"Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car, he sticks his head out the window." - Steve Bluestone

Dogs, whose scientific name is Canis lupus familiaris, belong to the family Canidae and are the domesticated form of the gray wolf. There are approximately more than 700 types of dogs of pure breed across the globe. Dogs are very versatile and are of great assistance to perform various kinds of roles for human beings like protection, herding, assisting the military and police to track criminals, as sniffer dogs to detect bombs and other weapons, hunting and very recently helping handicapped individuals, especially the blind. Dog behavior is particularly associated with loyalty towards its owner.

Interesting Facts about Dogs

Dogs are one of the most intelligent animals and can be trained to do any task. They are the best pets one can own, due to their nature of being obedient and lovable.
  • There are approximately 450 million dogs found across the globe. This statistics includes stray dogs as well as pets.
  • Dogs were first domesticated by the cavemen who lived during the Paleolithic Age.
  • Dogs have very sharp ears and can hear sounds up to 35,000 vibrations per second.
  • The first fossils of dogs were discovered in the year 10,000 B. C.
  • Puppies are usually deaf, blind and toothless when they are born. When a puppy is two to three weeks old, it begins to see. The first milk teeth appears when they are three to seven weeks old.
  • Dogs sweat from the pads of their feet. They also breathe through their tongue.
  • All the dogs have the same anatomy - 321 bones and 42 permanent teeth.
  • The average heart rate of a healthy dog is 120 heartbeats per minute, which is 50% faster than the average heart rate of humans which is 72 beats per minute.
  • When a dog wags his tail, it is an indication that he is excited. However, it may not mean that the dogs is trying to be friendly.
  • Dogs are not color-blind. They can see color but not as clearly as human beings.
  • The nose prints of dogs are unique, just like the fingerprints of humans. These nose prints can help to identify them accurately.
  • The basenji, which is an African wolf dog, is the only dog breed in the world that cannot bark.
  • Laika, a stray dog, became the first ever astronaut dog to enter space in a space shuttle, the Russian Sputnik II in the year 1967.
  • There were two dogs among the few survivors of the ship RMS Titanic, which sank on 14 April in the year 1912.
  • The greyhound dogs are the fastest dogs on Earth, which can run at a speed of 45 miles per hour.
  • The Great Dane is a breed that has its origins in Germany and is supposed to be the tallest dog.
  • One of the fun facts about dogs is that an English mastiff, named Zorba is considered to be the world's longest and heaviest dog. This dog breed weighs approximately 343 pounds and is eight feet three inches long when measured from nose to tail.
  • The oldest dog in the world was Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who lived up to the age of 29 years and 6 months.
  • The chihuahua dogs are the smallest dogs. Other breeds of small dogs are the toy poodle and Yorkshire terrier.
  • The St. Bernard is supposed to be heaviest dog among the other breeds of dogs.
  • Contrary to the popular belief, prairie dogs are dogs at all, but are a type of rodents.
  • Dalmatian puppies are pure white at birth and develop the black spots on their bodies as they grow older.
  • One of William Shakespeare's famous plays, 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' has a mention of a dog (which is the only dog to ever appear in a Shakespearean play) named Crab.
  • There is a place called Barking Sands Beach, which is situated in Kanai, an island in the Hawaii. This place is quite popular for its peculiar dry sands that makes woofing and squeaking sounds similar to a dog barking.
  • Theobromine, a substance that is similar to caffeine, found in chocolates can make dogs seriously ill and can even harm them fatally.
Being adorable creatures, dogs are quite friendly with people, unless provoked. It has also been observed that dogs are quite protective of the babies and kids in the household. Truly 'man's best friend', must say!