Dog Tips

9 unusual facts about dogs

admin • 05 Jun 2023

Dogs are animals that never cease to amaze us. The list of characteristics and skills they have ranged from unique fingerprints to the ability to detect very serious diseases in humans using only their sense of smell. Discover today 9 curiosities about our greatest companions that you probably didn't know yet.

1. Dogs are able to differentiate languages

A recent Hungarian study found that dogs are able to recognize different languages ​​and words they don't understand. In the research, the furry ones were placed to listen to the book “The Little Prince” in two different languages ​​and showed that different parts of their brains lit up when exposed to familiar and unfamiliar languages.

2. Dogs can understand, on average, 89 words.

A study carried out in Canada with dogs of different breeds revealed that, on average, our furry companions can understand 89 words that their tutors speak.

So, when we try to speak with our dogs, they actually understand commands like eat, walk, and sit.

The researchers were even able to map which are the 10 words most understood by dogs, namely: 

– The name of the dog; 

- Sit down

- Come

– Good girl/Good boy 

- Get down

- Stay

- Hang on

- No

- OK

- Leave it. 

3. The breed of a dog has no bearing on its personality.

A study published in 2022 in the journal Science points out that dog breeds are not good indicators of their behavior, explaining only 9% of the differences in habits from dog to dog. 

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and Arizona State University, in the United States, pointed out that other factors, such as the environment in which the dog is raised and the treatment received, may have a greater impact on the dog's personality than your race. Thus, the results of the study suggest that rather than using breed as an indicator of a dog's personality, it may be more useful to assess each dog individually to determine its behavioral traits and specific needs.

4. Dogs can detect diseases, such as cancer, through their sense of smell. 

Dogs are able to identify many serious illnesses, including cancer, through their sense of smell. This is due to the fact that cancer cells produce different odors than healthy cells, and dogs' keen sense of smell allows them to detect these differences. In 2019, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology presented impressive results from an experiment that identified positive samples for lung cancer with 97% accuracy, for example. This discovery could revolutionize the way cancer is diagnosed, making tests more effective, faster, and less invasive. In addition, dogs can also help in the prevention and early detection of other diseases, such as diabetes and epilepsy, for example, through their keen sense of smell.

5. Dogs can donate blood. 

Blood donation is a fundamental practice not only for humans but also for the pet community. Just like humans, they have specific characteristics in their organism that distinguish them from each other, from their coat, breed and behavior to their blood type. The requirements for a dog to be a blood donor are:

– Be between 1 and 8 years old; 

– With docile temperament;

– Up-to-date vaccinations and deworming;

– Control of fleas and ticks;

– No disease or previous transfusion;

– Be around 28 kg. 

6. Dogs age 40 years in the first 2 years of age.

Scientists at the University of California found that puppies age rapidly in the first few years of life, but then their aging slows down in later years. The researchers tracked the biological age of 104 Labs and found that, at two years old, they were equivalent to a human in their early 40s. Thus, 2-year-old dogs are closer to 40 human years than to 14, as was believed for many years. 

7. Dogs know how to differentiate shades of gray with mastery - but they see other colors too. 

It's a big myth that dogs see the world in black and white. This has long been believed because while humans have three color receptors, dogs only have two. This means, in effect, that they detect tones in a different and more limited way than we do. 

But even so, dogs are able to capture yellow-gray and bluish tones, in addition to perfectly distinguishing different shades of gray, a capacity that we humans do not have.

8. An adult dog's heart beats twice as fast as a human's. 

Heart rate is an important indicator of an animal's health, and the differences between human and canine heart rates are significant. While the normal heart rate of an adult human ranges between 68 and 86 beats per minute, the normal heart rate of a healthy adult dog can range from 70 to 160 beats per minute. This means that a dog's heart rate can be nearly twice that of a human. 

It's worth remembering that a dog's pulse rate varies depending on size, breed, age, activity level, and body temperature. Smaller dogs like Chihuahuas tend to have a higher heart rate, while larger dogs like Great Danes tend to have a lower heart rate.

9. A dog's nose is its fingerprint. 

Just like us, animals also have unique patterns on their bodies that help with their identification. However, they are not at the tip of their paws, as you might imagine. The most widely used method of identifying dogs is the nose print. This region has creases, reliefs, and lines that form a unique design for each pet! In practice, this means that no dog or cat will have a face like the other.