While we recognize our best friends are special it is nice to see some interesting evidence that confirm what we already know! Here are five intriguing facts about our doggies:
1) Dogs can read your mind.
Not literally, but dogs are excellent at reading your body language. For example, one study hid a treat underneath one of two overturned buckets. A person standing behind the buckets gave various body cues to indicate which bucket had the treat, such as pointing at or leaning towards it.When chimpanzees or three-year-old children were faced with this situation, both were initially quite poor at interpreting the body signals until they learned what they meant. Whereas, dogs could almost immediately understand where the treat was. Researchers don’t know why this is, but dogs are clearly skilled at reading human body cues.
2) Touch is the first sense a puppy develops.
When a puppy is born, the first thing their mother does is clean them. This touches all the nerve endings in the puppy’s body and gets the blood flowing. From these tender beginnings, touch becomes part of socialization for dogs that promotes bonds between friends and family members, both canine and human.3) Dogs have lived with humans for at least 14,000 years.
When and where dogs were first domesticated by humans is debated by historians. Although, the first dogs are believed to be self-domesticated wolves, first attracted to early sites of human habitation.In Germany, there are unearthed remains of a person buried with their dog estimated to be 14,000 years old. Early dog remains have also been found in China, dated around 7,000-5,800 BC. There’s even a dog burial site in modern-day Utah estimated to be 11,000 years old.
The first identifiable dog breed dates from about 9,000 BC. It was probably a type of Greyhound dog used for hunting.
4) Dogs only sweat through their paws.
Unlike humans who have sweat glands over most of our bodies, dogs only have sweat glands in between their foot pads. Dogs rely primarily on panting with their mouths open instead of sweating to cool themselves. Moisture on their tongues evaporates and cools their overall body temperature. A panting dog can take 300-400 breaths per minute, compared to their regular 30-40 breaths per minute.5) Dogs have been revered throughout history.
When a pet dog died in ancient Egypt, the owners, if they could afford it, would have their dog mummified with the same care as a human family member. Owners would also shave off their eyebrows as a sign of extreme grief.It was thought that dogs were a gift from heaven in ancient China. Their blood was considered so sacred it was used in sealing oaths and swearing allegiances.
Domesticated dogs cannot really live without us. They know what it is to be loved by a human and, with that taken away, they become lonely and destitute. On the other hand, when we, as dog lovers, are asked to do without are we not left bereft as well?
For more intriguing facts go to Care 2.
In the far future perhaps dogs will become so intelligent they will start reading about ancient humans? When that day comes we may all wish we had been as innocent as our dogs are now.
