As much as we love having their cute, cuddly faces around, dogs remain pretty mysterious when it comes to their ways of life. Rumors and old wives’ tales have flown around for years making it even more difficult to really know what’s going on inside those silly heads.
But these facts should help to set the record straight about the wonderful world of canines. You might be surprised by how much you didn’t know.
1. “Dangerous” Pit Bulls
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It is totally false that, as a breed, pit bulls are any more dangerous than any other large dog breed. Their misunderstood reputation most likely came from the disgusting and illegal dog fights that began to rise in the 1980s.
2. Clean Mouth
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Rumors about their mouths being cleaner than ours are a tad exaggerated. There’s bacteria in there, but it’s usually species specific.
3. Wet Noses
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Most believe the moisture is linked to their pup’s health, but that’s not really true. There are actually several causes, including constant licking and a clear fluid they secrete to help cool themselves.
4. Tails Tell All
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When a dog is relaxed, its tail will wag slowly from side to side, but when it feels happy or sees a friendly face it will start to move faster and use its hips. If the tail is sticking straight up, they are either feeling confident or aggressive.
5. Dog Kisses
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Whether you love it or hate it, when your dog gives your face a lick, the action actually released endorphins that help them calm down and relieves any stress.
6. Sniffing For Clues
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Doggy glands secrete informational scents for their puppy pals to pick up on, such as its gender, what it eats for dinner, and how it’s feeling that day. If only humans were so efficient.
7. Smelly Paws
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Don’t go accusing your doggie of getting into the popcorn tin just because their feet seem to smell that way. The smell is actually due to moisture caught in the folds of their feet resulting in a (harmless) bacteria.
8. Guilt Trips
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Studies have shown that when a dog is scolded, it will usually act guilty. But they may just be very good at getting out of trouble by being cute. When the studies showed the dog doing something bad without reprimand, none of them acted apologetic at all.
9. Guide Dog Clean Up
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Dogs trained to guide blind people are incredibly well trained to the point where they know to hold their bathroom time until the owner gives them the command and can properly clean up after them.
10. Lefty or Righty
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Yep, pooches have preferred paws the same way humans have handedness. You’ll be able to notice their dominate side by the way they shake hands or grab for things.
11. Jealous Much?
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Joking about your dog being jealous of the other pups he smells on your clothes is no laughing matter for him. Dogs really do have an envious trait in them when it comes to being their owner’s number one pup.
12. Dog Names
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Bella, Max, Buddy, Lucy, and Daisy top the list of names most commonly given to our puppy pals.
(via Mental Floss)
This clears up so much about my pup. I guess I really didn’t know her as well as I thought!
