Dog Facts and Information

Amazing Dog Facts - Did you Know...

• Barking Sands Beach, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, is known for its unusual dry sand that squeaks or "barks like a dog."

• Two dogs survived the sinking of Titanic

• The Great Dane breed of dog originates from Germany!

• At the end of the Beatles' song "A Day in the Life", an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, was recorded by Paul McCartney for the enjoyment of his Shetland sheepdog

• When a dog bays at the moon, it is following its basic instinct to call the pack together

• Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible

• Prairie dogs are not dogs - they're a kind of rodent

• The only dog to ever appear in a Shakespearean play was Crab in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona."

• Dalmatian puppies are pure white when they are born and develop their spots as they grow older

• The Poodle's "haircut" was to improve their swimming abilities. The pom-poms were left to keep their joints warm !

Interesting Dog Facts - Dogs and their owners - Some Amazing Facts! Canine Statistics

• There are approximately 68,000,000 dogs owned by people in the United States ranging from mutts, pedigree dogs, exotic dogs and those considered to be cool dogs!

• An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while away

• It is estimated that one million dogs in the United States have been named the primary beneficiary in their owner's will

• Approximately 1 in 3 households keep dogs as pets

• 36% of homes have dogs

• 85% of dogs visit an animal doctor in a year

• There are a total of 157 types of dog breeds recognised by the AKC (American Kennel Club). The Pedigree Dogs

• However, there are as many as 800 distinct breeds recognised by various groups world wide

• The Top 5 favourite types of dog breeds in the US are:
  Labrador Retriever
  Golden Retriever
  German Shepherd
  Beagle
  Dachshund

• The Labrador Retriever is the Number 1 type of dog breed in the USA, Canada and UK !

• According to a survey done by the American Animal Hospital Association 70% of people sign their pet's name on greeting cards

• Based on a life span of 11 years the average cost of owning a dog is $13,550

Interesting Dog Anatomy Facts - Some Amazing Dog Anatomy Facts!

• A young dog has only 28 milk teeth

• Dogs take between 10 and 30 breaths every minute

• A dog's heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart which beats 70 to 80 times a minute

• A dog's temperature is between 100.2 and 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit

• Dogs do not sweat by salivating. They sweat through the pads of their feet.

• Female dog bites are twice as numerous as male dog bites

• The Chow Chow dog has a black tongue

• A dogs sight is better than that of a human in dim light

• Dogs have a visual range of 250 degrees compared to the human range of 180 degrees

• A dog can hear sounds 250 yards away that most people cannot hear beyond 25 yards

• Dogs have twice as many muscles for moving their ears as people

• The average dog's mouth exerts 150 to 180 pounds of pressure per square inch. Some dogs can apply up to 450 pounds

Interesting Puppy Facts - General and Anatomy

• More than five million puppies are born every year in the United States

• A puppy is born blind, deaf and toothless

• During its first week 90% of a puppys time is spent sleeping and 10% eating

• A puppy is only able to crawl during its first week

• A puppy begins to see when it is between 2 to 3 weeks old

• During the ages of 3 to 7 weeks a puppys first teeth, or milk teeth will appear

• At the age of 3 weeks a puppy will develop its sense of smell

• A puppy will sleep for 14 hours every day

• A puppys adult teeth start to come through between 4 and 8 months when it starts to chew everything!

• Some dogs reach sexual maturity at the age of eight months

• A puppy is considered and adult at the age of one year. At this age it is as physically as mature as a 15 year-old human

Interesting Canine Facts - The Origins of Dog Phrases & Expressions

• The expression "three dog night" originated with the Eskimos and means a very cold night - so cold that you have to bed down with three dogs to keep warm

• The phrase "raining cats and dogs" originated in 17th Century England when many dogs and cats drowned during heavy downpours of rain and when rivers burst their banks. Their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets giving the appearance that it had literally rained "cats and dogs"

• The term "Dog Days" dates back to Roman times, when it was believed that Sirius, the Dog Star, added its heat to that of the sun from July 3 to August 11 and created exceptionally high temperatures. The Romans called the period "dies caniculares"  or "Days of the Dog."

Interesting Dog Breed Facts and Information...
This site is crammed with interesting dog breeds facts and information. If you are looking for dog facts and information about specific breeds or groups of dogs then just access the link of your choice at the top of the page.