Ever wondered why your furry friend is such a messy drinker? When humans drink we use our cheeks to create suction, which pulls the liquid into our mouths. But dogs don’t have cheeks – they drink by curling the tip of their tongues backwards to raise the liquid into their mouths. They move their tongues quickly, to create momentum, which forces the liquid into their mouths. But this momentum also splashes a lot of liquid around their water bowls and onto the floor.
Dogs are creatures of habit (which is why they know when it’s time for dinner time or a walk). But there is also evidence that they have some concept of time. Some studies have shown dogs will show greater affection to their owners when they have been left alone for longer periods, when compared with dogs who have been left for just short periods of time.
We know a cat’s whiskers are hugely important as they help them make sense of space, but dogs also use their whiskers to sense what is around them – an important skill in the dark when they can’t see properly.
Most dog owners know that dogs pant to cool down, because unlike us humans they don’t sweat. But while they don’t sweat as much as we do, dogs do in fact sweat – through their paw pads!
Dogs have up to about 300 million olfactory receptors (also known as scent glands). Us human have only about five million. They also have a much larger part of their brain dedicated to analysing those smells. No wonder dogs are always sniffing.
Speaking of senses, dogs are also much better listeners. While pups are born deaf, they quickly develop incredible hearing. While they hear sounds at frequencies the human ear just can’t detect, they also have a much better range. If you can hear sounds from about 6 metres away, your dog will hear the same sound if he is standing about 24 metres from the source of the sound.
As well as not being able to hear, pups are born without teeth and they don’t open their eyes for the first week or so of their lives.
