10 Things You Never Knew About Your Dog

You know your dog’s favorite food, his most prized toy, and his best tricks. He’s your best friend, after all. After a long day, you know there’s no better feeling than coming home to a warm greeting and wagging tail. However, there’s more to that smiling face than meets the eye. Check out these trivia questions to learn 10 fun facts about dogs.

Do Dogs Sweat?

When it’s hot outside, you’ve surely seen your dog pant, but what about sweat? Unlike humans, who sweat through their skin, dogs only produce sweat on areas not covered with fur, such as their paw pads. Check your pooch’s paws next time he seems to be hot!

Do Dogs Have Unique Paw Prints Similar to Human Fingerprints?

Just as humans can be identified by their fingerprints, dogs can be identified by their nose prints, rather than their paw prints. Look at your dog’s nose—there are lines that form unique patterns, similar to human fingertips. You won’t find another nose like it.

Who Was the Oldest Dog?

While most dogs live for 8 to 15 years, the oldest dog on record lived for 29 years and 5 months. He was a dog named Bluey who was born in Australia in 1910 and worked among cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years. In human years, Bluey lived to be more than 200 years old.

How Do Dog’s Use Their Ears?

Your dog’s ears aren’t just for listening—although, we’ll get to that soon—they’re for communication, too. Dogs have twice as many muscles for moving their ears as people and they can be moved to display more than 100 different facial expressions.

How Well Do Dogs Hear?

Dogs have more sensitive hearing compared to humans, as they can hear sounds four times farther away than you can. They can also hear higher frequency sounds, more easily differentiate sounds, and can pinpoint where a sound came from.

Why Do Dogs Turn in Circles Before Lying Down?

In the wild, this instinctive action turns long grass into a bed. To keep your pooch at home comfortable, make sure they have a specified place to sleep and keep it in the same spot. This will help them feel secure.

Why Do Dog’s Eyes Glow in the Dark?

Dogs’ eyes contain a special membrane called the tapetum lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark. It also means that while your fur baby’s eyes may be a beautiful blue or chestnut color by day, they turn a ghoulish green or diluted color in dim lighting.

How Strong is a Dog’s Sense of Smell?

A dog’s sense of smell greatly overpowers ours. Their sense of smell is 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more acute as that of humans. One dog scientist compared it to catching a whiff of one rotten apple in two million barrels.

How Do Dogs Drink from a Bowl?

It can be a little perplexing to watch your pooch lap up water from a bowl. Dogs drop their tongue into the water, and bend their tongue backwards, splashing up a column of water. Dogs know when to close their mouth before the water drops back into the bowl. That’s a smart puppy!

Do Dogs Understand Human Words?

The average dog can understand about 165 words, possibly more with training. Consistency is key. If you call his meal "supper," but your spouse calls it "dinner," the label for his nightly kibble might be fuzzy. If everyone says "dinner," he'll soon perk up anytime you're discussing dinner plans.

Get to Know Your Furry Friend Better

When you love your dog, you want to know everything about him. Want to stay in the know? Join our Best Friends Club today. Each month, you’ll receive special training tips, informative articles, and members-only discounts on Bil-Jac products, so your dog stays happy and healthy.