Dogs are amazing creatures, and we’re constantly learning more about them every day! From the smallest at 4 ounces to the largest at 343 lbs, dogs are incredibly diverse and perform so many jobs. So here are 50 dog
facts that are some of our favorites. I bet you didn’t know all of them!
1) The smallest known adult dog was a Yorkshire Terrier that was only 2.5 inches at the shoulder, and weighed only 4 ounces.
2) The largest dog was an English Mastiff who weighed 343 pounds.
4) In 2001, it was estimated that there are approximately 400 million dogs in the world.
5) In Old England, the word “hound” was used to refer to all types of dogs.
6) The process of birthing puppies is called “whelping.”
7) The famous nickname, “man’s best friend,” is used in many other languages as well as English.
8) Dog’s don’t see in black-and-white, they have 2 color receptors, and can see yellow and blue.
9) Dog’s definitely don’t see like hawks. They have very poor eyesight, but can distinguish movement 10-20 times better than humans.
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10) Even with their poor eyesight, dogs can still see better at night than humans do.
11) Most dogs have 18 or more muscles to tilt, rotate, and move their ears.
12) While not the best when it comes to sight, dogs have a keen sense of hearing, and can hear sounds at 4 times the distance of humans.
13) At the age of 4 weeks, most dogs have developed the majority of their vocalizations.
14) Most dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures.
15) A Border Collie named Chaser has learned the names of 1,022 toys, and can retrieve each by name.
16) Dogs can count up to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations.
17) The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child.
18) It’s been demonstrated that dogs can reduce both physical and emotional anxiety.
19) Dogs have been used since the 1700’s for therapy.
21) Dogs with a flesh colored nose is said to have a “Dudley Nose.”
22) Pugs and other dogs with short muzzles have a peculiar head-type known as “Brachycephalic.”
23) Hound dogs and long-nosed dogs also have a unique name for their head-type: “Dolichocephalic.”
24) Dogs sleep for an average of 10 hours per day.
25) Dogs engage in rapid-eye-movement when they sleep, and have dreams just like humans do.
26) The World Canine Organization recognizes 339 breeds of dogs.
27) Analysis of the dog genome demonstrate only 4 major types of dogs: “Old Lineage Dogs,” “Mastiff-type Dogs,” “Herding Dogs,” and “Modern Hunting Dogs.”
28) Unlike cats, dogs are not exclusively carnivores: they can adapt to different foods, and a percentage of their diets can be fruits and vegetables.
29) The French Bulldog is incapable of reproducing naturally.
30) In addition to “formal” forms of dog training (operant conditioning, reinforcement, or classical conditioning), dogs are able to learn merely from observation.
32) The Saint Bernard gains its name from the “Great St. Bernard Hospice;” the monastery where Barry and other mountain dogs was raised by monks to rescue victims from the snowy Alps.
33) A Great Dane named “Just Nuisance” is the only dog to have officially enlisted in the Royal Navy.
34) When “Bobbie,” a Collie/Shepherd mix, was accidentally abandoned on a family vacation, he traveled 2,551 miles over six months to return to his home.
35) The are 4 constellations named after dogs.
36) The Golden Retriever, one of the most popular dog breeds, was first bred in Scotland in the mid 1800s.
37) A couple presidential dogs were Golden Retrievers: “Liberty,” the presidential dog of Gerald Ford, and “Victory,” Ronald Reagan’s dog.
38) Flyball, a dog sport consisting of relays, hurdles, and ball retrieving, was developed in the late 60s, and the first tournament was held in 1983.
39) The current world record for a Flyball race is 14.413 seconds, set by the team “Touch N Go” of Las Vegas.
40) The Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog breed since 1991.
41) The Labrador is so popular, in 2006 there were approximately 3-5 times more Labs as there were German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers.
42) One of the most famous Labrador Retrievers was “Endal,” an assistance dog recognized as the most decorated dog in the world.
43) Endal was the first dog to ride on the London Eye (the characteristic ferris wheel in London, England), and was also the first known dog to successfully use a ATM machine.
44) Two Labradors, Lucky and Flo, were the first dogs known for sniffing out pirated DVDs.
46) Search and Rescue dog training begin as games played while puppies.
47) Some Search and Rescue (SaR) Dogs are trained to sniff out humans 1/4 mile away or more.
48) Some dogs have shown remarkable ability to detect certain cancers.
49) A dog’s powerful sense of smell is frequently called upon to detect anything from mines and explosives to termites and bed bugs.
50) Conservationists have used dogs to find bumblebee hives in order to protect endangered species.
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