10 Incredible Dog Facts

Dogs are amazing animals!! 

10 incredible dog facts I bet you did not know…

Firstly, here is a summarised list for all those skimming the blogs- you’re welcome! 

Below includes more detail and our thoughts on each of these incredible dog facts relevant to dogs in Brisbane! 

1) Dog’s hearing registers sounds of 35,000 vibrations a second.

2)The phrase raining cats and dogs originated in 17th century England when many cats and dogs drowned during heavy downpours of rain and when rivers burst their banks. Their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets, appearing as though it had ‘rained cats and dogs’.

3) The Greyhound can sprint 67 km/h. 

4) Dogs innate behaviour to circle before sleep creates comfort. 

5) Dogs don’t have an appendix.

6) Dogs have 3 eyelids.

7) Dogs have fewer taste buds than humans. 

8) Dogs can smell diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

9) Dogs can smell about 10,000 times better than humans.

10) Two of my all-time favourite dog facts are “All dogs are therapy dogs – just some are undercover” and “Everyone thinks they have the best dog… and they’re right”.

1) *A dog’s hearing is very acute. Dogs can register sounds of 35,000 vibrations a second (compared to our 20,000)

This means your dog can hear your heartbeat from across the room! A dog’s sense of hearing is so good (and so much better than ours) that they can likely hear human (and other animal heartbeats) as well. 

Have you ever noticed a dog staring at you and wondered why? This could be a sign your 4-legged best friend is intently listening to the sound of your heart. 

Staying calm and practising your own deep breathing and relaxation techniques are a great way to positively affect highly strung, energetic or anxious pets and a technique we use in our Brisbane North Shore Pet Resort to reassure dogs (and cats) that they are in a safe and secure environment.

2) Once, my daughter asked why I say such silly things like “It’s raining cats and dogs” when clearly that doesn’t happen – I’ve never had the heart to tell her the tragic origins… 

The phrase raining cats and dogs originated in 17th century England when many cats and dogs drowned during heavy downpours of rain and when rivers burst their banks. Their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets, appearing as though it had ‘rained cats and dogs’.

Instead, I used the ‘g rated’ version. I explained that the term “Cats and dogs” apparently comes from the Greek expression cata doxa, meaning “contrary to experience or belief.” Alternatively, some believe the term “Cats and Dogs” misuses the now-obsolete word catadupe, meaning waterfall.

3) As your dog slips through the gate and flies down the road ignoring any attempts to call them back, you’d be forgiven for assuming your dog is the fastest breed, but your dog is likely running between 24 to 32 km/h. But the fastest dog breed is the greyhound, with a speed of 67 km/h.

To put that into perspective, a cheetah runs 110 to 120 km/h, a thoroughbred around 80 km/h, the fastest human recorded was 44.72 km/h, but for me …. maybe 2km/h

How fast do you think you could sprint? 

4) Have you seen your dog tirelessly spinning round and round before lying down? I promise you – they have a good reason for doing so. 

Dogs turn in circles before lying down out of instinct. It’s a hardwired evolutionary trait. This action would turn long grass (or any other rough surface) into a more comfortable place to sleep in the wild. While driving out “unwanted guests,” like lizards, ants, snakes, and insects.

Spinning in circles before lying down is an act of self-preservation that allows one last look for potential predators. By determining the direction of the wind, they can position themselves to notice a threatening scent, helping a dog anticipate an attack even while sleeping.

5) Why do dogs not get appendicitis? Because dogs don’t have an appendix! 

Some animals, including primates, wombats, rabbits, apes, and humans, have an appendix. But it is not present in dogs, cats, cows, sheep, goats, horses, or monkeys. Interestingly, human and dogs bodily functions and organs do not generally differ too much in that the appendix is the only organ a dog doesn’t have, but a human does. Instead, dogs have a small pouch called a cecum or caecum that is similar even though it plays a minimal role in digestion.

6) Dogs have three eyelids – an upper and lower; and one hidden between. 

The third eyelid is also called the nictitating membrane. A dog’s third eyelid is an extra eyelid that functions as a windshield wiper to keep dust and debris out of their eyes. It sweeps back and forth across the eye’s surface, providing protection and spreading the tear film.

It is said that humans have this too – you know that little pink thing nestled in the corner of your eye? Well, some say it’s the remnant of a third eyelid. Known as the “plica semilunaris,” it’s more prominent in birds and a few mammals but also helps protect eyes from dirt and dust.

7) A dog’s sense of taste is about one-sixth as powerful as ours. 

We have approx 9,000 tastebuds, whereas dogs have 1,700 and cats have 473 taste buds. The animal with the most taste buds is a Catfish! These scavenger fish are so sensitive they detect tastes in the water from kilometres away with more than 175,000 taste buds. No wonder I never had any luck catching anything!

8) Dogs use their superb sensing capabilities to detect a range of smells, from explosives to low blood sugar levels. 

So it is no surprise that dogs can detect hormonal fluctuations and diseases such as different types of cancer, diabetes and even depression. It was believed initially that cancers would give off extra heat compared to healthy parts of the body, and that’s how animals could sense it. However, dogs have proven themselves even more capable. Even though dogs are famously known for detecting cancer. They can be more effective when trained to sniff out various types. Using samples from known cancer patients, dogs can be trained to identify skin, breast, and bladder cancer types.

9) It is no secret my dogs know when I am opening a packet of biscuits, and it’s not just their razor-sharp hearing that gives them the advantage; dogs can smell about 10,000 times better than humans. 

We don’t stand a chance against their highly acute detection senses! I say, “just share the biscuits”!

10) Two of my all-time favourite dog facts are – 

A) All dogs are therapy dogs – just some are undercover. 

B) Everyone thinks they have the best dog… and they’re right 

Did anything from the above list stand out to you? Any dog facts you didn’t know before? 

* As always, do your research, introduce changes to medicine, diet, training or lifestyle slowly. Be careful with pets with sensitivities. Stay up-to-date and be vigilant. Use trusted and reputable pet resorts and industry professionals. Talk to your vet about additional and alternative treatments and defences suitable for your own unique experience. Finally – enjoy time with your pet; they are precious and oh, so much fun!