Did you know ...?

• Breeds - There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.
   
• Chihuahuas - Get their name from the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. They usually weigh between 2 to 6lb (0.9 to 2.7 Kg) and are about 5" high at the shoulder. There are 2 types of Chihuahua: the longhaired and the smooth coat.
   
• Dalmatians - The puppies are born pure white, without spots. The spots develop later.
   
• Fastest dogs - The greyhound, reading at speeds of 45 miles per hour, is generally considered the fast breed.
   
• French Poodles - Surprise surprise, they did not originate in France but in Europe where they were used as hunting dogs. Because their thick coats proved a problem in the bush and water, their owners started clipping them leaving hair on the ankles to protect against rheumatism.
   
• Hair - Some dogs have 2 coats; the shorter undercoat is usually fluffy.

Find cute gifts for dog lovers.

Spoil your dog with his own t-shirt.

• Hearing - dogs can hear far better than we can. They can register sounds up to 45,000 Hz (compared to our top range of 23,000 Hz, a cat's top of 64,000 Hz and a mouse, believe it or not, with a top range of 91,000 Hz). The Lhasa Apso is well known for its keen sense of hearing and therefore is considered a good watch dog.
   
• Heaviest dog - Zorba, an old English Mastiff weighing 343 lbs in 1989. Generally, the St. Bernard is considered the heaviest breed weighing about 200 lbs.
   
• Largest dogs- The Irish Wolfhound is considered to be one of the biggest breeds, measuring 28" to 37" (71 cm to 94 cm) at the shoulder and weighing up to 135 lb (61 kg). It is considered a very loyal breed.
   
• Lifespan - Smaller dogs usually have a longer life span than larger dogs.
   
• Longest dog - Zorba, an old English Mastiff weighing 8 feet 3 inches long in 1989.
   
• Memory - A study was conducted at the University of Michigan in which it was found that cats have better memories than dogs  In the study a dog's memory of how to solve a problem could last up to 5 minutes, while a cat's could last up to 16 hours.
   
• Oldest dog - Bluey, an Australian cattle dog - aged 29.
   
• Poison - It is not a myth that chocolate can be dangerous for dogs. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine which stimulates the cardiac and nervous systems. The concentration in chocolate is too much for dogs, small dogs in particular.
   
• Puppies - are usually born 63 days after conception. About 14 days later, their eyes open.

Dog Breed Information

• Popular dogs 2006 - According to the American Kennel Club, the 10 most popular dogs in 2006 were, in order of popularity:

(Information based on registration statistics.)
 

Do you think I could make the list?

Compare the most popular dogs in 2005 with the list from 2004. The trend appears to be towards smaller breeds but the trusty Labrador Retriever still holds position #1 and has done so for the past 16 years.

• Popular dogs 2005 - According to the American Kennel Club, the 10 most popular dogs in 2005 were, in order of popularity:

  1. Labrador Retriever
  2. Golden Retriever
  3. Yorkshire Terrier
  4, German Shepherd Dog
  5. Beagle
  6. Dachshund
  7. Boxer
  8. Poodle
  9. Shih Tzu
  10. Miniature Schnauzer

• Popular dogs 2004 - According to the American Kennel Club, the 10 most popular dogs in 2004 were, in order of popularity:

  1. Labrador Retriever
  2. Cocker Spaniel (English)
  3. English Springer Spaniel
  4. German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian)
  5. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  7. Golden Retriever
  8. West Highland White Terrier
  9. Boxer
  10.Border Terrier

• Smallest dogs - the Chihuahua, usually 6-9" and no more than 6 lbs is regarded as the smallest dog breed, but a Yorkshire Terrier which died in England in 1945 was 2.5 inches tall, 3.5 inches longs and weighted only 4 ounces.
   
• Smartest dogs - poodles, border collies and golden retrievers.
   
• Smell - Man has about 5 million smelling receptors. Compare this to various dog breeds: A Dachshund has 125 million, whilst an Alsatian 220 million. The St. Bernard has a very keen sense of smell which makes it ideal for tracking people lost in the snow.
   
• Sounds - Dogs vocal cords are much thicker and less sensitive than ours which means that they can bark longer than we can before getting a hoarse throat. Dogs can only make about 10 sounds, compared to cats which can make over a hundred.
   
• Sweating - Dogs sweat through the pads of their paws.
   
• Tallest dogs - the Irish Wolfhound. Males are usually at least 32" to 34", females 30". Great Danes are also very tall dogs.
   
• Taste - Dogs have far fewer taste buds than we do. We have about 9,000 whereas our canine pets have something like 1,700. BUT they make up for with their sense of smell (see above).
   
• Teeth - Dogs usually have 42 teeth.
   
• Tongue - Dogs have a pink tongue except for the Chow Chow which has a blue-black colored tongue.
   
• Yorkshire Terriers - can grow  hair up to 2 feet in length.

Pet Owners - check these health benefits

• Blood Pressure - Dr. Karen Allen (State University of New York) found, from her study of stock brokers, that pets could lower blood pressure.
  

• Cholesterol - It has been found that pet owners tend to have lower cholesterol on average.
   

• Epilepsy - Seizure alert dogs have been used to warm people of an imminent epileptic seizure. Some have been able to detect the oncoming attach up to an hour beforehand.
  

Dog Trivia

• Beatles' Song - It is said that at the end of the song "A Day in the Life", Paul McCartney recorded a sound, that only dogs could hear, for his Shetland Sheepdog.
   

• Canary Islands - Many people think that the Canary Islands were named after the bird but they are actually named after dogs (canines).
   

• Lassie - Several male dogs played the part of Lassie.
   

• Year of the Dog - Did you know that 2006 is the year of the dog in the Chinese Calendar?

Keep posted for other interesting facts about dogs and puppies.