9 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Dogs

We’re our dogs’ #1 fans and we’re sure you can say the same about your fur babies. As responsible dog parents, we want to know everything about our dogs but most of that falls in the category of health and care so we can be efficient when it comes to our dogs’ well-being.

What about the fun stuff?

There are so many fun, unique facts about dogs that we didn’t know (for the most part) before writing this blog post. We figured after the year we’ve all endured together, you could use a break. How about 9 fun facts about dogs you didn’t know? 

We scoured the internet and found 9 fun facts about our fur babies we want to share with you. 

#1: Dogs can smell your feelings.

Shared by The Drake Center, “Your dog can smell your feelings. In fact, your dog’s sense of smell is approximately 100,000 times better than yours. So it shouldn’t be shocking that they can in fact, smell things such as fear. When a human is fearful, they perspire, and a dog is easily able to pick up on this change.”

#2: Dogs have dreams as people do.

Do you see your dog twitch in their sleep? Rd.com explains, “...this probably means she’s dreaming. Researchers found that dogs have similar sleep patterns and brain activity as humans, and that small breeds tend to dream more than large ones. Psychology Today suggests they’re probably imagining familiar activities like playing outside or chasing their tail.”

#3: Dogs have the intelligence of a toddler.

Dogs’ cognitive abilities are often equated with that of a two-year-old, showing emotional understanding. Did you know that dogs on average can understand up to 150 words that you’re saying? We love that!

#4: Some breeds experience an impressive fur growth rate.

According to Reader’s Digest, “Some dogs grow 30 metres of fur per day – that’s the equivalent of six family sized cars! This includes adding up all the new strands covering the entire animal end-to-end.”

#5: Dogs are sometimes companions to cheetahs at zoos.

This fact from Bored Panda made us shout “aww!” They explain in their own fact roundup, “While cheetahs might be quite the big cats and the fastest animal on the Earth to add to that, actually, they are very sensitive beings. They get so anxious; they don’t know how to socialize with each other and get too stressed to procreate. Seeing that cheetahs need some assistance, for years now zookeepers have been assigning these animals their very own emotional support dogs. “When you pair cheetah cub with a guide dog, the cat looks to the dog for cues and learns to model their behavior. It’s about getting them to read that calm, happy-go-lucky vibe from the dog” explains Janet Rose-Hinostroza, animal training supervisor at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.”

#6: Despite their empathetic tendencies, dogs don’t feel guilt.

According to PetCareRX.com, “When dogs are caught doing something they shouldn’t, they sometimes exhibit what looks like a guilty expression -- head lowered, ears back, eyes cheerless. You might think that your dog is demonstrating shame and asking for forgiveness, but animal behaviorists report that dogs aren’t capable of feeling guilt. Instead, that “guilty” look is most likely a response to an owner’s angry or upset reaction.”

#7: Dog noses are unique!

Look at your thumb. Your thumbprint doesn’t match anyone else’s thumbprint in the world. It’s unique and it’s like this when it comes to dog’s noses. Each nose - the texture, pattern, coloration - is unique to them!

#8: Dogs are not color blind.

Contrary to most conversations about dogs and their vision, they are not color blind. Their ability to see colors may not be as keen as humans, but they definitely don’t see things in black and white. 

#9: Static electricity is why dogs don’t like lightning storms. 

Shared by List25.com, “The actual reason dogs hate thunderstorms is because they experience high levels of static electricity during bad storms. The static electricity causes their fur to have an uncomfortable tingling effect that causes them to whimper and hide around the house in places lowest to the ground. The best way to decrease the amount of static cling is to rub a dryer sheet on their fur.”

What you’ve just read is a sampling of blog posts we offer at Joyride Harness. We cover current events, informational posts, interviews, and more! You can find more content including tips and tricks and how-tos for caring for your dog on our blog at this section.