Weird Dog Facts You May Not Know
1) Bed time circling isn’t just for fun
Does your dog go a little crazy just before bed, running around in circles before settling down? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not ‘just for fun’ or that he or she is letting off steam before sleep – it’s actually a ritual that goes back thousands of years, where a dog would make a small nest for themselves by stomping down the grass. This would also leave a scent marking to ward off other dogs that this was their territory.
And, if your dog likes to curl up tight at night, it’s not just for comfort. It’s an instinct developed thousands of years ago to keep warm and protect their vital organs from predators – just like the cat!
2) Dogs can smell disease
A dogs nose is an amazing thing. Its wetness help regulate body temperature and aids smell. The longer it is, the more effective it is at cooling the dog down. But even more fascinating is that a dog can smell disease in their owners.
It is believed that human diseases emit different scents due to chemical changes in the body and research at Schillerhohe Hospital in Germany proved that a dog can smell these tiny changes through sweat and scent, plus alert folk to diseases such as lung cancer and diabetes. Dogs can also be trained to detect oncoming seizures in epilepsy patients, often savings their owner’s lives.
3) Dogs have their own ‘fingerprint’
A dogs nose is just as unique as a human fingerprint. The print of a dogs nose, with it’s crevices and ridges can be used to accurately identify them. (altho its not recommended you get an ink pad out and try taking your doggy’s print!)
4) Dogs are as intelligent as a toddler
It’s not surprising to learn that dogs can understand human words and commands. But did you know that on average dogs can understand approx. 165 human words, signs and signals, count up to five and perform simple mathematical calculations? Your canine companion may sometimes behave daft, but research has shown that dogs can be as linguistically intelligent as a 2 year old human, with Border Collies coming out on top as the most intelligent breed.
5) Humans aren’t the only species to keep dogs as pets
You could be forgiven for thinking that only man is a dogs best friend, but a troop of Baboons in Saudi Arabia might disagree with you. The Baboon’s have been filmed kidnapping puppies and raising them as part of their troop. The dogs protect the troop, especially the babies and young, from other dogs, in return for food and companionship.
6) Dogs get B.O too
It’s not just humans that are prone to body odour. That popcorn/ready-salted crisp smell that radiates from their paws? It’s actually the smell of their sweat mixed with bacteria they’ve picked up from the ground. Dogs only have sweat glands in the pads of their paws, so go easy on your canine for having cheesy feet, and make sure you give him a bath more often if he’s prone!
7) Dogs are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic field
A scientific study published in 2013 that measured the impact of the earth’s magnetic field on dog’s behaviour when they go to the loo shows that our canine friends prefer to excrete whilst their body is aligned to the North-South axis of earth! So when your dog is getting itself into position, it could well be due to the polar orientation of our magnetic field!