Posted by bravectosouthafrica – 19 January 2019

Dogs are beautiful creations. From their little paws to their chubby rolls and drooling mouths, there is so much to love about dogs. With so much information available to you online and through dog communities, one would think that you’re already quite knowledgeable when it comes to dog facts. But you’ll be surprised. Here are six amazing dog facts you might not know:

Dogs can understand you

Often, you think that your furry friend doesn’t understand a word that you’re speaking to him or her, but that is incorrect. According to this article, “dogs can understand up to 150 words”. Depending on the type of dog breed you have and how much time you spend training him or her, it could be more.

Dogs sweat through their feet

This is one of those uncommon dog facts you probably didn’t know. Many people believe that a dog’s main sweat glands are in their coat, but those are known as apocrine glands (these glands are found throughout a dog’s hair follicles). So, if your dog has a longer coat, they are inclined to get hotter and produce more sweat. It’s also important to note that a dog’s main sweat glands are in their paw pads. Often, they will go and stand in a puddle, pool or bowl of water if they are getting very hot.

Puppies are born undeveloped

Ever noticed that a puppy’s eyes are closed, and they cannot hear anything you say during the first couple of weeks of their existence? This is because they’re blind and deaf. It takes up to three weeks for a puppy to develop their sight, hearing, and senses before they can start functioning properly.

Dogs can detect human sicknesses

Dogs can detect human sicknesses, for example, cancer and other human disorders. Should a dog owner fall ill with a disease, for example, diabetes, your dog will be able to smell the change in your scent. Trained dogs can even alert you about your illness in advance before you can pick it up as a human. They can pick up your behavioral changes and the change in smell before it progresses.

Dogs can become jealous and envious

One of the most popular dog facts is that dogs are creatures of habit. The more attention, love and treats you give them when they do something right, the more they will expect to receive them. Dogs enjoy having your full attention and can somewhat sulk when they feel left out or not attended to.

Dogs can dream like humans

This is a precious sight to see. There are various actions your dog will give during a dream. For example, a quiver, leg twitches or soft barks. These are all indications that your pet is dreaming.

If you enjoyed these cool facts about dogs, read more about pet health in our “Top 3 Facts About Pet Diabetes” article.

Sources:
Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Dogs and Cats
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Dogs