Think you know a lot about our canine best friends? How many facts about puppies and dogs do you know? Here are 115 facts about dogs and puppies that might just amaze you. Plus some that you might already know. Let’s see how many you knew as we go through them.
We’ll start with 100 facts about dogs, and then we have 15 facts just about puppies.
Read on, or watch the video below from the Ranger Planet Youtube Channel, which has all the facts included.
Let’s go…
100 amazing facts about dogs
1. Dogs are thought to understand and learn a vocabulary of up to 1000 words.
2. A dog’s eyesight works best at dawn and dusk.
3. A Dogs’ taste is less sensitive than human taste. Dogs have 1,700 taste buds, compared to a much greater 9,000 taste buds in humans. So a dog’s sensitivity to taste is less than a fifth of a human’s.
4. Around 400 million dogs exist in the world. And this list may not include wild unregistered dogs.
5. Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, they’re able to run up to 44 miles per hour.
6. Gazing into a dog’s eyes while stroking them releases the hormone oxytocin for both you and the dog. Both of you will experience a feel-good factor from this hormone.
7. When a dog is panting and overheated, its sense of smell is reduced by 40%.
8. Man’s best friend’ was a term first used in the 18th Century by Frederick the Great. American poet Odgen Nash, used the phrase in his work in the 1900s, it then became a popular saying.
9. The dog breed Newfoundland has webbed feet and a water-resistant coat.
10. Dogs with pointed and long faces generally live longer than dogs with flatter faces, such as pugs.
11. In the same way that humans have individual fingerprints, dogs have individual nose prints, no two are alike.
12. Saluki is the oldest known dog breed in the world. They originated in Egypt around 329 B.C.
13. Dogs are actually direct descendants of wolves.
14. Dogs are pack animals, so while they consider you as being part of the pack, they don’t like being alone. They enjoy the company of other dogs.
15. Cornell University conducted a study in which they determined that dogs were domesticated between 9,000 and 34,000 years ago.
16. The heaviest breed of dog is the Mastiff, weighing in at an average of 200 pounds.
17. A dog’s sense of smell is actually 10,000 times more powerful than a human’s sense of smell.
18. At around 8-10 weeks old, a Chow Chow breeds tongue changes to blue-black from its initial pink color.
19. The United States has the highest dog population in the world per capita, with 274 dogs per 1000 people.
20. It’s estimated that 64 million households in the United States have at least one dog. That’s around half of all households in the U.S.
21. in Moscow, Russia, stray dogs have learned to find food by riding the subway.
22. The Alaskan Malamute breed can withstand temperatures as low as an amazing 70 degrees below zero.
23. The first Hollywood dog star was Rin Tin Tin.
24. Generally speaking, smaller dog breeds mature faster than larger dog breeds.
25. Dogs are not carnivores as you might expect. They are omnivores, which means they can eat meat, grains, and even vegetables.
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26. It can be a sign of a relaxed dog when they appear to smile as humans do. Especially if their smile opens and they appear to grin. It’s the sign of a submissive dog.
27. Dogs actually have three eyelids, including one designed to keep their eyes moist to help protect them.
28. The dog shown on the box of Cracker Jacks is called Bingo.
29. Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations both offer merit badges in dog care.
30. French Ambassador Jules Jusserand had his pants ripped off by President Theodore Roosevelt’s Bull Terrier called Pete.
31. Some dogs are trained to detect cancer and other diseases in humans.
32. Amazon Headquarters in Seattle has a bring your dog to work policy every day. So every day there are about 7,000 dogs at Amazon HQ.
33. A bloodhound by the name of Tigger had ears that each measured more than 13 inches which became a world record.
34. Dogs are mentioned in the Bible more than 35 times.
35. Your dog is happiest not only when frantically wagging its tail, but happiest of all when its tail is wagging in a wide circular motion.
36. Tail wagging that is stiffer with more upward rapid movements means your dog is excited and is likely focused on a particular task.
37. There were 12 dogs on the Titanic when it sank, 3 survived.
38. Dogs with more upright stiff ears can hear sounds better than dogs with floppy ears that lay flat.
39. The American Kennel Club reported that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular domestic breed of dog in the USA. It has won the record consistently since 1991.
40. Service dogs are recognized as “necessary medical equipment” in the United States.
41. Service dogs assist the disabled and are different from therapy dogs. Therapy dogs provide wellbeing therapy to individuals and families in Hospitals, Retirement homes, and special schools.
42. The Dachshund breed was originally bred to fight badgers and for Badger hunting.
43. Dogs not only dream when they’re asleep but may partially act their dreams while sleeping. You might see them twitching and pretend running or other motions.
44. During Roman times, Mastiffs wore armor and were sent into battle after mounted knights.
45. A dog has twice as many ear muscles as a human. Dogs with more upright stiff ears can hear sounds better than dogs with floppy ears that lay flat.
46. Dog breeds that bark the most are Yorkshire Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Fox Terriers, Cairn Terriers, and Miniature Schnauzers.
47. In Flyball races, teams of dogs compete for the fastest time without errors.
48. The average lifespan of a dog is 10 to 14 years. Smaller breeds generally live longer than larger breeds.
49. President Lyndon Johnson had two Beagles, he named them Him and Her.
50. In 1814, after being concerned about dogs killing sheep, Thomas Jefferson enacted a dog tax in Virginia.
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51. Obesity is a growing issue with dogs and yet is the easiest preventable health problem.
52. More than half of all U.S. presidents in history have owned one or more dogs. President Calvin Coolidge owned at least a dozen dogs whilst in power.
53. Similar to human babies, Chihuahuas are born with soft spots in their skulls.
54. Currently, in the U.S. there are around 14000 dog shelters and rescue groups.
55. George Washington brought his dog “Sweet Lips” into battle, as did many other revolutionary war soldiers.
56. Dogs don’t sweat quite as humans do. They mostly sweat through the pads of their feet.
57. The shortest breed to date is the Chihuahua, at a height of around 6 inches. However, smaller dogs are becoming more popular and are being bred smaller all the time.
58. The tallest breed is the Irish Wolfhound at a height of 30 to 35 inches.
59. The first dog, in fact, the first animal in space was a Russian dog by the name of Laika, he circumnavigated the earth in 1957.
60. Long toenails in dogs are the main cause of many foot disorders they can suffer.
61. Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, has now relaxed its laws on dog ownership, at one time it was illegal to keep dogs as pets.
62. A dog’s period of pregnancy is between 8 and 9 weeks.
63. A dog’s eyesight is different from a human’s as they’re unable to see the color “red”. However, they’re not totally colorblind, but see more in shades of black, white, blue, and yellow.
64. Petting a dog has been shown to lower your blood pressure.
65. In ancient China, people put small dogs up their sleeves to help keep themselves warm.
66. Generally speaking, dogs that have been neutered or spayed live longer than dogs that have not.
67. A single unspayed female dog, along with her mate, and their puppies can, in theory, produce 67,000 puppies over six years.
68. Dogs can and have been taught to count and to solve simple math problems.
69. Dog breeds that shed less hair than other breeds are Maltese Poodles, Portuguese Water Dogs, Bichons, and Kerry Blue Terriers. Ideal choices for people with allergies.
70. Lassie the dog from the famous TV show was the first animal to be inducted into the Animal Hall of Fame in 1969.
71. The only dog breed that naturally does not bark is the Basenji.
72. Over 50 percent of dog owners are known to include their dog in their annual holiday photos.
73. At the end of “A day in the life” Paul McCartney of the Beatles added a high-pitched whistle into the track, for his dog.
74. A dog uses its whiskers as sensing devices.
75. a dog curls up to keep warm and protect vital organs.
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76. The Norwegian Lundehund is the only dog with six toes on each foot. And it can fully bend back its front half onto its hind part.
77. The first dog breed developed to hunt from boats was the American Water Spaniel.
78. Dogs experience jealousy too. Dogs become jealous when they see you displaying affection toward someone or something else.
79. The average body temperature for a dog is between 101°F to 102.5°F.
80. The number of dog breeds is increasing, this year, four breeds were added to the official list. The barbet, the Belgian Laekenois, the Biewer Terrier, and the Dogo Argentino.
81. The top five most popular names for dogs are Bella, Luna, Charlie, Lucy, and Cooper.
82. Ancient Greeks used spiked dog collars as a way of protecting their dogs’ throats from wolf attacks.
83. Sunnee, Walt Disney’s family dog was the original inspiration behind “Lady and the Tramp”.
84. The ideal age to bring a new puppy home is between 6 and 12 weeks.
85. A dog’s average bite force has been measured at 320 pounds per square inch.
86. The worlds smartest dog breeds are considered to be the Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, and the Golden Retriever.
87. Dogs can be and have been taught to walk backward.
88. The world’s oldest dog, an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey, lived to the age of 29 years, 5 months.
89. Surveys have shown that 1 in 3 dog owners admit to chatting over the phone to their dogs at some point.
90. The breed Chihuahua was named after the northwest state in Mexico in which it was discovered.
91. In 1992, a German countess left her $106 million fortune to her pet Alsatian when she died.
92. Dogs understand love. Studies show that dogs release the love hormone, oxytocin.
93. Dogs drink the same way cats do, they roll their tongues back to scoop up water.
94. The most expensive dog in the world was a Tibetan Mastiff, it cost its owner $1.5 million dollars.
95. There are around 5 million reported dog bites every year.
96. Other than elephants, dogs are the only animal that understands what is meant by pointing.
97. Dogs have thirteen different blood types, and can also donate blood to other dogs.
98. Nesbit, a Labrador, had a frequent flyer card with Delta Airlines, clocking up over 1 million air miles.
99. The rarest breed of dog in the world is the Cesky Terrier. Only around 350 are known to exist.
100. Plato the philosopher once declared that “dogs have the souls of philosophers”.
15 amazing facts about puppies
1. When puppy dogs are first born, they are initially blind, deaf, and have no teeth.
2. Within the first 4 to 5 months, puppies will grow to half their body weight. This should give you an indication of their final weight.
3. A puppy’s full weight may take 1 to 2 years to gain the remainder of their weight and be fully grown.
4. In 1990, Bill Irwin became the first blind person to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. His dog, a German Shepherd named “Orient” accompanied Bill every step of the way.
5. On average, an amazing 1.2 million puppies are born each day.
6. Puppies love hide-go-seek! Hide somewhere and call their name, they will love trying to find you. It appeals to their tracking instincts.
7. If your puppy appears to be grumpy and is acting like a real diva, it could be because puppies get tired just like young children do. Try giving them some quiet time to rest and take a nap.
8. Newborn puppies can find their mothers while their eyes and ears are still closed. Without sight and sound to help them, they use heat sensors in their noses. And know the basic scent of their mother.
9. Puppies only initially grow 28 teeth, whereas adult dogs have 42. They grow the additional teeth later.
10. During their initial growth, puppies use a lot of energy in growing, so they need a lot of rest, Puppies can sleep up to 20 hours a day during this period.
11. The Disney film 101 Dalmations got this right… Dalmatian puppies are always born pure white. They develop their notable spots as they grow.
12. The largest dog puppy litter ever documented was 24 puppies, born from a Mastiff named Tia who had to give birth via Cesarean section. The average number of puppies in a single litter is around five.
13. Puppies are considered to be adults when they reach the age of 1, roughly the same as 15 years old as a human.
14. Most puppies in the world are unique, but it has been proven that puppies can be twins.
15. A study found that looking at pictures of puppies can make you more productive at completing tasks.
Facts about Dogs
That’s it. That’s the end of our huge list of 115 facts about dogs and puppies. I hope you enjoyed this list and be sure to explore more interesting subjects around Ranger Planet. Like What do Foxes Eat, or perhaps facts About Coyotes
