Top 10 Fascinating Dog Facts That Will Surprise You

The area of cells in a dog's brain that detects different scents is larger than ours by about 40 times. This means your furry friend can pick up on more smells than we humans can. That's why dogs are often used for sniffing out people, drugs, and even detecting theft in various situations.

In fact, some famous search dogs have been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal for their extremely keen sense of smell! For example, the bomb-sniffing dog Buster was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 2003 for his outstanding service in Iraq, where he found a large amount of weapons and explosives linked to an extremist group, saving many civilians and service personnel. This might explain why dogs are often trained specially to support law enforcement.

Many dog owners have amazing stories to tell about their dogs seemingly having a sixth sense… in fact, according to a 2010 survey, 67% of pet owners reported their pets acting strangely before a storm, while 43 percent said their dogs behaved oddly immediately before something bad happened.

This has been used for some epileptics to rely on their dog's sixth sense to indicate whether their owner is about to have a seizure or not. Scientists don't know exactly why this is so, and while it's easy to dismiss it as superstition, many are willing to pay to listen to your dog's strange behavior. You never know when the dogs you raise can save your life.

Dogs being able to detect health issues is fascinating, as they possess an incredibly keen sense of smell. Because of their excellent sense of smell, some dog breeds worldwide can be trained to sniff out medical conditions. They are even used to diagnose specific conditions or to alert their owners if they need medication. Some are even being trained to sniff out places with Covid-19!

Don't be surprised if you receive extra love and care from your dog. Scientists have found that your dog can detect subtle changes in your scent and may use this to gauge your mood. Similarly, dogs can sense certain bodily changes - such as illness, and even pregnancy - in their owners.

African Wild Dogs are the most successful land hunters in the world. They succeed in 50-70% of their hunts, making them the most efficient mammal hunters, even holding a world record for it. The lean frame and cute big ears of the African Wild Dog make it one of the most successful predators anywhere, with a kill rate of over 85% per chase. They can take down prey half their size, from small antelopes to prey ten times their weight, to other carnivores like hyenas and lions.

African Wild Dogs are neither wolves nor dogs, although they have a common English name and in fact their scientific name is Lycaeon pictus, meaning 'painted wolf.' Like wolves and dogs, African Wild Dogs belong to the Canidae family. However, grey wolves, coyotes, dogs, and dingoes all belong to the Canis genus, while African Wild Dogs are the only surviving species in the Lycaeon genus.

Scientists have discovered that most dog breeds have the intelligence of a two-year-old child. In addition to understanding up to 200 words, they're clever enough to manipulate humans and other dogs for rewards. Among all dog breeds, the border collie is considered the smartest.

Although all dog breeds mature at different ages — for instance, larger dogs mature faster than smaller and medium-sized ones — a one-year-old dog has the physical maturity of a 15-year-old teenager! Scientists believe that dogs have sleep patterns similar to humans, and small breeds dream more than large ones. Just like humans twitch and jerk during sleep, dogs do too.

The Basenji dog breed is quite fascinating. This breed is primarily a hunting dog classified in the Hound group, more specifically the Sighthound class. Sighthounds hunt primarily by speed and sight, as well as scent. They share characteristics with many Pariah dogs. Instead of barking, these unique and remarkable hunters emit a sound akin to an old-school yodel straight from the Swiss Alps. The yodeling sound is influenced by a differently shaped larynx. Yodels are often called Baro, with the special nickname for the dog being 'the barkless dog.'

Along with other Pariahs, this Basenji dog comes into heat once a year, while other dogs may have two or more times for breeding. They lack a distinct odor and have the ability to hum, yodel instead of bark, as well as produce other uncommon noises not typical of most domesticated breeds. It's speculated that this is because barking dogs likely got hunted out as it could jeopardize the location of their owners in densely forested areas.

According to UFAW, approximately 30% of Dalmatian dogs are deaf in one ear, and 5% are deaf in both ears. Dalmatians are usually born with normal hearing, but some become deaf after a few weeks. This condition can affect one or both ears of the dog. Dogs with normal hearing in one ear can lead a normal life. Dogs deaf in both ears are significantly impaired. This is due to a gene called the extreme piebald gene responsible for creating their white coat and blue eyes (in some of them). Dalmatians with larger dark patches are usually less likely to be deaf.

The process of hearing loss is related to pigment cells, cells that produce and contain pigment and can transmit pigment to other structures such as skin and eyes. Pigment cells also appear to be crucial for the normal functioning of the ear. Deaf dogs are at a higher risk of injury, especially from vehicles and aggressive attacks from other dogs; they are also more difficult to train and may experience issues because of this.

If you're a dog lover and have a cute, energetic boss by your side, you've probably never seen these bosses sweat, have you? If not, let Mytour reveal an interesting fact about them: Dogs don't sweat through their skin but through the pads of their feet, so you won't see their fur soaked with sweat after exercise, but instead you'll notice the footprints they leave behind.

That's right, according to research, dogs have two types of sweat glands: merocrine glands and apocrine glands. Among them, merocrine sweat glands function similarly to human sweat glands, and these glands are located on the pads of a dog's feet. Since a dog's body is covered with a thick layer of fur, if these sweat glands were located on their body, the sweat couldn't evaporate. Therefore, the sweat glands on a dog's footpads help cool their body when the weather is hot. As for apocrine sweat glands, they differ from merocrine glands. The purpose of apocrine glands is to release pheromones rather than cool the dog's body. These glands are located all over a dog's body, helping the dog identify other dogs through scent.

Dogs are animals with three eyelids, the third eyelid being a third eyelid flap that sweeps across the surface of the eye to protect and spread tears. The third eyelid is also known as the nictitating membrane. Tears are produced by two glands, namely the third eyelid gland (nictitating gland) and the lacrimal gland. The third eyelid gland is attached to the base of the third eyelid, where it is normally not visible. The third eyelid gland produces about 60% of the tears and therefore plays a crucial role in keeping the surface of the eye constantly moist. If the eye surface becomes dry, the eye becomes uncomfortable and prone to conjunctivitis, abnormal tear secretion, and corneal ulcers.

The gland is held in its normal position at the base of the third eyelid by a small ligament directly attached to the bone of the eye socket. If the ligament is severed, this gland will move, protruding from its normal position and may be visible above the edge of the third eyelid. A prolapsed third eyelid gland can be seen as a pink mass or 'cherry eye' near the inner corner of the eye and resembles a cherry, hence the common term 'cherry eye'. The gland does not effectively produce tears when it is out of position, leading to dry eye. While this condition is often not painful, it can cause mild irritation, conjunctivitis, and increased secretion from the affected eye.

Another surprising fact that Mytour shares with you might make many readers reconsider how they care for their beloved pets: Chocolate can be fatal for your dog. Yes, it's not any unfamiliar food, but rather the familiar chocolate bars found in most households that can cause the regrettable death of their beloved pets.

Each chocolate bar contains a certain amount of Theobromine. It's the primary alkaloid found in cocoa and chocolate. While it can easily be metabolized in the human body, it's not the case for dogs, leading to its accumulation in the body, generating toxicity. A small amount of chocolate might only cause your dog some stomach ache, vomiting, or diarrhea. With a larger amount, Theobromine can lead to muscle tremors, seizures, irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding, or even heart attack. And just 20 grams of dark chocolate can poison a nearly 20 kg dog, so beware of foods containing Theobromine in general, and Chocolate in particular when feeding your dog or other pets.