Canine curiosities: 14 aspects of your dog that you didn't know

Humans, on many occasions, think they know everything about their canine companions. Despite the fact that about 4 thousand years ago they became “man's best friend”, dogs still have a large number of behaviors that are unknown to their guardians. There are some peculiarities that have already become certainties, such as their olfactory capacity, but do we know if they see in colors or do we know if there is unconditional doggy maternal love?

1- His nose: a detector arsenal

The nose of dogs is a powerful detector and there is no doubt about that. According to some scientific studies, it has about 300 million olfactory receptors, unlike humans who have only 6 million. But that's not all, these four-legged companions sniff 5-10 times a second, while tutors only do it once every second and a half. With which, in his nose there is a real arsenal of odor identification.

2- The dog's nose: your best doctor?

Their provision of olfactory receptors and their ability to sniff positions dogs as powerful detectors, even, of diseases. Before the pandemic, it had already been demonstrated its ability to recognize a large number of organic compounds, including those produced by humans when they are sick. That's why, for example, they can be trained to detect cancer or COVID-19, as demonstrated during the pandemic.

3- Dogs are the best connoisseurs of their tutors

The relationship between a dog and its guardian is unique; and there are no doubts left. But this bond takes another step: they can decipher the emotions of their human companions through the expressions on their faces. Even, such is their need to understand their biped friend that they have managed to learn and understand between 200 and 500 words.

4- Doggy love exists

Humans believe that all the feelings of dogs are summed up to his tail: if he moves he is happy or if he hides he is afraid, for example. However, dogs can fall in love and this has been shown by scientific studies that detected that they release oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. It is worth clarifying that this happens both when they see their tutors, and with other dogs.

5- Canine depression

It is common to talk about depression in humans, however they are not the only ones who can suffer from it. Dogs can also suffer from depression and, in many cases, the fault may lie with their guardians. The good news is that this feeling can be prevented in two simple steps: pay attention to your canine companion and take him for a walk regularly.

6- The nose as a fingerprint

Fingerprints have centuries of history. In 1850, Sir William J Herschel, a British army officer in India, was the first to use fingerprints for signing contracts, it was then that the name of dactyloscopy (from the Greek daktylos: fingers and skopein: examination) emerged. After several back and forth between two scientists: Henry Faulds and Francis Galton, the first time this method was used as a unique pattern of identification was when Juan Vucetich, in 1891, produced the world's first fingerprints. Beyond this human history, the “fingerprints” of dogs are their nose, as it is a distinctive and unique feature of each dog.

7- The world through doggy eyes

In order to give accurate data, it is first necessary to break down myths. Dogs don't see in black and white, it's a lie. According to research carried out by the scientist Marcello Siniscalchi, dogs see in colors although they suffer from color blindness and confuse red and green. As they explained, this situation is due to the fact that dogs hunted at sunrise and sunset, so they did not need color vision.

8- Just touch and your nose

Unlike many species, dogs when they are born do not hear, do not see and do not have teeth either. They can only know their environment, which in the early stages focuses on their mother, by touch and smell.

9- Despite having many puppies, the love of mother canine is not guaranteed

After a gestation of between 45 and 55 days, a dog living in domestic conditions can give birth, and at one time, up to 15 puppies. However, despite their great capacity for procreation, the birth of these children does not guarantee the acceptance of their mother, especially if the birth was performed by caesarean section. That is why the recommendation to specialists is not to wash them too much.

10- Curious numbers

As if it were a numerical game, dogs have some surprising figures on their body. For example, they have 42 teeth and 18 muscles in their ears (which allow not to miss a single sound).

11- Dogs don't just “sweat” through their tongues

Unlike humans, dogs have two mechanisms to get rid of heat. The first one focuses on his tongue, which, although he does not sweat, serves to lower his body temperature. As explained by Jack Boulant, a thermal physiologist at Ohio State University, when dogs stick out their tongues and gasp with a shallow, rapid breath, the moisture in their tongues evaporates and causes their body heat to fall. The second mechanism is located in their paws, since true canine sweating is found in the pads of their little legs.

12- Dogs bother with rain

Although it could be related to water or get wet, dogs are uncomfortable with the rain because of their hearing. It is that this sound works as an amplifier of other noises, which makes it very annoying to them.

13 - The dog can suffer from a sexually transmitted disease

Like Tasmanian demons and humans, to give a few examples, dogs can suffer from a sexually transmitted disease. In this case, it is a cancer that is spread during mating, which can deform your genitals.

14 - Free shoulder blades

Unlike other species, the shoulder blades of dogs are not attached to their skeleton, but the humerus enters directly into the shoulder. Thanks to this feature, dogs are not only more flexible when they run, but they can also do it faster.

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