Unknown Facts About Dogs

I understand that there are many dog lovers out there and many who really know a lot about dogs and pets in general but there are some cool dog facts that are unknown for most people. I’m just going to write about some I think will really surprise you. Did you know…

This is a Norwegian dog breed, also called Norsk Lundehund. They’re small dogs originally bred to hunt puffins and their eggs. They weight around 7-8 kg, are very agile and have a really good temperament and become very friendly around people. They have some strange characteristics like the fact that they are polydactyl which means that instead of the normal four toes per foot they have six per foot. Instead of having 1 dewclaw per foot like other dogs they have 2 dewclaws and joints in the napeof the neck. Their ears have a lot more mobility than the other dogs’. This unique characteristics makes them extremely good hunters since they have adapted to climb very steep areas with the help of the 6 toes and 2 dewclaws per foot and the extra joints in the neck allow them to turn their head in a 180 degree angle and fit into narrow passages.

Like we have unique fingerprints that can be used to accurately identify each and everyone, dog’s have unique nose prints used also to identify them. They have lines forming patterns just like we do in our fingers. This proof of dog identity has been accepted by the Canadian Kennel Club since 1938. Of course the most common form of identification is still with a microchip inserted into their skin when they’re just puppies. Lots of owners feel this is an invasive and painful way to keep registry of their dogs. Tracking them with nose printing would be harmless and non invasive form and I believe it would be what most owners would prefer. There a new system being worked on by a company called ID Systems Integrators and they call it “Dognose ID”. They provide an inkless device to take an impression and when they receive the dog’s prints and photos, they send the owner a “Pet Identity” card and a collar tag with the identification number and phone number. In case the dog gets lost the owner only has to contact this company and they do the rest, which means they send a photo and description to every vet and shelter in the area.

You may think that it comes from the historic antipathy between cats and dogs but the most likely origin has nothing to do with it. It doesn’t even come from some strange phenomenon where cats and dogs fell from the sky. One supposed origin comes from mythology. Dogs were attendants to Odin, the god of storms and witches usually in cat form were the cause of wind. But the most accepted explanation of the phrase tells us that it originated in the 17^th century in England when it was common believe that cats and dogs drowned during heavy rains. During this period when strong rains and storms occurred, the streets became filled with water that would eventually drown some cats and dogs. Their bodies would lie on the water and it looked like it had rain cats and dogs.

Yes that’s right. According to a study carried out by the American Naturalist 2010, the differences between a skull of a Collie and a skull of a Pekinese are the same as a cat and a seal. There’s no other species with that many variations as Canis Lupus. This of course, has a lot to do with the fact that dogs have lived you humans for centuries. Humans have changed their looks and appearance with the goal of getting dogs with specific characteristics like size, hunting ability, temperament and so on. Dogs with bigger and pointier noses smell better and dogs with pointier ears can hear further.

When they urinate against a tree or a wall they’re marking the territory and saying to other dogs “ Hey, I am the leader here, and I’m this tall, so don’t mess with me”. They always try to aim higher to appear bigger to other dogs. In Africa, some wild dogs try to run up tree trunks while urinating to appear bigger and intimidate the other dogs. A dog’s urine indicates a lot to other dogs, including size, age, sex and social status. When there are lots of pee marks on a tree or a wall, probably the highest mark belongs to the tallest dog which also means that he’s the alpha male of that area. Dogs can lift their leg higher or lower depending if they’re on their usual territory or on a unusual place and can smell urine from other alpha male.