Facts about Dogs
15. Three dogs (from First Class cabins!) survived the sinking of the Titanic – two Pomeranians and one Pekingese.
14. Dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations. The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child.
13. All dogs can be traced back 40 million years ago to a weasel-like animal called the Miacis which dwelled in trees and dens. The Miacis later evolved into the Tomarctus, a direct forbear of the genus Canis, which includes the wolf and jackal as well as the dog.
12. There are more than 150 dog breeds, divided into 8 classes: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, herding, and miscellaneous.
11. In total there is said to be around 400 million dogs in the world.
10. A dog’s nose has about 4 times as many scent cells as a cat’s and 14 times more than a human’s. That’s why dogs are often used to track down illegal drugs and missing persons. They can sniff out their dinner from any room in the house!
9. Beagles and Collies create the most racket than any other dog; the Akbash and Basenji dogs are the most silent.
8. The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
7. A dog’s heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart which beats 70 to 80 times a minute.
6. It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans.
5. Humans and dogs have co-evolved through living together for over 12,000 thousand years. While clearly humans have significantly impacted on the evolution of dogs through selective breeding, the intimate presence of dogs in human culture has also impacted on the evolution of humans.
4. The oldest living dog lived until he was 29 years old, this was recorded in 1939. His name was Bluey and he lived in Austrailia. If you are wondering about what type of breed he was, he was a Queensland 'heeler' – this breed was used for herding other animals.
3. Puppies have 28 teeth and normal adult dogs have 42.
2. Some stray Russian dogs have figured out how to use the subway system in order to travel to more populated areas in search of food.
1. Ancient Egyptians revered their dogs. When a pet dog would die, the owners shaved off their eyebrows, smeared mud in their hair, and mourned aloud for days.
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