There are more different types of
dogs than any other animal in the world.
In the United States and in France, almost one in three families have
a pet dog, while in Germany and Switzerland, there is only one dog for
every ten families!
The common belief that dogs are color blind is
false. Dogs can see color, but not as vividly as humans.
The smartest breeds of dogs are: the Border
Collie, the Poodle, and the Golden Retriever, while at the other end
of the spectrum is the Afghan.
The smaller the dog, the faster it matures.
Puppies are deaf until they are around 20 days
old.
30% of all dog owners carry a picture of their
dog in their wallet.
9 out of 10 dog owners give their dogs gifts at
Christmas and on their birthdays.Top Crossbreeds
Of all the animals on earth, the dog is the most diverse. This is
because man took over the dog’s evolutionary chain and bred canines
for specific purposes. Thousands of years of deliberate breeding has
resulted in more than 400 recognized purebreds worldwide.
The purebreds of today were developed by combining different breeds
hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Today, though purebreds are
still valued, crossbreeds are becoming very popular. A crossbreed is a
mix of two purebreds—not to be confused with mixed breed dogs or more
popularly known as “mutts.” Most of the popular crossbreeds are
one-half poodle. This is because poodles are renowned for their
temperament, their non-shedding short coats, and their intelligence.
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Top 20 Dog Names |
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Male
Max
Jake
Buddy
Bailey
Sam
Rocky
Buster
Casey
Cody
Duke
Charlie
Jack
Harley
Rusty
Toby
Murphy
Sparky
Barney
Winston
Bear
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Female
Maggie
Molly
Lady
Sadie
Lucy
Daisy
Ginger
Abby
Sasha
Sandy
Bella
Katie
Annie
Chelsea
Princess
Missy
Sophie
Bo
Coco
Tasha
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Top 10 Most Popular Crossbreed Dogs: |
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1. Labradoodle
2. Goldendoodle
3. Cockapoo
4. Pomapoo
5. Pekepoo
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6. Yorkiepoo
7. Schnoodle
8. Westiepoo
9. Wolf Hybrid
10. Bichipoo
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“The average dog is nicer than the average person.”- Andy Rooney
“If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog
biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.”- Phil Pastoret“Anybody who doesn’t know what soap
tastes like never washed a dog.”- Franklin P. Jones
“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a
puppy licking your face.”- Ben Williams
“If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough
exercise.”- Unknown
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Pets: A New Name for Fluffy
Why pets names are more human than ever.
Choosing a name for your pet can be an exercise in anthropomorphism.
By: Carlin Flora, Psychology Today
Today’s pets have cuddled, cooed, and purred their way to elevated
status in the family—and, in our alienated world, sustain deep emotional
connections with humans whose lives they share. From doggy day care to
special toys and foods, the increasing anthropomorphism of the family pet
is seen everywhere, especially in pet names. The most popular names for
new puppies in 2004, was Max, according to PetData, an organization that
licenses animals throughout North America. For “girl” puppies, the
favorites are Maggie and Molly. Quite a few conspicuously human-sounding
names landed in the top 100 of New York City’s dog database too, including
Bella, Sophie, Lily and Oliver.
“Animals are surrogates for children and appeal to our predisposition
to nurture,” says Sam Gosling, assistant professor of psychology at the
University of Texas at Austin. “We’ve even selectively bred dogs to make
them more like children—to have big eyes and small noses, to be attuned to
our emotions and to give unconditional love.”
The naming trend flows both ways. Amid the relatively recent fervor for
bestowing unique names on their tots, parents are choosing common nouns,
mythological characters and concepts such as Destiny, Chance, Jupiter, and
Freedom—all of which could pass for pet monikers. “A lot of boundaries are
getting crossed,” says Pamela Redmond Satran, co-author of Cool Names for
Babies.
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Top 10 AKC Registered Breeds
(American Kennel Club, as
of 2005)
1. Labrador Retriever
2. Golden Retriever
3. German Shepherd
4. Yorkshire Terrier
5. Beagle
6. Daschund
7. Boxer
8. Poodle
9. Shih Tzu
10. Miniature Schnauzer
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Dog Years and Human Years
The idea that one year in a dog’s
life equals seven years of human life is not exactly true.
(Indeed, some dogs live to 20 years or more, which would mean 140
plus!) There are a greater number of dog years associated with a
young dog than an older dog. For example, a dog of 6 years of age
will have aged about 45 “human” years; at 10 years of age, he’s
like a person who’s 65; at 12 years of age, a person of 75; and at
15 years of age, a person of 90!
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The Healing Power of Pets By: Carin Garrell, Psychology Today
Taking care of a loved one includes taking care of your pet. But here’s
something more to chew on: our pets take care of us in return. In fact,
the man-an-his-dog bond can improve pet owner’s physical and mental
health. Pet ownership can have specific healing effects, including lower
blood pressure and cholesterol levels. One study, from the University of
New England in Australia, found that cat owners had fewer psychiatric
disturbances than those without feline friends. And research conducted at
the University of New York at Buffalo found that hypertensive stockbrokers
improved dramatically after owning a pet for six months.
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- The Basenji, which originated in Africa, the only dog that cannot
bark.
- Dogs can donate blood to other dogs.
- Chocolate is poisonous to both dogs and cats.
- Lassie made her film debut in 1943.
- Dalmation puppies are pure white when they are born.
- Blonde bombshell actress Jean Harlow named her dog “Oscar” so that
she could always say that she had gotten one.
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- The poodle-pom-pom cut was originally developed to increase the
poodle’s swimming abilities as a retriever. The haircut allowed for
faster swimming but the pom-poms were left to keep the joints warm.
- Bassett Hounds cannot swim. Their legs are too short to keep their
heavy, long bodies afloat.
- Walt Disney’s family dog was a Poodle named Lady.
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The Guinness Book of Pet Records (2003)
The World’s Oldest Dog
The world’s oldest dog, according to the Guinness Book of Pet
Records, is an Australian Cattle dog named “Bluey” from Victoria,
Australia. He died when he was almost 29 years old—146 “human” years!
The Most Celebrated Canine Rescuer
The most famous canine rescuer of all time is a St. Bernard dog
called Barry, who rescued more than 40 people during a 12 year career
on the Swiss Alps. His numerous successful rescues included that of a
young boy who was lying half frozen under an avalanche in which his
mother had perished. Barry spread himself across the boy’s body to
warm him and licked his face until he succeeded in waking him up. He
then carried the youngster back to the nearest dwelling.
The Dog with the Largest Repertoire of Tricks
Toy Poodle Chanda-Leah, owned and trained by Sharon Robinson
(Canada), can perform a repertoire of 469 tricks, including playing
the piano, knowing her three, four, and five times tables, and riding
a skateboard. She has appeared on numerous television shows.
The Most Successful Sniffer Dog
Snag, a US Customs Labrador Retriever trained and partnered by Jeff
Weitzmann (USA), has made 118 drug seizures, worth a canine record
$810 million and counting.
The Most Successul Police Dog
Police Dogs are a vital aid to law enforcement. Although many
canine breeds are used in this line of work, the world’s top police
dog is a Golden Retriever named Trepp, who is credited with more than
100 arrests and the recovery of over $63 million worth of narcotics.
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