Fun Facts About Dogs

Dogs have become one of the most beloved pets on the planet.

Their loyalty and obvious affection for mankind are legendary.

Beyond the emotional satisfaction they give to us, they display some amazing and interesting qualities.

Here are just some of them.

The Body Language of a Dog's Tail

Dogs express themselves through body language the same as people do.

That little tail on the rear of the dog speaks volumes.

Dogs use their tails, whether consciously or unconsciously, to “talk” to humans, other dogs, and other animals.

If the tail is stiff and straight, it usually means that the dog is expressing aggression.

A wagging tail may not mean that a dog is happy.

If it wags to the right, it probably means the dog is happy.

Studies show, however, that if it wags to the left, it means he is frightened.

If a dog is wagging his tail slowly

back and forth, and his body is

rigidly pointing in your direction,

stay out of his space.

The Wonders of a Dog's Nose

A dog's sense of smell is

more than 10,000 times

greater than that of man.

The mucous on the surface of

a dog's nose helps him to

define a scent, as well as

helping him to determine the

direction it is coming from.

There are some smells that

are undetectable to man but

can be discerned by a dog.

This is why dogs are trained to

sniff out drugs, human scent

and blood, insects, and even

the presence of bombs.

Recent studies have also

shown that dogs can smell

cancer in the body of a human.

The Homing Instinct in a Dog

There are amazing true stories about

dogs that became lost or separated

from their owners and literally

crossed thousands of miles to

successfully find their owners again.

It remains a scientific mystery as to how

dogs can do this, but one theory that

has been suggested is that dogs have a

homing instinct that is sensitive to the

earth's magnetic fields.

They are able to map out

landmarks, scents and sounds

by a kind of an inner compass.

The interesting thing is that

researchers have discovered

that if magnets are attached to

a dog's body, they lose their

sense of direction.

The Perfect Weather Dog

Dog's ears contain more than eighteen

muscles, and a dog can hear in both

low and high frequency.

When a storm is on its way, a dog can

hear low rumblings before we can.

He is more sensitive to a drop in

barometric pressure that signals a

storm is on its way.

It has also been suggested that a dog

may be able to smell the metallic

scent given off by lightning.

Some dogs are highly fearful of

storms. They will bark, shake,

hide, or soil the carpet.

If your dog is overly frightened by

storms, experts say you should

command him to sit and stay and then

reward him for staying calm with a treat.

There are also medications your

veterinarian can give you to help calm

your dog through his anxious episodes.

A dog is more than man's best friend.

Dogs have proven invaluable, because

of their unique physiology, in helping

man in a number of useful ways.

Are you thinking about getting a

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