Dog Fun Facts
1. Dogs are the most popular pet on the planet! A third of ALL households around the world have a dog. These playful, friendly, loyal animals make great companions, but they can also be fierce and tough protectors, or intelligent helpers.
2. They evolved from a now-extinct species of wolf.
Dogs were the first animal domesticated (tamed) by humans, over 20,000 years ago! As they evolved from wolves their skulls, teeth and paws shrank, and they became more docile and obedient.
FUN FACT!
Evidence from fossils suggests that five types of dog had evolved by the Bronze Age, around 4500BC. These were mastiffs, wolf-type dogs, dogs similar to greyhounds, pointing dogs and herding dogs.
3. Dog noses are at least 40x more sensitive than ours!
These clever canines have an incredible sense of smell – allowing them to follow scent trails days after they were left. Amazingly, bloodhounds‘ sense of smell is so spot on that it can be used as evidence in court!
4. WEIRD BUT TRUE!
Some working dogs are trained to use their super senses to sniff out explosives and illegal goods, or alert humans to potentially dangerous health issues. Wow!
5. They only sweat from their paws, and have to cool down by panting.
The sweat is much oilier than humans’, and it contains lots of chemicals that only other dogs can detect. Weirdly, it also makes many dog paws smell of cheesy crisps.
6. Like humans, most dogs have a dominant hand – or in their case, paw! To figure out which one it is, you can conduct a simple science experiment…
Watch a dog moving from standing still to walking forwards. Do they start walking with their left leg, or their right? Watch several times, noting down the starting leg each time, and see if there’s a pattern. Many dogs will often lead with the same leg – their dominant one.
7. From their ears to their eyebrows, shoulders, and tail, dogs often use signals and smells, rather than sound, to communicate! Their posture makes a big difference, too.
Next time you see a dog interacting with a person or other dog, pay close attention. Are they shrinking themselves down small, or standing up big and tall? What do you think they’re trying to say?