25 fun facts about dogs

It’s pretty common knowledge that dogs can’t eat chocolate, but have you ever wondered why? Chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine which dogs are unable to digest. Consumption of chocolate could create a brutally toxic buildup in their system which could ultimately be deadly. So keep your pup out of the pantry!

See what other foods you should never feed your pet.

Dogs don’t curl up in a ball when they sleep just for cuteness points. They essentially curl up due to a biological instinct to protect their vital organs and keep themselves warm.

Dogs have an amazing sense of vocabulary, with the ability to learn over 1,000 words! For example, a Border Collie named Chaser knows both nouns and verbs and can understand them enough to shape an action. Research on the subject is in full swing with programs dedicated to dog psychology at major universities such as Duke University, Yale University, and Barnard College.

Many veterinarians and breeders agree that between 7-8 weeks is the most ideal time to bring a puppy home for the first time. The largest factor in this decision is the puppy’s socialisation period which usually occurs during weeks 6-12. This period of time is when the puppy is learning the norms of everyday life. It’s best for dogs to enter their new home during this time so they can adapt to their new environment.

Learn the first 8 things you should do to train a puppy.

There are many breeds of dogs that look like wolves, but did you know that all the dogs we love today have descended from the wild wolf? Wolves would certainly not make a good pet and while wolf-dog hybrids do exist, they are only recommended for experienced dog owners.

It’s a challenge to estimate how many dogs currently live around the world, but according to the most recent estimations, there are approximately 900 million. About 75-85 percent of those dogs are considered free-range, meaning they are not owned by humans and an estimated 200 million dogs are strays according to the World Health Organization. With many countries requiring pets to be registered, the country with the most pet dogs is France with a dog to human ratio of 17 to 100.

Now that these dog facts have helped you understand your pup a little better, dig into these things your dog wishes you knew.

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Source: RD.com