Dogs have lived alongside people for thousands of years, approximately, 31,700 years to be precise, dating back to the first modern humans and, possibly, even the times when the Neanderthals roamed the Earth. Even after more than 30,000 years, however, we're still learning new things about our, now, domesticated four-legged furry friends. Here's a look at a few of the things that most people don't know about their cuddly companions, and why they do some of the things in which they do...
"Talk About Getting Lost In Someone's Eyes... "
Due to the lack of English that dogs know how to speak, and the minimal knowledge that people have as to what each bark means, canines and humans have had to rely on methods, other than dialogue, in order to communicate their emotions to each other. While some signs, like a dog's wagging tail, are fairly straightforward, others are a little bit more subtle.
When a dog's eyes are soft and gentle, they aren't just trying to be cute, they're showing us that, at that moment, they're happy.
"Lick It Up"
After spending a few hours running around outside, there are not many things that a dog will want to do before refreshing itself with a nice long drink of water. Due to the, apparently, frantic method in which dogs quench their thirsts, however, their people end up spending part of every day drying the water that has splashed out from the bowl.
What most people don't know is that one of the reasons that dogs make such a mess while they're drinking is because they, actually, drink with the back of their tongues.
"Part Of The Family"
Due to the new people, smells, and, of course, location, the first few days in a new home will, most likely, be quite nerve-wracking for a dog, no matter how old it is. That's why it's very important to do whatever needs to be done to make the family's newest addition as comfortable as possible. Luckily, there are a few things that a dog will do, unconsciously, that will show their people that they're ready to trust them.
Sleeping on their side with their arms and legs outstretched is a sign that they're comfortable in their surroundings and feel safe with their new family.
"Once The Prints Are On File, You're In The System For Life"
Tolstoy has a habit of getting into the cupboards while his parents are away and eating just about anything he could get his paws on. He also has a tendency of trying to put the blame on his brothers and sisters. Unfortunately for Tolstoy, just as no two people have the same fingerprints, no two dogs have the same noseprint as well. So, when his parents got home and saw a noseprint in the flour, it didn't take long to figure out who the real culprit was.
Not just used to pick up smells from miles away, or specific scents from right next to them, a dog's nose is also its unique identifier.
"Checking... Checking... Checking Complete"
We've all seen dogs greet other dogs by sniffing their behinds, well, why should greeting a person be any different? Canines have a way of checking on their friends that most of us would consider being quite inappropriate, if done by a fellow human being, of course. They tend to get a little bit...personal. When a dog buries itself in a person's crotch, don't worry, it's, usually, doing so with honourable intentions.
Ryker is just giving us the old "snifferoo" because sniffing the "crotchal region" (front or back) is how dogs check on us to make sure we're doing okay.
"It Takes Some Time To Adapt"
Anyone who has had a dog can attest to the fact that the adorable animals sleep a lot. As long as they feel safe and secure, dogs are able to (and do) fall asleep pretty much anywhere and in any position. But when is the amount that they sleep too much? And should it be a cause for concern if they always seem low on energy?
If there is a noticeable increase in how much Wally is sleeping, there's a good chance that it's because he's feeling a little bit stressed in the new environment. As his stress decreases, the amount of time spent sleeping should decrease as well.
"Dear Boy, Why Are You Crying? "
As a result of the time that we spend with these adorable little creatures, we tend to notice things about their anatomy that are very different than a person's, and I'm not talking about the fact that they're shaped like dogs. For starters, dogs, like cats, have little pockets in their ears called "Henry's pockets". And, secondly, sometimes they blink sideways...
Similar to beavers, polar bears, kangaroos, and a few other animals, dogs also have a third eyelid, and yes, it moves from side to side, instead of up and down. They also have invisible tear ducts in the corner of their eyes.
"That's A Sweaty Handshake"
Oreo is a fun-lovin' pooch pal who, whenever the opportunity should arise, enjoys spending his time running amuck with the other little furballs at the park. After rolling around in the grass and chasing each other around all afternoon, it's only natural that Oreo and the gang would work up a bit of a sweat. Unlike people, however, dogs don't sweat from everywhere.
While many people have, for years, believed that dogs sweat through their noses and tongues, their sweat glands are, actually, found in their little bear-like paws.
"Yup, This Is Mine Now"
It's impossible not to notice how often, and in how many places, a dog will leave its mark while out on a walk. When they do so, it's also impossible not to notice that male dogs, usually, lift one of their hind legs. For years, many people have gone on believing that male dogs do this so that they will avoid urinating on themselves...
Rumour has it, that's not the reason at all. Apparently, dogs lift their legs when they're relieving themselves in order to appear larger to potential rivals while in a vulnerable position.
"This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"
A couple of times a day, every day, it's almost as though Gadget loses her mind. Out of nowhere, she'll just jump up and start running around the house as though someone, or something, is chasing her and her life depends on it. The good news for Gadget's family is that this is completely normal, and not exclusive to dogs.
They're called "zoomies", and they are when dogs do exactly what Gadget is doing - running around with no purpose and no goal in mind. Don't worry, having the "zoomies" is a sign that the dog is healthy, it's when they stop that one should be concerned.
"Who's A Little Splooter? "
Of the many ways in which a furry pal will choose to show how they feel about their playmates, there are a few that stand out on the cuteness chart a bit more than the others. One of the ways that dogs will show their playful sides is by crouching down and jumping from side to side. Another way, and the one that Timon has demonstrated below, has all but defined his breed...
More commonly known as "splooting", the position that corgis have made famous is also the position that most dogs take when they are displaying playful tendacies, and trust those whom they are playing with.
"Dreaming Of You"
When a pet is taken home and becomes part of the family, it becomes understood rather quickly that everything in the house is theirs, including the people. Seeing as how dogs rarely mature past the age of a 2-year-old human child, their clinginess and the separation anxiety that they go through is understandable. In order to make them feel more comfortable when they're home alone, try leaving some unwashed clothes around for them to cuddle with.
It's bound to be rather obvious, but the reason why dogs will sleep on their person's clothes is that they want to be closer to them. In other words, they miss their best friend.
"He's Just After A Squeeze"
From a young age, Johnny had always walked up to strangers, sat down next to them, and leaned his body weight against their legs. At first, his person didn't know what was happening. They thought that, perhaps, there was something wrong with Johnny the puppy. As they would later find out, Johnny was just fine. In fact, his leaning was the result of something opposite to bad...
A leaning dog is a loving dog. Some dogs might lean on their person when they're scared, but most do it as a sign of affection. Leaning is a dog's way of hugging.
"She Knows That They've Got Her '6'"
As a result of their inability to hide what they're feeling, a dog's body language speaks even louder than a person's body language does. Leela is a dog, much like other dogs, as everyone around always knows exactly what she's feeling. When she falls asleep, her subconscious hides her mood even worse than her conscious mind does. The position in which Leela passes out around her people speaks wonders for how she feels about them.
When Leela would fall asleep on her back, belly up, it would be because she completely trusted whoever was near her when she slipped into dreamland.
"Don't Knock It Until You've Tried It"
When Caramel gets outside, one of the first things she does every time is stop, drop, and roll. No, it's not because there's a fire, nor is it because she has ants in her pants, it's for a much less stressful reason than either one of those. And, although it's not the most ideal thing in the world to be cleaning grass out of her fur, it's nothing that a quick bath won't fix.
So what if they get a little bit dirty? Rolling around in the grass is a great way for a dog to unwind. They use it as stress relief, and who can blame them?
"You're Soooo Good Looking! "
Most dogs spend a lot of their day inside and away from those who are not their family, so when they, finally, get a chance to head outside for a bit of playtime, sometimes, they get a little bit over-excited, and it's difficult to tell if they're playing or not. It's a good thing that there are a few tell-tale signs that all dogs will give off to show that they're just goofing around.
Sneezing is one of the ways in which dogs will show others that there's nothing to be concerned about, they're just playing around. Growling, on the other hand, means something a little bit different.
"Some Friends Don't Need Invites"
Every time that Graham's family takes him out for a 'W' 'A' 'L' 'K' to the 'P' 'A' 'R' 'K', they know that they won't be traveling alone. Ever since he was a pup, mostly, because he has refused to be separated from it for long periods of time, Graham has never failed to bring his oldest and dearest friend along with them.
Just like a kid, a dog will take its favorite toy with them wherever they go in order to protect it from getting lost or being used by others.
"Officer Bailey Reporting For Duty"
Very few animals are trusted as much as dogs are when it comes to life and death situations. A canine's sense of smell has been responsible for saving countless lives throughout the years. Bailey is a prime example of how far a dog's loyalty to its person can go. Service dogs are the true heroes of the animal world. They do what their person has trained them to do, because, well, they know no other way.
A dog's sense of smell is so good that they are able to smell narcotics, and even pick up the scent of various diseases and viruses, such as cancer and COVID-19.
"Someone Wants Some Cuddles"
Having trouble finding that floppy-eared, wet-nosed, big-eyed ball of fur that is usually waiting at the window, or door, for its best friend to get home? Wondering why all of the dirty clothes are constantly being taken out of the hamper and found in piles around the house? Moreover, do those piles of dirty laundry happen to have furry little faces poking out from within them?
Burrowing in their person's clothing is a strong sign that they're missing their person when they're left at home for too long. Burrowing in the clothes is the dog's way of feeling closer to the ones they love.
"Just Try To Say No To That Face"
Leaving for work in the morning is tough for many reasons, amongst which is having to be separated from Cosmo until returning back home in the evening. And let's face it, when he gives those puppy dog eyes of his, he's not making it any easier to go. With one look dogs have a way of making us feel a tremendous amount of guilt, but that's not their intention.
When a dog gives us, what we believe to be, their "guilt trip" eyes, it's believed that they're, actually, trying to tell us that it's okay to leave, because they trust that we'll come back.
"Those Ears! "
One of the cutest attributes about a puppy is that its extremities are proportionally ridiculous. As opposed to human babies who have small ears that grow along with their bodies, dogs' ears tend to be huge when they're puppies, and then, eventually, they grow into them. The one thing that doesn't change about a dog's ears as they mature, however, is how well they are able to control them and place them into a wide range of cute positions.
The reason why a dog's ears are able to show as much emotion as they do is that each ear has 18 different muscles that are able to position the ears in some extraordinarily adorable positions.
"Bed Buddies"
Dogs have the habit of sleeping in some rather interesting locations around the household, and, for the four-legged bundles of joy, each one of those places has a different meaning. Quite a few people think that warmth or loneliness is the main reason why we sometimes wake up with someone else's drool on our faces, but there is another, more wholesome reason why this happens.
When a dog sleeps with, or on, someone it's the ultimate sign of trust. Through their actions, they're showing the individual that, even when they're at their most vulnerable, they feel comfortable with them.
"Please, Just Wait With Me"
Going to the washroom is a vulnerable time for everyone, it doesn't matter what animal they are. Most creatures appreciate a bit of privacy when they empty their poop chutes, but when it's not possible, having a trustworthy person keeping a lookout is the next best thing. Ever notice that aside from the guilty look they give off while pooping, dogs will also stare, rather intently, at the person whom they're out on their walk with?
While "getting rid" of the food they ate earlier, a dog will, generally, make eye contact with the person they trust the most.
"BFFs 4 Ever! "
There is a connection that dogs and people share with one another that few other creatures on Earth (if any) share. Dogs rely on their human families for so much, but people rely on their fuzzy companions for friendship and love in very much the same way. Anyone who has ever been part of a household that has had a dog as part of the family either knows what it's like to be the dog's favourite, or to envy the person whom the dog favours.
Dogs, being people's best friend, love being around most individuals, however, much like people, they too have a best friend and person whom they prefer to spend their time with.
"Excuse Me, I'm Over Here"
The walks that Spanky goes on with his person are, usually, the best time of the day for him. He is able to show off his person to all of the other dogs and, to be honest, he generally takes quite a bit of pride in doing so. Every now and again, however, there will be another dog that will, albeit briefly, take Spanky's person's attention away from him, and his reaction speaks louder than any words (or bark) ever can.
Contrary to what people believe, sometimes, dogs tend to be quite jealous of any attention that is shown to a creature other than themselves, and, like Spanky, are not afraid to show it.
"Oh, Hi, You're Home Early"
From the time they are puppies, dogs have a habit of getting themselves into all sorts of mischief, and Dumbo here is no different. He spends his days dragging his toys from one place to the other, leaving most of them in the middle of hallways, or, as a result of his inability to easily ascend them, on the stairs. When his person gets home, Dumbo is, usually, still right in the thick of things.
A fully matured dog will, rarely, have the intelligence of anything older than a 2-year-old child, so, if they make a mistake, take it easy on them, the entirety of their adult lives is, technically, the terrible 2s.
"This Is Also Mine"
As far as people are concerned, our playful pals have a whole slew of weird habits that we don't understand, and, for as long as we live, we may never. Decades of research and centuries of companionship have been able to clarify some of these oddities. One of which is why it is that after peeing, pooping, or just walking by a random patch of ground, dogs kick back their hind legs and spray dirt everywhere.
While kicking up dirt, after doing their business, is common, dogs also commit this odd act without nature calling - it's how they leave their mark for others to recognize.
"It's About Half Past Adorable, But Closer To A Quarter To Cute"
After being part of the family for a short time, a dog learns each member's routine. They get accustomed to saying farewell, when someone will leave for the day, and will even lay in front of the door prior to the occasion in hopes of preventing the daily departure. Similarly, a dog knows when it's almost dinner time, and will be sure to let its person know if they're even a moment late. But how do they know what time it is?
Just like other dogs, Cecile doesn't have a concept of time, but she does have a sense of time. She won't know things like seconds or hours, but she will know if someone has been gone for a while.
"Pass The Yawn"
There are countless ways in which dogs and people are different but, as we spend more time with our little buddies, the ways in which we realize we are similar to them begin to multiply. The obvious similarities come in the physical form: both species have eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, but it's the physiological similarities that are truly astounding.
In yet another way that we aren't so different from these tiny buddles of joy, when dogs yawn, it reduces their stress, calms them down, and, of course, shows that they're sleepy.
"Why Does Everything Slant Down To The Left? "
A dog's curiosity is anything but subtle. They spend most of their day sniffing various things, including our crotches, and eating, or trying to eat, at least, half of what they find. Each time a dog experiences someone or something new, however, they have a tendency to survey the situation first, and they do so by putting themselves into an adorable position.
It might look adorable, but it, actually, serves a purpose. Dogs stare at us with tilted heads in order to read our body language.
"Smells Like Potassium To Me"
A dog's nose is one of its most prized assets. Their sense of smell is ridiculously stronger than a human's and, as a result, they use those powerful schnozzes for, pretty much, everything from reading a message that one of their friends left for them to sniff out explosives and narcotics. Some people believe that dogs sweat through their noses, or that the wetness of a dog's nose helps to determine how happy they are...
A happy dog, probably, also has a wet nose, but the primary reason for a canine's nose being moist is, most likely, so that it can more easily absorb scent chemicals.
"Just A Few More Degrees To The Southwest"
As happy as a dog is to see their person when they arrive home after a long day apart, there are few things that a dog anticipates more than that first poop after a long day of waiting to be taken outside to relieve themselves. But if a dog has been waiting all day to empty the tank, why does it always take them so long to find the right spot to do their business?
Dogs subconsciously use the Earth's magnetic fields to align their bowels and bladders, as a result, they tend to poop, almost exclusively, along the North/South axis.
"One Of Us"
From the moment that a dog (adult or puppy) is brought into someone's home, they, unknowingly, become an integral part of the family. As time passes, the dog begins to feel comfortable and, eventually, will begin to show signs that it not only feels as though it's become part of our family, but that we are part of its family as well.
As we saw earlier on, sleeping with their person is a sign that a dog trusts them, but when all the dogs sleep together on their person, it signifies that they consider their person to be a member of the pack.
"Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These"
Dogs are responsible for doing countless adorable things throughout the day, but one of the cutest things they do isn't even in their control. When a puppy dreams, it makes cute little noises, and its legs move around. It's dreaming puppy things, and it couldn't be happier. An adult dog, however, doesn't seem to dream as much, and it's because a dog's dream frequency is, actually, based on its age.
When dogs are puppies and senior citizens, they dream more often than when they are in the middle years of their lives.
*Sniff Sniff* "Bacon? " *Sniiiiifff* "BACON! "
Waking up in the morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and bacon that's sizzling to perfection on the grill can only be described as heavenly. Now, imagine being able to smell every bakery within a 10-mile radius. Nothing but the aroma of deliciousness everywhere. If we had the amazing sense of smell that a dog has, that would be the life we'd be living.
Incredibly, a dog's sense of smell is between 10,000 and 100,000 times stronger than that of a human. Some reports have dogs being able to pick up scents from up to 20 kilometers away.