Man’s Best Friend

They are man’s best friend, and it is estimated that there are 8.5 million dog’s kept as pets in the UK. But, how much do you know about them? To help you stay informed we’ve compiled a list of facts about dogs.

Your dog is as intelligent as a 2 year old

• According to canine researchers, dogs can recognise up to 150 words, and are able to count.

Dogs use their whiskers to sense their surroundings

• Whiskers are actually hairs, the follicles of which are filled with nerves, making them highly sensitive to any change in air current. They give a dog information about the world around them.

Dogs only have sweat glands in their feet

• They can only produce sweat on areas of their body that aren’t covered with fur.

Dogs have a sense of smell that is 1000 to 10 million times better than a humans, and hearing that is 4 times better than a humans

The tallest breed of dog is the Great Dane, they stand between 28-30 inches tall

The heaviest dog is the English Mastiff, they weigh up to 250 pounds

The Basenji is the worlds only bark-less dog!

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• This is because of their very small larynx, instead of barking they make yodelling sounds.

There is an estimated 400 million dogs in the world

An adult dog has 42 teeth

In their ears, dogs have twice the amount of muscles as humans do

• They use their ear muscles to hear better, and to express emotions!

Dogs have been kept as pets for 33,000 years

• Thanks to new research, we now know that dogs have been kept as pets for a lot longer than we previously thought.

If you want to learn more about animals, check out our Animal Behaviour and Natural Science courses.