Your Dog is Probably Cooler Than You Thought!

  Posted on December 9, 2014  by joyofliving  No comments

Bolt, the Yorkie-Poo guest blogger: Happy Holidays! I hope this post finds all of you in good spirits! I am taking over the writing duties today because Jessie is out shopping and Party Marty is, well, sleeping!

I am a curious sort, which can get me into trouble around the house (especially when I get bored!), but when I log on to the Internet, a wealth of information exists to satisfy my natural curiosity. Today, just for fun, I decided to look up fun and interesting facts about dogs. I mean, let’s face it, the world would not be as fun without us in it, right?

Did you know that the Newfoundland breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet? This breed has been quite successful at helping to haul nets for fishermen and rescuing people at risk of drowning!

I am a lap dog, and that’s a good thing. Do you know why? Three dogs that survived the sinking of the Titanic were lap dogs – two Pomeranians and one Pekingese.

Does your dog twitch and exhibit paw movements during his sleep? That is a sign he is dreaming. Dogs and humans have the same type of slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement during the REM stage of sleep. (Go ahead! Videotape your cute mutt sleeping and upload it to Facebook!)

Dogs have super abilities! We can see in the dark, thanks to a special membrane in our eyes called the tapetum lucidum. No night vision goggles required for us!

Did you know our normal body temperatures can range between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit? Did you also know that we only sweat through the pads of our feet? We also pant to cool ourselves down.

We also have three eyelids. (Gross to think about, huh?) We have a lower lid, an upper lid and a third lid called the nictitating membrane, which helps to keep the eye moist and protected.

We have an amazing sense of smell. In fact, it can be up to 100,000 times more than that of a human. (So if you think you are getting away with sneaking a snack behind our backs, we have already smelled it before it goes from fridge to counter! Just sayin’!)

This may be gross, but it works in our favor. Ever wonder why our noses are wet? Well, our noses secrete a thin layer of mucous that helps to absorb scents. We then lick our noses to sample that scent through our mouths. (Please don’t try this at home…or in public!)

Well, there are a lot more interesting facts about dogs, but I am not here to brag…only to educate. So, if you want to learn more, go to petfinder.com, which is where I gathered this information! Or, you can just observe your dog on any given day and bask in the wonder of all that is unique about him!