21 Cool Facts About Dogs That Will Blow Your Mind Away

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Your loyal companion is your family so it’s only natural that you’d want to learn everything about them. And we bet some of the below interesting facts about your canine will blow your mind.

So, read on and lets us know which one fascinates you the most.

1. Dogs Can Count

Your dog may not balance your checkbook, but they can count and even do some simple subtraction and addition. Research shows that dogs, especially those in sporting and working groups, can count from one to five. And if you’re wondering, it’s possible to teach your canine to do simple arithmetic.

2. Dogs Get Jealous

This may not baffle you as a dog parent.

Your dog being jealous means they may see other pets as their rivals which is why they will compete for your attention and love. A recent study established without a doubt that dogs do feel envious.

Some of the behaviors that may show your pup is jealous include him trying to push other pets and persons away to get your attention. He may also growl at others or try to come between you and them. Sounds familiar?

3. Dogs Prefer To Poop Facing North

A recent study indicates that dogs can detect the earth’s magnetic fields and use this to align their bladder and bowel movements.  Most dogs will relieve themselves along a north-south axis and altogether avoid defecating in an east or west alignment.

4 . Your Dog’s Puppy Face Is No Coincidence

Yap, your dog, may be manipulating you with their wide-eyed face.

Dogs have over the years evolved a specific muscle for making those puppy dog eyes that always melt your heart. This muscle makes your canine look sadder or cuter in your eyes, making it impossible for you to say no- very impressive if you ask me.

5. Dogs Can Read Your Emotions

I am sure if you own a dog, this may not be news. Most dogs can tell when their owners are having a rough day.

A new study published in the learning and behavior journal found out that dogs can read human faces and match their vocal expression to understand their emotions.

6. Your Dog’s Personality Can Change With Time

A new study indicates that your dog’s personality is malleable.

Some of the factors that influence this personality change include a change in the dog owner’s personality, the dog’s age, and the quality of the human-dog relationship.

So, if you’re wondering why your pooch has recently changed from an outgoing to a reserved dog, maybe they are just mirroring a change in your personality.

7. Dogs Wag Their Tail Differently To Convey Different Messages

Wagging has different meanings depending on whether it’s on the left or right. When your dog wags their tail to the right, they convey negative emotions, while wagging their tails to the left indicates they have positive feelings.

While you may find it hard to understand what your pup is saying by observing their tail wag, other dogs can understand this language perfectly.

8. Your Dog Is Either Right Or Left-Pawed

This may amaze you, but canines can be left or right-pawed. The same way we show laterality, dogs do too since their brains are organized like ours. And although only 10 percent of humans are left-handed, there seem to be more dogs who are left pawed.

9. Dogs Can Tell Words Apart

If you thought that your dog’s ability to count was cool, you’ll be amazed to know that they can also differentiate between word intonations and meanings.

MRI studies on dogs have indicated that they recognize words by how they are said and the emotional tone used.

10. The Average Dog Knows 165 Words

You may sometimes wonder how many words your pet knows. Well, according to Dr. Stanley Coren, a canine intelligence expert, the average dog understands 165 words.

And get this, intelligent, or well-trained dogs can understand up to 250 words. That’s a lot of words if you ask me.

11. Dogs Only Sweat Through Their Paws

Unlike humans, who have millions of sweat glands, dogs have a few sweat glands located under their feet in their paw pads.

However, these sweat glands are too few, which is why dogs use their other cooling mechanisms such as panting and vasodilation to keep cool.

12. Meet Owney, The First Postal Mascot

Owney a terrier mix became the first unofficial postal mascot in 1888. The dog later became a nationwide mascot between 1888 and 1897 after the Albany New York mail experts recommended him.

And since train wrecks were very common in Owney’s times, the dog was considered a good luck charm by mailmen since no train he rode in was ever in a wreck.

13. You Can Now See How Neolithic Dogs Looked Like Thanks To Facial Reconstruction

The Neolithic dog was a collie-sized canine that lived some 4,500 years ago in Scotland. After finding one of the dog’s resting place, archeologists used his skull to reimagine the pup’s image. And it looks like this.

14. The Earliest Depiction Of Dogs Is Rock Art That Is 8000 Years Old

Rock art discovered in Saudi Arabia is the earliest indication of dogs’ domestication and their bond with humans.

The art shows people hunting with dogs that are on leashes. If the rock art dating is accurate, it is at least 8,000 years ago.

15. Gazing Into Your Dog’s Puppy Eyes Is Actually Good For Both Of You

Gazing into your pooch eyes gives both of you that warm fuzzy feeling that parents get when they look at their babies.

This is possible due to the release of the oxytocin hormone, which happens when you gaze into each other’s eyes. Oxytocin, also called the love hormone, is associated with the strengthening of social and trust bonds.

16. Your Canine’s Sense Of Smell Is Impressive

If you thought humans have a strong sense of smell, think again, dogs’ sense of smell is dazzling. For every scent receptor you have, your pup has 50.

According to scientists, a dog’s smell overpowers that of humans by 10,000 to 100,000 times. No wonder your dog can smell your emotions.

And if you’re wondering which the most impressive scent detecting dog is the top award goes to the bloodhound. That’s right. This breed has the most scent receptors at 300 million!

17. No Two Dog Noses Are The Same

Your puppy’s nose is like your fingerprint. It’s unique with its pattern, ridges, and creases, just like your fingerprint.

In fact, a dog’s nose pattern can be used for identification which is what some kennel clubs use to know the identity of lost dogs.

18. Owning A Dog Is Partly Influenced By Your Genetic Makeup

According to one study, your genes can affect your dog ownership choices. Therefore, being a dog person could actually be in your genes.

The British and Swedish scientists who conducted the study found out that genetic differences explain more than half of the dog ownership variations.

19. Just Like Humans, Dogs Rebel during Their Adolescent Years

If you thought your teenage son or daughter is the only one going through a rebellious phase, you might be wrong. Dogs too are more likely to rebel during their puberty years which are often between 6 and 9 months.  During this phase, they are harder to train and will most likely disobey orders. The good news is that your pup will eventually get over their rebellious teenage phase when they reach 12 months.

20. You Can Now Calculate Your Dog’s Years In Human Years

Researchers have developed a formula that allows dog owners to convert their dog years to human years.

The updated formula is given as human years= 16 In (dog’s age) +31

21. There Were Three Dog Survivors Of The Titanic

When the Titanic went down, at least nine dogs died. But there were canine survivors too. The survivors included Lady a Pomeranian, Sun Yat-Sen, a Pekingese, and another Pomeranian. All the three dog survivors had a few things in common, including that they were all tiny and not locked in their kennels.