As a Barkefellers customer yourself, you probably already know how amazing dogs are. They are our nose-licking snuggle buddies, tail-wagging walk companions, and best friends for life. However, we’ll take any excuse we can to talk about our enthusiasm for dogs, so for this month’s blog post we decided to share 10 interesting and amazing facts about everyone’s favorite four-legged friends.
1. Petting your dog can alleviate stress and lower your blood pressure.
When you pet your dog, relaxation hormones such as oxytocin and serotonin are released. So, the next time you feel a bit of stress or anxiety coming on, grab your pup for a cuddle session.
2. The United States is the country with the highest dog population in the world!
In this country, our dog population is around 75 million!
3. Labrador retrievers are the most popular dog breed in the United States.
Followed by the German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, French Bulldog, and English Bulldog.
4. A dog’s sense of smell is at least 10,000 times stronger than a human’s sense of smell.
With over 300 million olfactory receptors in canine noses compared to our 6 million, it’s no surprise that dogs are such “Olympic sniffers.”
5. Dogs’ wet noses contribute to their superior sense of smell.
When dogs inhale, nearby scent chemicals are trapped on the moist surface of their nose.
6. Dogs can understand you!
While it’s true that dogs do not fully understand the English language (or any other human language), recent scientific research has revealed that they are able to recognize individual words, verbal commands, body language, and emotional signals. So, the next time you’re talking to your dog, don’t feel crazy in thinking that they might be able to understand some of what you’re saying… as long as you don’t expect them to respond back!
7. Dogs can hear about 4 times better than humans can.
Dogs are able to hear a much wider range of pitches and frequencies than we are. In fact, the Beatles song “A Day in the Life” actually includes a high-pitched whistle that only dogs are able to hear!
8. Dogs dream.
What they dream about we are not entirely sure, although we would guess treats and squirrels are near the top of that list, but scientists do believe that dogs dream much like we do through the replaying of mental images.
9. Dogs see better at night than humans do.
This is due to the fact that their eyes have better adaptations to seeing in dim and lower light than ours do.
10. There could be a scientific reason behind your dog’s friendliness.
The fact that dogs are sociable animals can hardly be disputed, but is there a scientific explanation for their face-licking friendliness? Potentially! Though research on this topic is relatively new and not yet confirmed, scientists believe that a genetic difference between domesticated dogs and their wild wolf relatives could explain their high levels of sociability.