Here are some little-known, yet interesting facts about dogs that will make you appreciate your pooch on a completely different level.
Most people know dogs have been man’s best friend since the beginning of time. With an average of 1 in every 3 households owning a dog as a pet (you are probably one of them), many people might think that they know their loyal friends quite well.
But there’s more to these four-legged companions than fetching and playing dead.
They Share Ancestry with Raccoons
Dogs are believed to be the descendants of Miacis, a genus of extinct carnivores that lived over 50 million years ago. Miacis was a small weasel-like creature that is the common ancestor of such animals as raccoons, coyotes, jackals, and even bears. In other words, dogs are related to all these animals and share origins with foxes and wolves.
They Are the Future Doctors
Studies have found that due to their acute sense of smell, dogs can actually detect various diseases in humans. They can predict if their owners will have a seizure about 12 to 24 hours before it happens. Dogs can also ‘sniff out’ other health problems such as bladder cancer.
A research facility in Japan is specifically training dogs to identify early signs of stomach cancer using the urine samples of suspected patients.
They Can Sense When a Storm’s Coming
If your dog’s been acting strangely lately, it might be because they sense something bad approaching. Dogs can feel the slightest drop in barometric pressure as well as changes in the static electric field. They will signify that onset of a storm by barking or cuddling in their owner’s lap. Dogs can also detect an earthquake long before it actually occurs.
Newborn Puppies (Almost) Have No Life
Newborn pups are toothless as well as being deaf and blind. Plus, they don’t yet have a sense of smell either. It is not until they are about two weeks old that sight develops and puppies are able to open their eyes and see the world around them.
A Dog’s Nose Is Its Fingerprint
No two dog’s nose prints are the same. Although nose prints are rarely used to identify lost dogs, the Canadian Kennel Club has been using dog nose prints instead of collars or tags to establish a lost pup’s identity since 1938.
Dog Pee Can Corrode Metals
If dogs repeatedly pee over a piece of metal, it will soon corrode. This has happened on a large scale in Croatia when lamp posts all over the city began to topple over because their base was weakened due to dogs peeing on the poles time and again.
Did these facts blow you away? Let us know in the comments below.
