A Dog’s Sense of Smell Is 40x Better Than a Humans Because the Area of Cells in Their Brains that Detect Different Smells Is Around 40 Times Larger.
A dog has 300 million olfactory receptors (more or less) in its nose than about six million in humans. This means there’s a much higher chance of them identifying different odors than we do. Since they have more receptors, their sense of smell is significantly better than ours!
In addition, a part of their brain devoted to analyzing different smells is also 40x larger than ours. [1]
Dogs Have Around 18 Muscles Responsible for Moving Their Ears that Help Them Slightly Change the Direction of Their Ears to Hear Noises Around Them Better and Even Express How They’re Feeling
A dog’s ears have around 18 muscles that allow them to change their ear position to pick up noises and sounds from different directions and pinpoint where those noises are coming from so they can find out what’s going on. Not only that, but dogs’ ears also help them communicate and tell us how they’re feeling!
For example, when a dog is happy, its ears perk up – attentive, alert, and affectionate. On the other hand, if a dog is wary or frightened, it will pull its ears back towards the top of its head – this means it is fearful. [2]
Dogs’ Noses Can Sense Heat/Thermal Radiation, Which Explains Why Blind or Deaf Dogs Can Still Hunt
Dogs’ noses are weirdly magical. It’s like they can smell dead bodies from miles away or detect the exact location of that left shoe you’re looking for, even if it’s buried under the entire contents of your closet. A recent study showed that dogs have an infrared sensor in their nose that helps them detect changes in temperature, such as when other animals are nearby.
Researchers have found that the naked, wet skin surface at the tip of a dog’s nose works as an infrared sensor that can detect heat. Therefore, they can still detect things even if they are blind or deaf. [3]
Dogs Have About 1,700 Taste Buds in Comparison to Humans, Who Have Around 9,000
As animals evolved, their taste system became more sophisticated and specialized. For natural substances, bad tastes signal that the animals have encountered something dangerous or poisonous. On the other hand, good taste signals that substances are useful and digestible.
Special receptors called “taste buds” are found on the top surface of a dog’s tongue. They’re in small bumps called “papillae.” There are taste buds in other places, too, such as the soft part of a dog’s mouth (the palate and epiglottis) and the back part of their throat (the pharynx).
As far as taste sensitivity is concerned, humans win the contest by a large margin. This is because humans have around 9,000 taste buds compared to only 1,700 for the dog (but more than a cat, which has about 470). [4]
A Dog’s Nose Print Is Unique, Almost Like a Person’s Fingerprint
Though a person’s fingerprints are unique and can be easily distinguished, a dog’s nose print is just as unique. Your dog’s nose print is one-of-a-kind! The reason is that their noses are covered in ridges and grooves, creating a pattern as unique as our fingerprints.
The Canadian Kennel Club has allowed nose prints as one form of identification for dogs since 1938. To safely print your dog’s nose, put food coloring on a wet paper towel and use the towel to apply it to your dog’s nose. Press a piece of paper against its nose to complete the print. [5]
Dogs Dream Just Like Humans! Researchers Found that Dogs Have Sleep Patterns Similar to Humans and that Smaller Dogs Dream More Than Larger Breeds.
If you’ve ever wondered what your dog might be dreaming of while it’s asleep at your feet, you may not have to wonder much longer. We’ve all heard the age-old saying, “Dogs are man’s best friend.” But are they also his mind-twin? Can dogs and humans share a similar dream state?
Both dogs and people have a circadian rhythm, which is the tendency to sleep at night. Dogs, however, are polyphasic because their sleep during the day is interrupted by bursts of energy followed by short rest periods. Like humans, they tend to be in deepest non-rapid eye movement (NREM), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep at night. [6]
Tail Wagging Has Its Own Language, and Different Patterns and Speeds Can Show When a Dog Is Happy, Frightened, Insecure, or Even Aggressive
How a dog wags its tail is supposed to show things like its emotional state and the degree of happiness, fearfulness, insecurity, or even aggression. Different dogs have different styles of wagging, and they’re all unique in their own ways.
Like human babies, puppies aren’t born knowing what certain sounds mean. But when a pup is about a month old, he begins to understand the importance of communicating with his mother and siblings.
Some dogs might shake their tail side-to-side without putting much effort into it. Others might do a full 180-degree spin. Some dogs might only flick the tip of their tails back and forth, while others might whip their entire tail around a few times or more quickly [7].
Newborn Puppies Are Blind And Deaf for Many Weeks After Being Born, According to Psychology Today.
A puppy’s brain and other organs are not fully developed upon birth. It takes several weeks for the puppy to mature. A puppy has tightly closed eyelids at birth because its eyes are still developing; hence fragile. The closed eyelids protect the eye from dirt, grit, and infections.
Similarly, puppies are born with their ear canals closed. Sound is a pressure wave, and puppies are born without the machinery to process it: their ears can’t bend and twist in response to pressure changes. If you try to force-feed sound to young pups before their ears are ready, their hearing could suffer permanent damage. At about the same time as their eyes open, they hear sounds and noises around them. Their ears are more “ready” than their eyes at this point. [8]
Dogs Only Sweat Through Their Paws
While most dogs are covered in fur, they are not particularly efficient at cooling themselves off. This is because the sweat needs to evaporate to have a cooling effect. And since fur prevents evaporation, dogs have sweat glands in their paw pads [9].
Dogs Respond to the Different Tones of Your Voice
Cats are known to be picky and aloof. Dogs, on the other hand, are a lot more receptive. They can even learn to respond to the different tones of your voice! You may have already noticed that your dog responds differently to the different tones of your voice. But did you know that they also respond to different frequencies of sound?
The best way to determine your dog’s frequency is to test it out. To do this, start with a soft and low tone, then move up in frequency until you find the one he responds to the most. After that, you can use that tone for commands such as “come here” or “sit.”
For example, if your dog ignores you when you say “come here,” try raising your voice a couple of octaves. If your dog still doesn’t listen, try increasing the volume. It should eventually come running! [10]
Dogs Can Yawn to Calm Themselves Down, So Repeated Yawns Could Be a Sign that Your Pup Is Feeling Anxious or Stressed Out
Dogs don’t just yawn as humans do—they have a unique form of yawning. If your dog is yawning excessively, it might be a sign that it’s stressed or anxious. But an occasional yawn is nothing to be concerned about—it’s just a natural behavior that can mean your dog is tired or bored.
The next time your dog yawns, it could be a sign they’re feeling anxious or stressed out, and he could use some help from you to feel better. [11]
In 1912, Three Dogs Lived Through the Sinking Of the Titanic
April 2021 marked the 109th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, one of the most famous tragedies in history. Only 31% of the ship’s human passengers and three dogs made it safely to New York and survived out of 12 confirmed dogs who went on board.
Three survivors of the sinking of the Titanic were all small enough to fit into lifeboats. These included two Pomeranians named Lady and one named Sun Yat-Sen, and a Pekinese belonging to the Harpers of Harper & Row. [12]
Dogs Curl Up to Sleep Due to a Biological Instinct to Protect Their Vital Organs and Keep Themselves Warm
Dogs will dig a little nest and curl up into it when sleeping in the wild, especially if it’s cold. When curled up into a ball, dogs conserve body heat and protect their organs. It might sound silly for your beloved pup, but it’s a reasonable tactic considering that their ancestors used to do the same.
When you see your dog curling up on the rug, he is just trying to make themselves feel safe, even if he is at home. This is because sleeping is often a vulnerable state for dogs; it’s when basic instincts take over. [13]
Dogs’ Noses Are Wet to Help Absorb Scent Chemicals, So They Lick Their Noses to Sample Them and Help Them Understand What the Smell Is
It turns out your dogs’ noses are wet for a reason: they help them absorb scent chemicals so they can lick their noses to sample them and help them understand the smell.
It makes sense when you think about it. Don’t you use your nose to study what you’re smelling? It’s not much different for your furry friends. They don’t have hands or arms, so their noses are the best way to experience what’s around them. [14]
A Frequency That Only Dogs Can Hear Was Added to the End of the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life.”
Sir Paul McCartney said, “A Day in the Life,” one of the Beatles’ best songs, includes a special sound only dogs can hear. To do this, they recorded a dog whistle into the track. The whistle had a frequency of 15 kilohertz—a sound a human can’t even hear [15].
The Tallest Dog in the World Ever Was a Great Dane Named Zeus, Who Measured 44 Inches Tall on October 4th, 2011
Zeus, a Great Dane from Otsego, Michigan, USA, was the tallest dog ever recorded. He measured 1.118 m (44 inches) tall on 4 October 2011 and was owned by Denise Doorlag and her family. He weighed 70.30 kg (155 lbs.) and ate approximately 13.6 kg (30 lbs.) of food every 14 days.
His owners described him as very laid-back; also, he was a certified therapy dog that visited people at a nearby hospital. Zeus died at the age of five in September 2014. [16]
The Ewoks in Star Wars Were Modelled after George Lucas’s Family Dog
People love the Ewoks, a species of teddy bear-like creatures that first appeared in “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.” They were created by George Lucas, who used his dog as inspiration. George Lucas modeled the Ewok on an image of the Griffon Bruxellois, a toy dog breed. And despite the physical inspiration, the Ewok underwent many design changes before Lucas settled on a final design. [17]
The UFAW States That, On Average, Around 30% of Dalmatians Are Deaf in One Ear, and 5% Are Deaf in Both
According to UFAW, Dalmatians have an extreme piebald gene that gives them a white coat and blue eyes. The Dalmatian dog has a 30% chance of being deaf in one ear and a 5% chance of being deaf in both ears. However, the larger their patches, the less likely they will be deaf. [18]
Dogs Have Three Eyelids to Protect and Lubricate Their Eyes
Do you know the three eyelids your dog has? Two are obvious: we can always see the upper and lower lids. The third is a nictitating membrane, which only appears when needed—usually when something in the environment irritates or frightens a dog.
The third eyelid helps protect a dog’s eyes from dust, dirt, and other particles, as well as watering and drying effects caused by wind or bright light. It’s like a windshield wiper for your dog’s eyes that protects them from eye infections. [19]
Petting a Dog Can Lower a Person’s Blood Pressure By 10% and Help Lower Feelings of Stress, Depression, and Combat Loneliness
85% of the respondents (both pet owners and everyone else) agree that interacting with a companion animal can help reduce loneliness, and 76% agree it can help address social isolation. [20]
Animal companionship has been shown to alleviate stress. A study by the University of British Columbia found that people released from a stressful situation felt better after spending time with a therapy dog than individuals who did not have the opportunity to interact with a dog. [21]
References
- https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/dogs-sense-of-smell/
- https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/10-amazing-facts-about-dogs
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-science-dogs-idUSKBN20Q1QO
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/canine-corner/201104/how-good-is-your-dogs-sense-taste
- https://www.richellusa.com/nose-print-dogs-identification/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5940857/
- https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/interpreting-tail-wags-in-dogs
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/200906/why-are-puppies-born-their-eyes-and-ears-closed
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/do-dogs-sweat
- https://midogguide.com/diseases/do-dogs-respond-to-tone-of-voice.html
- https://www.rover.com/blog/dog-yawning-decoded
- https://thebark.com/content/dogs-titanic
- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/560787/reasons-your-dog-curls-into-ball-before-sleep
- https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-do-dogs-have-wet-noses
- https://www.dogtagart.com/blog/best-beatles-song-dogs
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/tallest-dog-ever
- https://screenrant.com/star-wars-ewoks-creation-inspiration-george-lucas/
- https://www.purina.co.nz/articles/dogs/behaviour/common-questions/amazing-facts
- https://www.greatpetcare.com/dog-health/dog-eyelids-facts-and-common-problems/
- https://habri.org/assets/uploads/Addressing-the-Social-Isolation-and-Loneliness-Epidemic-with-the-Power-of-Companion-Animals-Report.pdf
- https://www.thedrakecenter.com/services/pets/blog/mental-health-benefits-owning-pet
