7 Fun Facts About Dogs – Does Your Dog Know when You are Pregnant?

Whether you own one or not, one thing is for sure, dogs can teach you a lot about life. Who better to teach you about how to be happy, than a dog?  Dogs can make your day so much brighter and here are some Fun Facts About Dogs that will make you love your dog friends even more.

Did You Know?…

1. Dogs Look & Act like their Owners

Research conducted by Michael Roy at the University of California, showed that the idea that dogs look like their owners has merit to it. After photographing the dogs and the owners separately and asking participants to match them up, they were able to work out who belonged to whom with shocking accuracy. The test has been repeated many times and time after time the results show that dogs have more in common with the owners than what you might think. The looks might be one of them but it’s also shown that the dog may share our personality traits. The researcher Borbala Turcsan who did the personality test with dog owners said that  “It was actually higher than the similarity found in married couples and friends.” So, consider that if your are a dog owner, your dog not only looks like you but acts like you too 😊

2. Dogs Know When your Pregnant 

There is a reason why dogs are used in Airports to sniff passengers and luggage. Dogs live in a world of smell. From sniffing up explosive objects to finding their favourite toy by smell. Dogs can smell anything. Even how you are feeling. Yes really!

Dogs pick up on the subtle changes in your scent which can tell them how you are feeling. Even if you are having a baby. Yes, they pick up on the hormones that your body produces that also change your scent. It’s crazy, I know, tell me about it…The dog might know that you are pregnant even before you know it. As they start to notice the changes in your behaviour and mood it’s common for the dogs to become overprotective of their expecting owner, even from the baby’s father. They might also start to treat you with more care and attention.  So, enjoy the extra Love when your pregnant and have a dog 😊… Dogs are now even being used to predict disease in some hospitals.

Read on for more Fun Facts About Dogs.

3. Dogs can fall in love 

Yes, dogs fall in Love not only with their owner but also with one another. There is a reason why it’s called puppy Love.

Paul Zak, a professor at Claremont Graduate University in California, discovered in his research that a dog’s brain releases oxytocin – the love hormone. This hormone is released in dogs while they interact with humans and dogs they love. It’s the same hormone humans release when we hug and kiss.  But then any dog owner already knows that you and your dog fall in love when you look in each other’s eyes and yes research can back that up.

4. Your Dog is as smart as a 2-year-old

Dog’s can understand up to 250 word and gestures, this is similar to a two-year-old child. Probably why they make such good friends, they speak the same language 😊. Being smart also depends on their breed. So, if you feel like your dog is not smart enough then blame it on their breed or the dog just doesn’t want to listen 😊 …Some breeds in the top smart list are Golden Retrievers and Dobermans.  That’s what we call Fun Facts About Dogs.

5. Dogs dream like humans

Dogs have similar brainwave patterns and show similar electrical sequences, so scientists have accepted that they most likely dream just like humans.  It’s interesting to consider that small dogs dream more than big dogs. You can notice when a dog is in deep dream state – when their eyelids are moving. You see some twitching and movement, the dog is probably trying to chase something or dreaming of his favourite human, You.

 

6. Pet a dog and lower your blood pressure – Fun Facts About Dogs

Dogs not only improve our life they also improve our health.  Research has shown that living with pets helps to lower the blood pressure, boost immunity and lower anxieties. It has been tested that the levels of feel good neurotransmitters,  serotonin and dopamine, were released and rose when you played with a dog. A lot of studies have also proven that pet owners who suffer from heart attacks, survive more often than those who don’t have a pets.

When you are bonding with your pet the hormone called oxytocin is released, also known as the “hug hormone”. This hormone also acts as natural “pain killer” and lowers stress levels and blood pressure. It is the same hormone that’s released when you are bonding with your partner or children. Well since love can be expressed to different species, our dog friends are no exception in helping us feel more Love. Next time you need to lower your stress level and blood pressure have a cuddle with your favourite furry friend.

7. Dogs sweat through the pads of their paws

Have you ever thought about how dogs sweat? Well to cool down their body temperature dogs pant as a way to evaporate cooling. When dogs get hot they open their mouth and breath heavily, this is to pant. As water evaporates from the dogs lungs, tongue and nasal passages, it helps to lower the body temperature. This helps them to cool down. However, in terms of sweating, they sweat through their paws.

The pads are are very high in keratin, this makes the skin tough to walk on. A lot of dogs have shown in some cases sweat dripping from their paws. This can cause a lot of pain since the skin becomes softer and more delicate compared to normal paw pads.

The sweat glands in dogs paws not only serve as a way to cool down but also to help with the gripping of the ground.  Normal paws should have a saltier corn smell and not be to damp.