Fun Dog Facts | Greenearthdog

Rin Tin Tin was the first American dog movie star and signed his own contracts for 22 movies with a pawprint.
Toto's role in The Wizard of Oz was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry.
In the late 1800's, Lassie type Collies were known as Scottish Sheepdogs.
George Washington had 36 foxhounds, and one was named Sweetlips.
Former President Lyndon Johnson howled with his favorite dog, Yuki, a stray rescued by his daughter, Luci, at a Texas gas station. He also had two Beagles named Him and Her.
Teddy Roosevelt's pit bull, Pete, once ripped off a French ambassador's pants at a White House event.
Franklin D. Roosebelt once spent $15,000 to have a destroyer return to the Aleutian Islands and retrieve his Scottie, Fala, who had been accidentally left behind.
Davy Crockett's dog was named Sport.
Zorba, an English Mastiff, is the heaviest dog on record, weighing 343 lbs at the age of 8 in 1989.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the smallest dog on record was a Yorkshire Terrier in Great Britain who, at the age of 2, weighed just 4 ounces.
The longest lived dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was an Australian Cattle Dog, named Bluey, who lived to be 29.
The first living being to travel in space was a small mixed breed dog named Laika, who gave her life orbiting the earth in the Russian Sputnik in 1957.
John F. Kennedy's terrier, Charlie, sired 4 puppies with Laika's daughter, Pushinka.
The Lundehund breed has 6 toes and can close its ears.
Dalmation puppies are pure white at birth.
Chihuahuas are born with a 'molera', or 'soft spot' like a human baby, which usually closes as they mature.
Dogs do not have an appendix.
An adult dog has 42 teeth.
The only sweat glands a dog has are between the paw pads.
A dog's normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
If none are spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years.
The most successful mountain rescue dog ever was a St Bernard, named Barry, who lived during the early 1800's and saved 40 lives.
A 12 lb Yorkshire Terrier named Oliver once defended an elderly woman from an 80 lb Akita. The woman escaped to safety and the Yorkie survived with only nine stitcheS
Dogs (and wolves and foxes) are descended from a small, weasel-like mammal called Miacis which was a tree-dwelling creature and existed about 40 million years ago.
Dogs, as we know them today, first appeared in Eurasia about 13,000 years ago, and were probably a direct descendant of a small, grey wolf.
The dingo is not native to Australia but was introduced thousands of years ago by the first immigrants.
Dogs were first domesticated by cavemen in the Paleolithic age and gradually developed (or were bred) into the breeds known today.
Dogs have been used as guards, hunters, draught animals, eyes for the blind, drug and explosive detectors, rodent controllers - and even weapons!
In Roman times and the Middle Ages, mastiffs wearing light armor, carrying spikes and pots of flaming sulfur and resin ran into battle against mounted knights. In World War II the Russians trained dogs to run suicide missions between the tracks of German tanks with mines strapped on their backs.
Dogs naturally have a wonderful sense of smell. They have many more sensory 'smelling' cells than a man's 5,000,000. A Dachshund has 125,000,000, a Fox Terrier 147,000,000 and an Alsatian (often used as a 'sniffer' dog) has 220,000,000.
The oldest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years, 5 months for a Queensland 'heeler' called Bluey in Victoria, Australia. The average dog lives to around 15 years of age.
The tallest dogs are the Great Dane and the Irish wolfhound.
Bringing home a new puppy is always an exciting and overwhelming occasion. We wanted to help you prepare for this event by compiling a list of "must have" items to acquire before you bring your pup into your home.
. If your notice your dog scratching its ears, it doesn't necessarily have fleas. It could have any number of issues including ear mites, yeast, etc and should be seen by your vet.
Many dogs are mildly allergic to perfumery scented shampoos. Consider using a mild oatmeal based shampoo when bathing your dog or you may end up with an itchy pup!
If you notice your dog having an unusually foul odor, don’t assume he or she is not clean. She may have an ear or skin infection. The smell of infection is somewhat comparable to vomit and mildew.
Dogs naturally like to play keep-away better than fetch. You'll need to train your dog to play fetch, but not keep-away.
Most Dogs really don't like to play dress up. Sorry. (Though there are exceptions to this rule)
Some dogs need their anal glands expressed or else you will witness a “scooting” behavior where they rub their behinds on the ground. This is a simple procedure that can be done by most groomers or at your veterinarians.
Dogs with deep wrinkles need to be washed daily. Dirt can build up leading to odor or infection.
.Dogs don't understand pointing. They focus on the tip of your finger, not the item you are pointing at.
Just like people, dogs have phobias too. Some examples of phobias we've encountered include thunder, stairs, hair dryers, water, vacuums, balloons, and buses.
Dogs aren't really racist. When dogs bark at unknown people, it is often because they are unfamiliar with their body type or skin color.
Not all dogs are born swimmers. Some dogs need to be encouraged to swim. Some breeds are more natural swimmers than others.
Body harnesses actually encourage pulling. While they may seem like they give you more control, the pressure points on a harness make your dog respond by pulling forward.
Dogs dislike being bored and easily get into trouble when left to their own devices. Think of creative ways to keep your dog's mind active.
Dogs need mental stimulation as much as physical stimulation.
Dogs often react differently to human males and females.
Dogs can know you as much by scent as by eyesight (if not more!), and you can help them feel secure when you leave by providing a soft object that has your scent on it. (A sweatshirt or blanket you sleep with)
Social status is very important to dogs and many canine behaviors are determined by their attempts to establish their roles (belly up submission, standing tall/over another dog, jumping on, standing ground and not flinching)
Dogs can get jealous. They may try and interrupt a hugging couple or bark for attention when you are on the telephone!
Dogs can be trained not to beg at the table. Never feed your dog off of your plate as it only encourages begging behavior.
Dogs are creatures of habit. They like familiarity and form expectations and schedules.
Dogs like to playfully taunt to encourage play (especially keep away). The classic play stance is the “bow”. A dog puts its front paws down on the ground and its tail end up in the air.
Many dogs love car rides. Be sure to keep your dog secured with a seat belt or other safety device
. Some dogs lick their paws and then rub their paws on their head to clean themselves, much like a cat!
Many breeds are escape artists - if you're not careful, your dog might decide to take a swim in the neighbor's kiddie pool, or bring home a new toy. Basenjis are especially known for their ability to escape from yards.
. An unsupervised dog will get bored in a back yard very quickly. It is never safe to leave your dog unattended in the yard.
Dogs bark for a large number of reasons, but often do so to get attention from other people or other dogs. Some other reasons that dogs bark include: to protect their territory, express a need or to initiate play.
27. Dogs communicate with their tail. A wag can mean many things - an aggressive dog may wag their tail, but it will be held high and moving rapidly. A playful dog will also hold his tail high, but it will be wagging in big arches from side to side. Meanwhile a dog that is afraid will hold his tail low and may wag it stiffly back and forth
28. Most dogs don't like their own poop and will intentionally avoid it. Hey, dogs aren’t dumb!
Pet lovers are guardians to nearly 100 million dogs and cats in the United States, and spend about $35 billion on their furry friends each year. (Source: American Pet Product Manufacturers Association)
Studies show that people with pets live longer, have less stress, and fewer health problems. (Source: American Pet Product Manufacturers Association)
94% of pet owners say their animal pal makes them smile more than once a day. (Source: i-pets.com)
There are more than 9,000 species of birds. Parakeets, canaries, finches, and parrots are the most popular to keep as pets. (Source: Mississippi 4-H Pet Care Project)
In Australia, England, and the U.S., Max wins as the most popular name for pooches. Other popular dog names in the U.S. are Jake, Buddy, Maggie, Molly, and Bear.
95% of cat owners admit they talk to their cats. (Source: i-pets.com)
In Belgium in 1879, 37 cats were “hired” to carry bundles of letters to villages. But the service didn’t last long because the mail cats just wouldn’t cooperate! (Source: Best Friends Pet Care)
A cat will almost never meow at another cat…that’s because cats only meow to get our attention. (Source: i-pets.com)
A dog named Laikia became the world's first astronaut in 1957, when she was sent into space by the Russian government. (Source: Best Friends Pet Care)
Abraham Lincoln loved cats! In fact, he had four of them while he lived in the White House. His favorite was named Tabby. (Source: i-pets.com)
Tests done by the University of Michigan proved that cats have better memories than dogs. The study shows that while a dog’s memory lasts no more than 5 minutes, a cat's can last as long as 16 hours…and that’s more than even monkeys and orangutans!
Dogs can hear sounds that are too faint for us to hear. In fact, their hearing is so good they probably rely more on sound than sight. But the common belief that dogs are color blind is false. Dogs can see color, just not as well as we do. They can tell the difference between blue, yellow, and gray, but probably don’t see red and green. (Source: i-pets.com)
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 normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
A female carries her young about 60 days before the puppies are born.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the smallest dog on record was a Yorkshire Terrier in Great Britain who, at the age of 2, weighed just 4 ounces.
The longest lived dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was an Australian Cattle Dog, named Bluey, who lived to be 29.
An adult dog has 42 teeth.
It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.
If never spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could produce over 66,000 dogs in 6 years!
The only sweat glands a dog has are between the paw pads.
In 1957, Laika became the first living being in space via an earth satellite
The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be (1) the border collie, (2) the poodle, and (3) the golden retriever.
A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a human’s
Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill.
Dogs’ sense of hearing is more than ten times more acute than a human’s
More than 1 in 3 American families own a dog.
Dogs don’t like rain because the sound is amplified and hurts their very sensitive ears.
The ten most popular dogs (AKC, 2007) are in order:
Labrador Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, German Shepherd,
Golden Retriever, Beagle, Boxer, Dachshund, Poodle,
Shih Tzu, and Bulldog.
Dogs were the first animals domesticated by people.
A greyhound can run as fast as 45 miles an hour.
Spaying/neutering your dog before the age of 6 months can help prevent cancer in your dog.
Puppies acquire a full mouth of permanent teeth between four and seven months old.
Small dogs live the longest. Toy breeds live up to 16 years or more. Larger dogs average is 7 - 12 years. Veterinary medicine have extended this estimate by about three years. However, some breeds, such as Tibetan terrier live as long as twenty years.
Eighty percent of dog owners buy their dog a present for holidays and birthdays. More than half of them sign letters and cards from themselves and their pets.
The dog name “Fido” is from Latin and means “fidelity.”
The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.
Most pet owners (94 percent) say their pet makes them smile more than once a day.

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