10 Incredible Dog Facts

Many homes around the world have at least one dog as a pet, and many people refer to dogs as man’s best friend. However, beyond their loyalty, friendliness, and warmth how much do we really know about our “best friend”? We have compiled a list of fascinating facts about incredible dogs in this post. 

1. Dogs Have a Sense of Smell That’s Several Times Better Than Humans

If you have ever wondered why dogs are used to sniff out people, drugs, explosives, and even money, it is because they have an unbelievable ability to detect scent. Some incredible dogs have more than 300 million scent receptors, while human beings have an average of 5 million scent receptors. Some dogs have even been given military awards for their sense of smell which helped to save lives. 

2. A Greyhound Will Beat a Cheetah in a Long-Distance Race 

Another incredible dog fact: the cheetah may be the fastest animal on land, but it will lose a long-distance race to a greyhound! The reason for this is that a cheetah can only maintain its top speed of 70 mph for 30 seconds, while the greyhound will easily maintain a speed of 35 mph for 7 miles. Therefore, while the cheetah may have the early lead, it will eventually lose out in the long run to the greyhound. 

3. Dogs Sweat Through Their Paws 

You may have never seen your dog sweat, but they do. The only thing is that they do it through their paws. This is why on extremely hot days, you may notice wet footprints on the floor. It makes sense that most dogs sweat through their paws since their fur would prevent evaporation if they sweated like humans. Beyond sweating, though, another way that dogs cool down is by panting. By panting, dogs evaporate moisture from their tongues, nasal passages, and lungs, thus helping them cool down. Whichever way, you should intentionally create an environment that helps your dog remain cool, especially on warm days. 

4. A Dog’s Nose Print Is Just Like a Human Fingerprint 

Dogs have unique nose print that is completely different from any other dog; much like the human fingerprint. To put it in simpler terms, no two dogs have the same nose pattern. This unique fact has already been harnessed by a dog food company, which has launched an app (NOSEiD) that helps dogs and owners reunite. You simply register the dog’s nose print on the app, and should it go missing, another user who finds the dog can quickly scan the nose to determine if it is your missing dog. 

5. Dogs Can Dream 

Very much like humans, dogs also have dreams, and also like humans, dog dreams are often a replay of what happened during the day. One way to tell if your canine is dreaming is if it twitches its legs or barks while asleep. Even though all dogs dream, it is more common in puppies and seniors (aged dogs). 

6. Dogs Are as Smart as Human Toddlers 

Researchers have concluded that dogs are quite smart and are capable of learning as much as a two-year-old human toddler. This might not make dogs Albert Einstein, but it means that they can learn up to 165 words or even 250 words if you are dealing with canine geniuses. Dogs can also count up to five and understand simple arithmetic. Additionally, dogs can learn the location of treats, the fastest route to a favorite chair, and how to operate mechanisms such as latches and simple machines, through observation.

You should note that dogs vary in intelligence levels and types, based on their species. German shepherds and border collies are some of the high-intelligence level species. 

7. Dogs Are Not Completely Color Blind 

It is a general belief that our canine friends are color blind, however, that is not wholly accurate. While it is true that dogs cannot see colors as humans do, they are able to see in the combination of yellow and blue. In case you are wondering why they can only see in yellow and blue, it is because dogs have two color receptors (cones) in their eyes compared to three in humans. Therefore, while they may not see in black and white, they don’t pick up some colors that we can. 

8. Dogs Are Born Blind and Deaf 

Many people consider puppies adorable but very few are aware of how helpless they are at birth. They are born without the ability to see and hear as these senses are not fully developed at birth. Puppy dogs typically have their eyes closed until about two weeks after birth, and they are only able to hear after about six weeks. Thankfully, puppies are born with a good sense of smell which helps them to locate their mothers for food. After about eight weeks, these senses are typically fully developed, and they can begin to live independently of their mothers. 

9. Evidence From a Trained Bloodhound Is Legally Admissible in Court 

In some U.S. courts, evidence gained from the sense of smell of a bloodhound is legally admissible. This is due to the prodigious ability of this species to sniff out whatever it is looking for. Bloodhounds are often referred to as “noses with dogs attached.” Bloodhounds create odor images after sniffing a scent article and these images are more detailed for the dogs than a photograph is for a human being. You definitely don’t want them on your trail. 

10. A Great Dane Named Zeus Holds the Record for the World’s Tallest Dog 

A dog named Zeus that weighs 200 pounds and is 3 feet and 5.18 inches tall was declared the world’s tallest dog by the Guinness World Records in May 2022. Zeus was aged two when he broke the record and belongs to Brittany Davies, who lives in Bedford in Texas. Zeus, who has his own Instagram page, takes the record from another Great Dane named Freddy that died at the age of 8 in 2021. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Tatomm