Are dogs curious?

 

dogs curiosity

Most of our rangers are convinced that we know our dogs perfectly. Sharing our lives with them makes us able to understand their needs, decipher their body language, and even interpret their different states of mind. So much so that sometimes we just have to look our dog in the eye to see how he is.

However, there may be some canine curiosities that you still don't know about. For that reason, in this dog57 article, we've rounded up over 30 surprising canine curiosities about this type of dog. 

Its domestication began in the Upper Paleolithic

When we think of pets, the dog is undoubtedly one of the first, if not the first, that comes to mind. But do you know when the domestication of man's best friend began? Nothing more or less than 16,000 years ago. As a curious fact about dogs, it must be said that they were the first animal to be domesticated by humans from the Asian wolf and the dingo.

It is the animal species with the greatest ethnic diversity.

The differences between a Chihuahua and a mastiff make it hard to believe that they have a common ancestor, but they do. All dog breeds belong to the same species: the familiar Canis.

Extensive artificial selection by humans has resulted in a great diversity of dog breeds that exist today, specifically, 343 breeds according to the International Film Federation (FCI). Its enormous morphological and behavioral diversity is incomparable with any other species. For example, weight standards vary from 0.5 to 100 kg, which is amazing. 

They are creating democratic societies

The next curiosity about dogs has to do with how they live. Until recently, dogs living in groups with other dogs and with humans were thought to do so according to a system of social hierarchy based on linear dominance.

However, this thought has been pushed aside today, as dogs establish democratic societies in which whoever dominates today may cease to be so tomorrow. That is, dogs do not follow a linear hierarchy. 

Their abilities to work are numerous and very diverse 

Dogs, without a doubt, are the perfect companion for animals. However, throughout history, dogs have not only been people's life companions but have also been excellent workmates.

Of all the characteristics and curiosity of dogs, the intelligence and tremendous learning ability that characterize this species have allowed them to be used in very diverse tasks, such as:

grazing

the hunt

Guard and defense

Find and rescue people

emotional therapy

Detecting drugs and explosives

They are not strict carnivores

Unlike cats, dogs are not strictly carnivores. Another strange fact about dogs is that they were originally hunting animals, but throughout the process of evolution and domestication, foods rich in fiber and carbohydrates (such as vegetables and grains) were included in their diet, which means that their diet today should not be based exclusively on the consumption of meat. 

They are very voracious animals

Dogs are voracious animals by nature, as in their natural state they are accustomed to eating large meals to be able to withstand several days of fasting until they acquire new prey. In other words, we can say that dogs carry a "genetically coded" gluttony, which makes it difficult for them to regulate their intake. For this reason, it is important not to provide them with advertising food (available for free), but to limit it to several meals per day to avoid overloading the digestive system. 

They have baby teeth

Like humans, dogs also have first milk or deciduous teeth, which are replaced by permanent or definitive teeth between 2 and 6 months of age. However, it is unusual to detect the loss of milk teeth, as they are usually swallowed while eating. 

Their senses are different from the human senses

The next thing dogs are curious about is their sensory abilities, because they are so different from ours. We can see that:

 Their sense of smell: It is about 15 times more developed than that of people, able to detect odors at very low concentrations and distinguish thousands of different odors.

Hearing: It is four times more acute than human hearing, being able to perceive sounds at a frequency three times higher than our own.

Taste: poorly developed compared to people.

His eyesight: It is also not particularly developed. They have a sensitivity to peripheral motions about 10 times higher than ours, although sensitivity to light and night vision is similar to human sensitivity. In addition, they are not able to distinguish all colors, only some shades. 

They can diagnose diseases by smell

What is the most important thing in dogs? As incredible as it may sound, dogs can diagnose human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or COVID-19 using only their sense of smell, since they can identify VOCs associated with these diseases. In this way, it is one of the most important and relevant to dogs' curiosity. 

They appreciate foreplay 

We don't seem to be talking about a canine curiosity because although all pets appreciate the signs of affection, the power of caress is especially important in dogs.

What do dogs like the most? Being animals with a highly developed sense of touch, simple petting is a big bonus to them (for some, better than food), and it's a very important consideration to take into account when training this species. 

They use a different language than ours

Dogs communicate differently than humans. Humans communicate primarily through speech, however, and dogs use primarily nonverbal language, including:

chemical communication

the touch

hearing

optics

Understand more than 150 words

Despite communicating primarily in non-verbal language, dogs can understand up to 160 words if stimulated and taught appropriately and understand the human lexicon as children 2-3 years old do. However, to fully develop their cognitive abilities, dogs must be properly stimulated through the constant practice of positive training. 

Life expectancy is highly variable

Surely, on more than one occasion, I have heard that small dogs live longer than large dogs. But what explains this difference in life expectancy based on size? It is due to the rate of aging.

Large dogs, due to their higher growth rate and greater metabolic wear and tear on their bodies, age at a significantly faster rate than young dogs and are therefore lesser life spans. It has been proven that for every 2 kg of weight, the life expectancy of dogs decreases by about a month. 

His body temperature is higher than his body temperature 

The normal temperature in dogs ranges between 38-and 39 ° C, so it is slightly higher than that of humans. As a rule, body temperature is somewhat higher in the morning than in the afternoon. Also, out of curiosity, the temperature increases in pregnant dogs, but decreases 24 hours before birth. It is common practice to use this parameter as an indicator for predicting the delivery time. 

They have 8 blood types

The next thing that piques the curiosity of dogs is that they have 8 blood types called:

DEA-1.1

DEA-1.2

DEA-3

DEA-4

DEA-5

DEA-6

DEA-7

DEA-8

These acronyms stand for DEA: Dog Erythrocyte Antigen. Of all of them, the one with the greatest antigenic potency and thus causing the greatest risk of adverse reactions is DEA.1.1. For this reason, dogs negative for DEA.1.1 antigen are traditionally considered the ideal donors. 

They may have gastric cancer

Dogs, along with Tasmanian devils, are the only mammals that can suffer from a transmissible form of cancer. In the case of the dog, it is an infectious genital tumor (TVT), also called Sticker sarcoma, which develops in the genital area and is transmitted from one animal to another during copulation. 

The genome of his dogs was sequenced in 2005

Just two years after the Human Genome Project announced the completion of the first human genome sequence, the canine genome was sequenced.

Out of canine curiosity, why is the dog's genome sequenced so quickly? The fundamental reason is that the dog has been and remains an animal model for many human diseases, and its genome sequencing made it possible to identify many genes associated with diseases that affect humans as well.

Mono molar bitches are not seasonal

The bitch is the only non-seasonal domesticated female that is monocotyledonous, which means that she is in heat not associated with a particular season. As a rule, bitches enjoy heating twice a year (every 6 months), although it is also physiological to have a temperature of one or three times a year. However, even though we are talking about strange facts about dogs, you should know that there are wild females such as the fox and the bear, who are also monomolars. 

They are born blind and deaf

The following curious facts about dogs relate to their birth, as puppies suffer from incomplete neurological, motor, and sensory development. The sense of sight, hearing, and the ability to thermoregulate are barely developed, so at the time of their birth, the puppies are completely dependent on their mother for survival. From the second week of life, rapid motor and sensory maturation begin.

They do not have sweat glands on their skin.

Another intriguing thing about dogs is that they lack sweat glands in their dermis, except for the level of their plantar pads. With few underdeveloped sweat glands, they hardly lose heat through the evaporation of sweat. For this reason, they need alternate mechanisms of perspiration, such as panting, to lower body temperature when necessary. 

They hate some things about their people

Another strange fact about dogs is that although they are our best friends, there are some things dogs hate about humans. For example, they have a more sensitive sense of hearing and smell, they are greatly disturbed by screaming and strong smells. In addition, some manifestations of affection typical of humans, such as hugs, may be uncomfortable for them, because they feel imprisoned.

However, dogs tend to be especially patient and affectionate with us, moving on with a subtle arrogance that annoys them. However, do not forget that we must strive to know and respect the nature of dogs, provide them with a positive environment and respect their needs.

 

Their relationship with humans is not defined in terms of dominance

Unfortunately, it is common to find misinterpretations on the Internet linking certain behaviors of dogs about their parents to the dominance theory. This is not entirely correct, because dominance is nonspecific, that is, it occurs only and exclusively between individuals of the same species. Similarly, many people tend to confuse dog dominance with aggressiveness, which is completely wrong because a "dominant" dog stands out for being well-balanced and calm by nature. 

They can transmit diseases

A dog is man's best friend, and loyalty is one of his most impressive personality traits. As a fun fact about dogs, despite their very special relationship to humans, there are some diseases that dogs can transmit to humans, such as rabies, intestinal parasites, and ectoparasites. For their prevention, it is necessary to maintain optimum hygiene in the home, respect the schedule of vaccinations and deworming of furry, and provide them with balanced nutrition and basic care to maintain their good health. Go to the vet if you have more questions!

 

Dogs can make us live longer

To conclude this article with curious facts about dogs, we would like to mention one of the many benefits of adopting a dog. When you introduce a dog into your life and home, you will gain your most loyal companion who will want to protect you at all times and accompany you through thick and thin. This will have a very positive effect on your self-esteem and mental health.

In addition, sharing daily life with a dog motivates us to lead a healthier lifestyle, which helps us fight a sedentary lifestyle and associated diseases, negative moods, loneliness, and depression. Through their way of being and our love, dogs teach us to live longer and better.