact they are just the way we interpret a dogs reaction to being scolded.
Alexandra Horowitz, from Barnard College in New York found all dogs looked guilty after being told
off for eating a forbidden treat like a biscuit - and those who were wrongly accused often looked more
guilty than those who really deserved to be in the dog house.
Maybe Denver didn't eat the kitty treats after all...

2) Dog urine can corrode metal


Apparently allowing your dog to wee on a lamp-post could be more dangerous than you think because the acids in the urine can corrode the metal.
In April 2003 Derbyshire County Council spent 75,000 carrying out a six month survey of one
million lamp-posts amid fears that dog wee was causing the bases to crumple. In the same year,
urinating dogs were blamed for a spate of lamp-posts collapsing in Croatia.
We dread to think what damage this mutt did to this Banksy mural in New York then.

Reuters

Not impressed: A dog urinates on a Banksy


3) Dogs can see in colour
It is a common myth that dogs can only see in black and white but they can actually see colours just not as vividly as humans.
They only have two cones in their eyes to detect colours, whereas humans have three. That means
dogs see colours on a blue and yellow scale but cannot distinguish between red and green. On the
other hand, they have better night vision than humans.

Suren Manvelyan

Vision: A husky dog's eye


4) Dogs can smell disease
If your canine chum is acting strange there might be nothing wrong with them - the problem could be
with you.
Research at the Schillerhohe Hospital in Germany found dogs have an incredible ability to recognise
the smell of a range of organic compounds that show the human body isnt working as it should.
That means your dog can actually diagnose your cancer, something scientists are eager to explore
further, as well as diabetes and the early signs of an epileptic seizure.

Getty

Life-saver: Medical detection dog Wendy with diabetic owner Cerys Davies, six

5) Dogs can be pretty smart


You might sometimes think your dog is as daft as a brush, but the truth is that they can actually be as
smart as a two year-old child, according to research presented to the American Psychological
Association.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, border collies are the cleverest canines, with some able to understand up to
200 words. The other breeds in the top five are poodles, German shepherds, golden retrievers and
dobermans.
Don't believe us? Just look at what Nana can do...

6) A wagging tail doesnt always mean they are happy


Tail wagging has its own language. Apparently dogs wag their tail to the right when theyre happy
and to the left when they are frightened. Wagging low means they are insecure and rapid movements
accompanied by tense muscles or dilated pupils can signal agression.
So every wagging tail tells its own story, if you know how to read the signs.

Getty Images

Tall tail: Wagging doesn't always mean a dog is happy


7) They really are hot dogs
Next time you see your pet pooch panting on a sunny day take pity on them. Not only are they
wearing a huge fur coat, they also have to contend with a higher body temperature than you.
The normal body temperature of a human is 37C, but a dogs is a whole degree higher at 38C.
Thats one reason fleas are more likely to be attracted to your dog than to you. And unlike humans,
dogs dont have sweat glands all over their body, just on the pads of their paws.

Getty Images

Hot dog: A German shepherd basks on the beach


8) Dogs have their own fingerprint
A dogs paw print may look pretty generic but their nose print is actually as unique as a human
fingerprint. Their combination of ridges and creases is so distinct it can actually be used to identify
them.
Good luck getting them to stick their nose in a pad of ink without sneezing though.

Unique: A dog's nose is like a human fingerprint

9) Dogs dream just like you


This wont come as a huge surprise to anyone who has watched their own dog twitching or
whimpering in their sleep. Dogs have the same brain wave patterns while they are asleep as
humans, so they dream just like we do.
But what is more surprising is the fact that not all dogs dream the same amount. Small dogs actually
have more dreams than big dogs. For example, a small dog such as a toy poodle may dream once
every 10 minutes, whereas a great dane may have around an hour between each dream.

10) Dogs can fall in love


They don't call it puppy love for nothing. The concept that dogs can fall in love was suggested by
anthropologist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Social Lives of Dogs, who believed two
dogs named Sundog and Bean were agonized star-crossed lovers kept apart because neither of
their owners wanted to give them up.
It may sound far fetched but Paul Zak, a professor at Claremont Graduate University in California,
found that a dogs brain releases oxytocin - the love hormone - when it interacts with humans and
dogs, just the same as a human brain does when we hug or kiss.

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There are hundreds of official dog breeds in the world and even more mixes and mutts than we can
count. Each dog has his own unique set of characteristics and personality. But one thing is certain these
loveable and wonderful companions are fascinating creatures.
Check out some of these interesting and far-out facts about dogs.
1. Is it a duckor a dog? The Newfoundland breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet. This
dog was bred to help haul nets for fishermen and rescuing people at risk of drowning.
2. It pays to be a lap dog. Three dogs (from First Class cabins!) survived the sinking of the Titanic two
Pomeranians and one Pekingese.
Source: Vetstreet
3. A Beatles hit. Its rumored that, at the end of the Beatles song, A Day in the Life, Paul McCartney
recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, just for his Shetland sheepdog.
Source: PBS
4. Wow, check out those choppers! Puppies have 28 teeth and normal adult dogs have 42.
Source: About.com
5. Chase that tail! Dogs chase their tails for a variety of reasons: curiosity, exercise, anxiety, predatory
instinct or, they might have fleas! If your dog is chasing his tail excessively, talk with your vet.
6. Seeing spots? Or not Dalmatian puppies are pure white when they are born and develop their
spots as they grow older.
Source: Vetstreet
7. Dogs do dream! Dogs and humans have the same type of slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye
movement (REM) and during this REM stage dogs can dream. The twitching and paw movements that
occur during their sleep are signs that your pet is dreaming
Source: Healthy Pet
8. No night vision goggles needed! Dogs eyes contain a special membrane, called the tapetum
lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark.
Source: Healthy Pet
9. Pitter patter. A large breed dogs resting heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute, and a
small dog breeds heart beats between 100-140. Comparatively, a resting human heart beats 60-100

times per minute.


Sources: About.com and Mayo Clinic
10. If your dogs acting funny, get out the umbrella! According to a Petside.com/Associated Press poll,
72% of dog owners believe their dog can detect when stormy weather is on the way.
11. Its not a feverA dogs normal temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. How
much do you know about dog health? Take our Doggy First Aid Quiz!
Source: Web MD
12. Is something wet? Unlike humans who sweat everywhere, dogs only sweat through the pads of their
feet.
Source: Healthy Pet
13. Heres looking at you. Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a
nictitating membrane or haw, which helps keep the eye moist and protected.
Source: Whole Dog Journal
14. Americans love dogs! 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 million homes
Source: American Pet Products Association
15. Move over Rover! 45% of dogs sleep in their owners bed (were pretty sure a large percentage also
hogs the blankets!)
Source: American Pet Products Association
16. Why are dogs noses so wet? Dogs noses secrete a thin layer of mucous that helps them absorb
scent. They then lick their noses to sample the scent through their mouth.
Source: Vetstreet
17. Yummy! Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. Humans have approximately 9,000 and cats have
around 473.
Source: Psychology Today
18. Watch that plate of cookies! A Dogs sense of smell is 10,000 100,000 times more acute as that of
humans.
Source: PBS
19. Its not so black and white. Its a myth that dogs only see in black and white. In fact, its believed that
dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray.
Source: About.com

20. Did you hear that? Sound frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). The higher the Hertz, the higherpitched the sound. Dogs hear best at 8,000 Hz, while humans hear best at around 2,000 Hz.
Source: Whole Dog Journal
21. Express yourself. Dogs ears are extremely expressive. Its no wonder! There are more than a dozen
separate muscles that control a dogs ear movements.
Source: Whole Dog Journal
22. Growing up. While the Chow Chow dogs are well known for their distinctive blue-black tongues,
theyre actually born with pink tongues. They turn blue-black at 8-10 weeks of age.
Source: Vetstreet
23. Why do they do that? When dogs kick after going to the bathroom, they are using the scent glands
on their paws to further mark their territory.
Source: Healthy Pet
24. No, its not just to make themselves look adorable. Dogs curl up in a ball when they sleep due to
an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and protect their abdomen and vital organs from predators.
Source: Vetstreet
25. Breathe easy. In addition to sweating through their paw pads, dogs pant to cool themselves off. A
panting dog can take 300-400 breaths (compared to his regular 30-40) with very little effort.
Source: Vetstreet

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