Ten Amazing Facts About Dogs

As humans, we often treat our pets like they are family members. For example, 42% of pet owners consider their pets to be fur babies! However, dogs are man’s best friend, and they offer us unconditional love and loyalty throughout their lives. They bring joy into our lives and make us smile every day! Here are ten amazing facts about dogs you may not have known before!

Amazing Fact #1: Dogs Can Run As Fast As Horses

The fastest dog breed in terms of top speed is a sighthound. The Borzoi can run at a top speed of 45 miles per hour, but no other dog breed approaches that high. Most dogs are limited to speeds closer to 30 miles per hour. Some large breeds like Mastiffs and German Shepherds can reach around 25-30 mph, while smaller dogs like Beagles and terriers will max out around 15-20 mph if they’re running flat out. Are they running as fast as horses? That might explain why we love them so much! 

Amazing Fact #2: Dogs Use Their Tongues To Measure Distance When Jumping

Dogs are incredible animals, and each breed is special in its own way. One of their most striking features is their powerful sense of smell. They can identify scents as faint as a few parts per trillion! This means that a dog’s ability to smell is about 1 million times more sensitive than a human’s nose. The reason for such incredible canine olfaction is thanks to an organ called Jacobson’s organ, which dogs have but humans do not. Most cats have it, too; it can be found at the top of a cat’s mouth on both sides of its head.

Amazing Fact #3: World’s Oldest Dog Lived 30 Years

Brandy is now dead. But as of 2012, Guinness World Records recognized her as the oldest living dog on record, thanks to a healthy diet and lots of daily exercises. Brandy, a Chinese Crested Hairless Dog, was born in San Francisco on August 16, 1984. As of July 2012, she had just celebrated her 30th birthday with family members. The previous record-holder for the oldest living dog was Bluey, who lived until he was 29 years old before passing away in 1939.

Amazing Fact #4: Wild Dogs Pause During Playtime To Regroup

If you have ever watched dogs romping, it may look like they ignore each other at times. Don’t let that fool you; it’s just that dogs are serious about play, which is seen as essential to their overall health and happiness. In addition, breaks in playtime help keep their wild instincts from taking over too much. Remember, dogs have been socializing and playing with one another for centuries—long before dog toys were invented! So let your dog take a break during playtime; it will only make him more excited when he returns to his favorite ball or toy.

Amazing Fact #5: Both Humans And Dogs Smile To Show Affection

A happy dog will have its lips pull back to reveal a row of sharp teeth and its ears flatten against its head. When a human does it, we call it a smile! Research has shown that both humans and dogs do it because they are showing affection. It’s also believed that dogs evolved from wolves around 20,000 years ago and continue to display behaviors common in their ancestors, for example: raising their lips, expanding their pupils, wagging tails, etc. So dog-lovers can rest assured these canine gestures aren’t just your pup saying I love you but also an extension of affection between wolf packs.

Amazing Fact #6: Dog Massage Can Help Relieve Stress In Humans

A new study found that massaging puppies could relieve stress in their human companions. Massage has long been a known stress reliever and can be especially beneficial to people living with chronic pain. The researchers wanted to see if canine massage had similar effects on humans, so they brought five adult dogs into a room and had them participate in 10-minute massages of their owners, who were blindfolded. When we pet our dog or cuddle up next to him, it can release oxytocin—also known as the love hormone—which has been shown to reduce stress and feelings of isolation, decrease blood pressure and increase happiness.

Amazing Fact #7: Some Dogs’ Sense Of Smell Is 40 Times Better Than Ours

Have you ever heard of bloodhounds? These dogs have highly developed olfactory senses—the technical term for their nose—which allow them to smell things a lot better than humans. Their sense of smell is about 40 times greater than ours, meaning they can smell smells we can’t even detect. With over 220 million olfactory receptors in their nose, it sure seems like it. But, in fact, studies have shown that dogs’ sense of smell is anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than humans’!

Certain breeds — like Bloodhounds and Beagles — are better at smelling than others (like Labradors), but all dogs have a remarkable sense of smell. We only use our sense of smell for certain activities (like checking out how food smells), while dogs rely on it every day to survive.

Amazing Fact #8: Some dogs are incredible swimmers

When it comes to man’s best friend, most people probably think of breeds like poodles or golden retrievers—after all, dogs were originally bred to help humans. But just because a dog looks fluffy and sweet doesn’t mean it can’t swim! Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and some are incredible swimmers. Who knew? If you’re looking for a lifelong swimming buddy who also loves fetching sticks, try one of these dogs that excel at water sports.

Amazing Fact #9: Puppies Can’t Regurgitate Until After Their Teeth Come In. (They’re Born Without Esophagi.)

A newborn puppy’s digestive tract is still developing. Their teeth are not fully developed yet, which means if they were to try and regurgitate anything, they wouldn’t be able to. Puppies’ gastrointestinal tracts also don’t function properly until after their mother weans them from her milk supply; it’s not until then that a pup has all of its digestive components in place and fully functioning. For these reasons, puppies often swallow too much air while eating. This can cause them to throw up on occasion.

Amazing Fact #10: All Dogs Go Insane If Left Alone For Long Enough (That’s Why They Need Human Companionship.)

You may already know that being left alone is not suitable for dogs. If you leave a dog alone for too long, they tend to get anxious and develop separation anxiety. This is because dogs are pack animals. If left on their own for extended periods, they will get very stressed and eventually start exhibiting destructive behaviors or other serious health problems such as depression. In addition, for some dogs (especially young puppies), leaving them alone can cause a temporary state of insanity characterized by unusual barking, pacing, howling, or violent behavior. This reaction is common in all dogs when they first begin to experience solitude but tends to disappear with age; some breeds are more prone to it than others.