Dog Trivia

Interesting Facts About Dogs

1. It takes 63 days for puppies to be born from the time of mating.
2. Puppies are born both deaf and blind. Their eyes begin to open between 10 and 14 days. They begin to hear soon after but it takes a while longer before they have complete sight and hearing.
3. Puppies begin getting their puppy teeth when they are about three weeks old. They’re very sharp!
4. Puppies begin getting their adult teeth between four and seven months. They’re very likely to chew on things during this period.
5. Dogs are thought to have descended from wolves in southeast Asia at least 14,000 years ago.
6. Some of the oldest breeds of dogs are the Afghan Hound, the Chow Chow, the Lhasa Apso, the Pekingese, the Shar Pei, the Shih Tzu, the Tibetan Terrier, the Saluki, the Basenji, the Akita Inu, the Shiba Inu, the Samoyed, the Siberian Husky, and the Alaskan Malamute.
7. Most dogs have a double coat of hair — an undercoat that provides insulation and an outer coat of guard hair.
8. There are no completely hypoallergenic dogs. All dogs have at least some hair that can attract dander and allergens. Some dogs and breeds attract less than others.
9. There are currently 74.8 million pet dogs in the United States. Some 44.8 million U.S. households own a dog.
10. Seventy-eight (78) percent of the owned dogs in the United States are spayed or neutered.
11. According to the AKC, the most popular names for dogs are Lady and Bear.
12. The American Kennel Club recognizes 161 dog breeds in the United States. The FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), recognizes over 400 breeds throughout the world.
13. The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest breed of dog. At a minimum, males should be 31 inches tall at the shoulder and 120 pounds. Females should be 28 inches tall at the shoulder and 90 pounds.
14. The heaviest dog is usually considered to be the Mastiff or the Saint Bernard.A healthy Mastiff or Saint Bernard — not an overweight dog — will typically weigh 180-200 pounds.
15. Larger breed dogs can be harder to handle because some do not even fit through an average dog door.
16. The world’s fastest dog is probably the Greyhound. They can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour. However, Whippet fans claim that their dogs are faster over short distances, and able to zig and zag better. Saluki aficionados claim that their dogs are better open-field hunters. All three breeds are extremely fast.
17. Contrary to popular belief, the Poodle did not originate in France. It was originally a German breed used for hunting, water retrieving, and even herding. You can see the breed’s similarity to other curly-coated herding breeds such as the Puli. Poodle coats will curl and even cord if allowed to grow out.
18. At one time the Collie was considered a vicious breed of dog, perhaps because the Scots who kept the dogs were considered a vicious people.It wasn’t until Queen Victoria became a fan of the breed in the 19th century that Collies became popular with the public.
19. The Labrador Retriever has been the most popular breed of dog in the United States since 1990.The Lab is also the most popular dog breed in Great Britain.
20. Sighthounds, or gazehounds, are hounds that hunt by sighting their prey.They include the Afghan Hound, the Borzoi, the Greyhound, the Irish Wolfhound, the Italian Greyhound, the Salukia, the Scottish Deerhound and the Whippet.
21. Scent hounds hunt by scent.They include the Basset Hound, the Beagle, the Bloodhound, the English and American Foxhounds, the Harrier, the Otterhound and others.
22. The Portuguese Water Dog helped fishermen in his native Portugal.He helped with nets in the water and carried messages between boats.These dogs still have a love for water today.They are bold, active and devoted to their owners.
23. Siberian Huskies are still used as working sled dogs today.People also use Alaskan Malamutes, crosses between these dogs and others.People have even used Irish Setters to pull sleds!
24. The smartest dogs are often thought to be Border Collies.They do very well in training.They can figure things out for themselves and also want to please their owners.However, lots of people think they have smarter dogs.Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Poodles, Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds are also breeds that repeatedly do well on doggy intelligence tests.
25. The least intelligent breeds, at least according to one expert, were the Borzoi, the Chow Chow, the Bulldog, the Basenji and the Afghan Hound.It’s likely that these breeds are quite intelligent.They may not have as much motivation to do well on doggy intelligence tests as some other breeds.
26. The world’s hairiest dog may be the Old English Sheepdog or the Komondor. These breeds have long hair from stem to stern.
27. The world’s least hairy dogs may be the Mexican Hairless or Xolo and the American Hairless Terrier.
28. The Greek writer Homer is considered the first person to write about dogs.Dogs are mentioned frequently in the Odyssey.
29. It’s a myth that dogs are colorblind.They are not.The colors they see may not be quite as vivid as we see, but they do see colors.They can tell the difference between blue, yellow and gray.They may not see red and green, or see them differently than we do.
30. Nearly 4000 dogs served in Vietnam.There are many dogs at work in Iraq and Afghanistan today.
31. Dogs are mentioned in the Bible between 37 and 41 times (it seems to depend on which translation you use).
32. A dog’s hearing is much better than his sight.His sense of smell is much better than either his hearing or his sight.
33. A dog’s sense of smell is a marvel.He has 125 to 220 million smell-sensitive receptors.(A Bloodhound has 300 million receptors.)Dogs can discriminate odors at concentrations about 100 million times lower than a human can.
34. By contrast, dogs have fewer taste buds than humans.We have about 9000 taste buds and they have about 1700.They really can’t taste a lot of the food you give them.Smell attracts them, not taste.That could be one reason why dogs love to get into the trash.It smells so interesting…it doesn’t matter what it tastes like.
35. The Chow Chow has a black tongue.Other dogs have pink tongues.
36. $17.4 billion will be spent on pet food in 2009.
37. The average pet owner in the United States will spend $1,425 per dog each year on surgical vet visits, dog food, kennel boarding, routine vet care, grooming care, vitamins, treats and toys.
38. Lassie, the Collie in the movie Lassie Come Home and the TV series, was originally played by the male dog Pal.He was later played by his son.Lassie has now been played by eight generations of male Collies all descended from the original Pal.
39. When Mary Queen of Scots was executed in 1587 her small Skye Terrier was found to have been hiding in the folds of her long gown.The little dog had to be taken away because he wouldn’t leave his mistresses’s body.
40. The 1,150 mile Iditarod commemorates the 1925 “Race for Life” which brought vaccines to Nome, Alaska.Twenty volunteer mushers ran sled relays from Anchorage to Nome during a diphtheria epidemic that was killing children.
41. Balto and Togo, two of the sled dogs during the 1925 sled run to bring vaccine to Nome, were celebrated.There is a statue of Balto in Central Park.Disney made an animated film about Balto.
42. Sled dogs burn an average of 10,000 calories per day during the Iditarod.
43. The first dog registered with the American kennel Club was an English Setter named Adonis in 1884.
44. The first nine breeds registered with the AKC were all sporting breeds .They were the Pointer, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the English Setter, the Gordon Setter, the Irish Setter, the Clumber Spaniel, the Cocker Spaniel, the Irish Water Spaniel, and the Sussex Spaniel.All of these breeds remain in the AKC today.The Cocker Spaniel has been divided into the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel.
45. A Border Collie in Germany named Rico has been shown to know over 200 words, most of them names for his toys.Dogs are usually thought to have about the intelligence of a 2-3 year-old toddler.
46. The first dog tax or licensing law dates to Schweinfurt, Germany in 1598.
47. In the Middle Ages dogs were often tried and punished along with their owners.A dog was hanged in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 for witchcraft.
48. Ancient Egyptian art shows pre-dynastic images of dogs wearing dog collars and working with people as hunters and protectors.Dogs also wore collars in Greek art.
49. In Ancient Rome, devotion to dogs was so intense that Caesar reportedly had to remind the citizens to pay more attention to their children and less to their dogs.
50. Queen Elizabeth II owns several Pembroke Welsh Corgis, small, cute cattle driving dogs.The other kind of Corgi is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.Pembrokes have bobtails.
51. Many terriers were originally bred to kill rats and other vermin.You may hear some terrier breeds called “ratters.”The name of the terrier usually tells where he’s from:the Manchester Terrier, the Norfolk Terrier, the Welsh Terrier, and so on, all indicate places where these terriers worked and were bred.
52. The Shetland Sheepdog, or Sheltie, is not a miniature Collie.
53. The Manchester Terrier is not a miniature Doberman Pinscher.Sometimes breeds can have a similar look and not be very closely related.They may share a distant founding ancestor decades or centuries ago.
54. The German Shepherd Dog was developed in the 1800s to be an all-purpose working dog.He is not related to wolves.
55. Basenjis are considered a barkless breed.They do, however, yodel.
56. Basset Hounds have the longest ears of any breed.It’s important to clean the interior of all dogs’ ears regularly to avoid ear infections.
57. The Rottweiler’s ancestors were brought to Europe by the Romans who prized his herding and guarding instincts.
58. Two toy dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic.The small dogs were with their owners and no one seems to have objected to their presence.They escaped early in lifeboats that were nearly empty.Miss Margaret Hays of New York brought her little Pomeranian with her.Henry Sleeper Harper of the Harper publishing house brought his Pekinese Sun Yat Sen.
59. Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions.Most of them depend on the movement of their ears.
60. The common dog name “Fido” comes from the Latin word for “faithful” or “fidelity.”
61. In the heavens the constellation Canis Major (the great dog) follows Orion the Hunter, his master, through the night sky.Sirius, the “dog star” is the brightest star in our sky.It is located on the “shoulder” of Canis Major and shows the way for the nightly hunt.
62. Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series of books takes the form of a giant shaggy black dog.
63. In Greek mythology the gates of Hades are guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed hound of hell.
64. In Irish mythology the hero Cuchulain becomes the “Hound of Ulster” and the defender of the province when he slays a fierce guard dog in self-defense.He takes the dog’s place for the rest of his life.
65. Foo dogs are ancient, sacred dogs of Asia who guard Buddhist temples.They look like lion dogs.
66. The canine movie star Rin Tin Tin made 26 pictures for Warner Brothers between 1918 and 1932.At one time he received 10,000 letters per week.
67. Dogs sweat from the pads of their paws.They discharge heat by panting.
68. Boxers get their name because they strike out with their front paws when fighting.
69. The little dog in How The Grinch Stole Christmas is named Max.
70. Rhodesian Ridgebacks actually have a ridge of hair down their backs that is in reverse direction to the rest of their coat’s growth.
71. Dalmatians are born white and develop spots as they get older.
72. Chewbacca, the hairy Wookie in Star Wars, was inspired by George Lucas’s dog Indiana, an Alaskan Malamute.
73. Lieutenant Columbo had a Basset Hound.He called him “Dog.”
74. At the moment the AKC has seven groups of dogs based on original breed functionT:Sporting, Herding, Working , Non-Sporting, Terrier, Toy and Hound.The AKC is planning to change the groups and expand to possibly 10 groups in the near future.
75. The Bedlington Terrier was originally known as the Rothbury or Rodbery Terrier.
76. The American Cocker Spaniel is known as the smallest member of the Sporting dog group.
77. The Plott Hound is the state dog of North Carolina.
78. The Shar Pei appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the rarest dog in the world for three consecutive years.
79. Like people, dogs are either left or right-handed.Make that left or right-pawed.
80. The Labrador Retriever was originally called the St. John’s Newfoundland.
81. George Gordon, Lord Byron, wrote the following to his beloved dog Boatswain, a Newfoundland, upon his death:”Beauty without vanity, strength without insolence, courage without ferocity, and all the virtues of man without his vices.”
82. A typical dog has 42 adult, permanent teeth.
83. Male dogs don’t have to lift their leg when they urinate.They do this so they can mark their territory and leave behind something for other dogs to sniff.
84. The oldest dog on record was an Australian Cattle Dog who lived to be just over 29 years old.
85. The smallest breed of dog used for hunting is the Dachsund.
86. The dog in the picture on a box of Cracker Jack is named Bingo.
87. Pharaoh Hounds are the only breed of dog that “blushes.”They do this when they are happy or excited.Their ears and noses become become pink.
88. Several breeds have webbed paws, including the Portuguese Water Dog.
89. The Canaan Dog is named after part of Palestine where he has been found semi-wild for thousands of years.
90. The official mascot of the University of Tennessee is a Blue Tick Hound named Smokey.
91. Roy Rogers’ dog was named Bullet the Wonder Dog.
92. Superman’s dog was named Krypto.
93. Saluki-type dogs can be seen in Sumerian artwork dating back to 7000 BC.Egyptian artwork and tomb paintings features many dogs recognizable as Pharaoh Hounds and Ibizan Hounds today.Greyhounds were well-known in ancient Egyptian times and hunted for the ancient Greeks and Romans.
94. The Bloodhound takes it name from the fact that, at one time, it could only be owned by people of “blood,” or the well-born, blue-blooded folk.They are a very old breed.
95. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi may be the oldest breed in the British Isles.They may have been brought to Wales by invading Celts around 1200 BC.
96. Foxhounds may be the oldest breed of dog in America.They are recorded in the colonies in 1650.George Washington was an early fancier.
97. The largest recorded litter for a dog was 24 puppies delivered by caesarean section for a Neopolitan Mastiff in 2005.Twenty of the puppies survived, setting another record for most surviving puppies.
98. Bear, an 11-year-old Golden Retriever, was the first search and rescue dog on the scene of the World Trade Center tragedy on September 11, 2001.He worked 18-hour days in the beginning looking for survivors.
99. Endal, a yellow Labrador Retriever, became a national icon in Great Britain.He helped rehabilitate an injured Gulf War veteran and saved his owner’s life at one time.
100. The Basset Hound made famous by Hush Puppies shoes was named Biggles.
101. The smallest breed of dog is the tiny Chihuahua.According to the Chihuahua breed standard they should not weigh more than six pounds and they stand six to nine inches tall at the shoulder.

Randy Jones

Having discovered a fondness for insects while pursuing her degree in Biology, Randi Jones was quite bugged to know that people usually dismissed these little creatures as “creepy-crawlies”.

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