10 amazing facts about dogs

Dogs are wonderful; they provide us with love and companionship, and they are always there for us when we need them. But did you know that dogs are much more than meets the eye?

We've all heard that dogs have been "man's best friend" for thousands of years, but there's a lot more to our four-legged friends that makes them truly remarkable.

We've compiled a list of some of our favorite canine facts so you can get to know your dog a little better.

1. Their sense of smell is at least 40 times superior to ours.

In dogs, the area of brain cells that detect different smells is approximately 40 times larger than in humans. This means that your dog can detect far more odors than we can. This is why dogs are frequently used to detect people, drugs, and even money!

In fact, several of our own hero hounds have received PDSA medals for their noses! Buster, an arms and explosives search dog, was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 2003 for his outstanding service in Iraq, where he discovered a large amount of weapons and explosives linked to an extremist group, saving the lives of many civilians and service personnel.

2. Some people have such good noses that they can detect medical problems.

Yes, medical detection dogs exist. Because dogs have such a keen sense of smell, they can be trained to detect medical conditions. They are used to diagnose a condition or to alert their owners if they require additional medication. Some are even being taught to detect Covid-19!

Medical Detection Dog Pal (pictured above) is one of these incredible dogs, having received the PDSA Order of Merit. Pal saved diabetic owner Claire's life by alerting her to changes in her blood sugar. These changes could have killed her if they hadn't been detected in time.

3. Dogs can sniff and breathe at the same time.

Dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate food, potential dangers, and friends, so they sniff a lot. Their noses are designed to allow smells to remain in their noses while air moves in and out of their lungs at the same time, allowing them to breathe freely while still determining what that smell is!

5. Some are extremely fast and can even outrun a cheetah!

Most dogs can easily outrun humans because they are built to run and chase! The Greyhound, on the other hand, is by far the fastest breed of dog. Within seconds of starting to run, these speedy sighthounds can reach a top speed of 45mph.

‘But how does this beat a cheetah?' you might ask. While a cheetah can reach speeds of nearly 70 mph, they can only maintain this for about 30 seconds. Greyhound buses, on the other hand, could easily exceed 35mph for seven miles. So, despite the cheetah's early lead, they'd soon catch up!

6. Dogs don’t sweat like we do

While dogs sweat, don't expect them to have wet armpits anytime soon. Whereas humans sweat water to cool down, dogs produce a pheromone-laden oily substance that we can't detect (dogs know it's there because of their keen sense of smell). Because the only place where dogs sweat like humans is on their paws, they pant to cool down. This is why it is critical to keep your dog cool on hot days to make it easier on them. 

7. Your dog could have either left or right paws.

Several studies have been conducted on this subject, and it has been discovered that dogs, like humans, have a preferred hand (well, paw) to lead with. You can tell if your dog is left or right-pawed by giving them their favorite toy or interactive game and watching which paw they use to help themselves first.

8. Their hearing, like their noses, is extremely sensitive.

Dogs can hear much higher frequencies than humans, but did you know they can also hear further? Dogs, in general, can hear much softer sounds than we can, allowing them to hear things that are much further away.

This is yet another characteristic that makes them excellent search and rescue dogs. While they will primarily use their nose to track, their hearing can be extremely useful (especially as they get closer to whatever they are looking for!). K9 Killer (pictured above), who was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for assisting in the capture of rhino poachers, is an expert at tracking using both smell and hearing.

9. Dogs have 18 muscles that control their ears.

If you own a dog, you may have noticed that their ears move a lot. They actually have around 18 muscles that move their ears. These assist them in slightly changing the direction of their ears in order to hear noises around them better, and they play an important role in telling us how our dogs are feeling. Because so much of a dog's body language is expressed through what their ears do, a dog's ears are essential in helping them communicate with both us and other dogs. More information on canine body language can be found here.

10. Dogs have the intelligence of a two-year-old.

According to studies, dogs can learn over 100 words and gestures, putting their intelligence and understanding of us on par with a two-year-old. Dogs, on the other hand, are much easier to train than a two-year-old! Because they are both intelligent and extremely loyal animals, they are used for a wide range of jobs, from military roles to assistance dogs.

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