Did you know that August 26th was National Dog Day? In honor of your dog, our team at Anasazi Animal Clinic in Gilbert wants to let you in on a few fun facts about dogs that you may not know!
1. Dogs do actually dream.
Have you ever noticed your furry friend twitching in her sleep? It likely means she’s dreaming. Canine sleep patterns and brain activity are similar to that of humans. Research suggests they’re probably imagining their favorite activities, like playing outside or chasing a ball. How often do dogs dream? It depends on their size, actually—small breeds tend to dream more than large ones, with a new dream about every 10 minutes!
2. Dogs’ noses are wet to help their sense of smell.
Dog’s noses are wet primarily to help them absorb scent chemicals. Their nose secretes a special mucus that aids in taking these chemicals in. They lick their noses to sample the scent chemicals, which helps them understand the world around them. Many people believe that a dry nose is a sign that your dog is sick, however, this is not necessarily true. Some healthy dogs simply have dryer noses than other dogs.
3. Dogs have better hearing than humans.
In fact, dogs can hear sounds 4 times farther away than humans. Puppies are born deaf, but when they’re about three weeks old they gain their sense of hearing and quickly exceed our hearing abilities. Dogs can also hear higher-pitched sounds than we can—canines can detect a frequency range of 67 to 45,000 hertz (cycles per second), while the human range is from 64 to 23,000 hertz. In both dogs and humans, the upper end of this range diminishes with aging.
4. Your dog’s nose can sense your feelings.
Dogs can pick up on subtle changes in our scents, which can help them determine what we are feeling—for example, they can smell our perspiration when we are nervous or fearful. Not only can they sense our fear, but it makes them become more stressed too. Dogs also seem to recognize scents linked with happy emotions in humans. Take notice of how your dog is affected by your emotions.
5. Dogs have three eyelids.
Dogs have three eyelids in each eye! In addition to a top and bottom lid, they have what’s called a “nictitating membrane” in the corner of their eye. It serves to remove dust and mucus from the surface of the eye and to protect the eye from injury. It also produces antibodies that help prevent eye infections. Cats, birds, reptiles, fish and camels have them too! Generally, it shouldn’t be noticeable, but you might see it occasionally when your pet opens or closes her eyes. If it seems more visible than normal, this may indicate a problem with the eyelid. In this case, give us a call for an exam.
Give us a Call
We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about dogs! This year, for National Dog Day, celebrate your fur baby by making sure she is healthy. Bring her in to Anasazi Animal Clinic in Gilbert for her annual check-up. Our passion is providing compassionate, affordable care for all of your pets.
Image by PicsbyFran from Pixabay