10 Dog Facts Even Dog People Don't Know

Conversation fodder for the dog park.

1. Dogs actually DO sweat!

The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

You've probably heard that dogs pant because they don't sweat. Partially true, but actually dogs do have sweat glands in between their paws!

2. Male dogs lift their leg while peeing out of dominance...

Via piffe.com

Male dogs will raise their legs while urinating to aim higher on a tree, hydrant, or pole because they want to leave the message that they are tall and intimidating.

Some wild dogs in Africa try to run up tree trunks while they are urinating to appear to be very large!

On a similar note: In Croatia, scientists discovered that lampposts were falling down because a chemical in the urine of male dogs was rotting the metal. Whatever works, I guess!

3. More than just chocolate can hurt your dog...

The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

Even a little bit of the following can cause renal failure in dogs: Grapes, raisins, chocolate, macadamia nuts, cooked onions, or anything with caffeine can also be harmful. Also, Apple and pear seeds contain small traces of arsenic which can be deadly for doggies!

"Don't feed me human food" says this cute pup. No grapes for you, pooch!

4. The shape of a dog's face can suggest lifespan

The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

"My dog looks like it will live longer than yours..." It is said that the shape of a dog's face can suggest the length of a dog's life. Dogs that have sharper features typically live longer while dogs with very flat faces, such as bulldogs, often have shorter lives.

5. The Romans coined the phrase: "The dog days of summer"

The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

Are you Sirius? The term “dog days of summer” was coined by ancient Greeks and Romans to describe the hottest days of summer that coincided with the rising of the Dog Star, Sirius.

These pups enjoy their dog days of summer by playing with ice cubes! Watch them play!

Aw!

6. World's smallest dog was only 4oz

Doglopedia - The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

Itty Bitty! The smallest dog on record was a Maltese and weighed only 4 OUNCES when it was fully grown!

7. Dogs can SMELL diseases!

The Healing Power of Pets - The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

Dogs have amazing noses! They can smell all sorts of things including cancer, epilepsy and diabetes! Researchers believe that canines can pick up on the faint scents given off by the abnormal cells.

8. A dog's fingerprint is their nose

Via pawsitivek9obedience.com

A dog's noseprint is as unique as a human's finger print and can be used to accurately identify a dog!

Crazy, right?

9. Dogs survived the Titanic

Via news.yahoo.com

Three dogs were among the Titanic survivors. 12 dogs boarded the ship en route to New York.

10. Now if only we could explain the chase-the-tail bit...

The Pet Collective / Via youtube.com

Dogs and cats turn in circles before lying down because in the wild this instinctive action turns long grass into a bed.

Oh! That makes so much sense!

Hope you enjoyed the wealth of geeky animal knowledge!

Tell us - do you know any odd dog facts?

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