13 Facts we bet You Didn't Know About Dogs

When it comes to your dog, you probably think you know everything: what kind of toys they like, the way they like their belly scratched, and their favorite place to take a walk. With so many urban legends, myths, and misconceptions about dogs in general, we’re here to set the record straight, and share some fun facts you may not have known!

1. The most popular dog breed in the United States is the Labrador Retriever. Most people assume it is either German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers. Fun Fact: Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are actually the most sought-after breeds in the United States when looking for purebreds.

2. Dogs can smell up to 10,000x better than humans!

3. The ‘seven years rule’ for calculating dog age is not exactly accurate. Most experts suggest that the first year for dogs is equivalent to 15 human years, add 9 years in year 2, and 5 years for every following year. So after 4 human years, your pup would be about 34 dog years old!

4. Dogs are often thought to only see in black and white, but they do see color -- closer to the spectrum of a human with colorblindness.

Courtesy of Psychology Today.

5. Dog noses are wet to help trap in scents. Fun Fact: Did you know that Bloodhounds can track scents that are up to 300 hours old? That’s over 12 days!

6. When Dalmatians are born, they’re completely white.

7. Dogs can hear 4x the distance of humans. They have 18 muscles in their ears! Now that is a strong sense of hearing.

8. The average dog can run up to 19 miles per hour! Fun Fact: Greyhounds can run much faster, some up to 45 miles per hour.

9. Dogs can understand, on average, anywhere from 150-250 words, placing them at the vocabulary level of a 2 year old human.

@pupfrankie

10. The United States is home to over 89 million dogs, the largest population of dogs in the world. Sadly, up to 4 million dogs are placed in shelters or rescues in the United States every year.

11. The term “Dog Days of Summer” goes back to ancient Greek and Roman cultures. The official dates are July 22nd through August 23rd, and characterize what is typically the hottest part of summer.

12. Simply petting a dog can lower your blood pressure.

13. Some dogs are trained to notice the change in human breath scents that indicate a change in blood sugar levels. This means they can notify their owner before they go into diabetic shock.