Dogs have spent thousands of years alongside humans, leaving behind a history filled with loyalty, bravery, surprising abilities, and a few unusual twists. From wartime heroes and famous pets to the origins of beloved breeds, these facts reveal just how remarkable our canine companions really are.
Name From Brutal Past
1. Bulldogs got their name because they were originally bred for bull-baiting, where the dogs would attack a bull tied to a stake in a battle for bloodshed.
2. Laika was a Soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space and the first animal to orbit the Earth; Laika, a stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, was selected to be the occupant of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2.
3. Boye, the poodle of Prince Rupert of the Rhine, was believed to possess magical powers and be the Devil in disguise, and often accompanied his master into battle during the English Civil War. After the war, the poodle was shot with a silver bullet.
4. As they became domesticated in a remarkably short time, dogs evolved specific muscles that allow them to raise their inner eyebrows to manipulate human emotions. Dogs who made the facial movement enabled by these muscles are more likely to be adopted from a shelter than those who don’t.
5. Smoky was a Yorkshire dog who was found in New Guinea by an American soldier during World War 2. She survived 150 Air Raids. She even parachuted from 30 feet in the air, out of a tree, using a parachute made just for her. She was later rewarded with Eight Battle Stars and was also the first recorded therapy dog.
6. Zanjeer was a sniffer dog who detected more than 3,329 kg of RDX explosives, 249 grenades, and live ammunition during the 1993 Mumbai blasts, helping save thousands of lives. He died of bone cancer at age eight and was buried with full state honors.
7. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, ranked the 18th most popular purebred dog in the United States, were almost entirely wiped out during World War II, and all modern individuals descend from only six survivors.
8. Greyhounds possess a 270 degree field of vision, allowing them to see objects behind them and to spot things more than half a mile ahead.
9. In 1981 Sunol, California elected a dog as mayor. Bosco Ramos, commonly called “Bosco”, was a black Labrador retriever and Rottweiler mix who beat two human opponents to win the honorary mayoral election in 1981 and served until his death in 1994.
10. In the 1980s a German Shepherd named Gabi, working as a guard dog at the Belgrade Zoo, managed to subdue an escaped jaguar. While patrolling with her owner and another dog, she spotted the big cat and attacked it, keeping it occupied long enough for her owner to go and summon help.
Nose Power Compared To Humans
11. Dachshunds possess 125,000,000 “smelling” cells compared to the 5,000,000 that humans have.
12. ‘Rags’ was a stray mutt found by a U.S. soldier during World War 1. Rags became the mascot of the 1st Infantry Division after he saved hundreds of lives by running messages under fire. When Rags was injured he was sent to a field hospital with an order from Headquarters: “The dog gets attention same as soldiers.”
13. In 2019, a Labrador retriever named Hatty was sworn in as an Illinois County “Comfort Dog.” Her paw was on a law book as an oath was read. Hatty’s job is to comfort sexual trauma victims during testimony and interviews. The dog works 9-5 for up to 200 cases per year. She was trained by prison inmates.
14. Calamity Jane, Calvin Coolidge’s pure white Sheltie, was so messy that they installed a dog bathtub in the White House for her daily baths. She was so dirty that the public lost interest in white Shelties, and the American Kennel Club breed standard now forbids more than 50% white coloring.
15. In 2013, a German shepherd named Talero stayed next to the body of his owner for 23 days after he had died in a snow storm in Argentina. He prevented animals from attacking the body and tried to keep his owner warm by sleeping by his side.
16. Pomeranians were once significantly larger, weighing about 40 lbs (18 kilos). When Queen Victoria acquired a tiny one, it quickly became popular. By the time she died 12 years later, the size of the breed had decreased by half.
17. The Shar-Pei’s loose skin was probably bred as an adaptation for fighting. If grabbed by a loose wrinkle, the dog can still turn and bite back.
18. Huskies need training to become better distance runners. While the average pet husky can only run between 10 to 20 miles a day, a well-conditioned race husky can run for 11 hours straight, covering up to 125 miles. They can repeat this distance for up to 10 days in a row.
19. Sinus arrhythmia is normal in dogs. A dog’s heart rate increases while they inhale and decreases while they exhale.
20. Rottweilers are born with tails, but they are often chopped off at birth.
Guard Dogs Protect Native Cheetahs
21. Kangals and Anatolian Shepherds are being given to Namibian farmers as guard dogs to protect livestock, in a bid to save the local cheetah population.
22. A dog’s behavior can change when it detects that an owner or other family member is pregnant. Some dogs grow more protective, while others act out by chewing items or urinating inside the home.
23. Bulldogs have wrinkled faces because they were bred to be fighting dogs, and the folds act like gutters that keep blood away from their nose and mouth.
24. In 1941, a Great Dane named Juliana saved her master’s home from burning down during the Blitz by urinating on a German incendiary bomb that had fallen through the roof. For this, she was awarded the Blue Cross, similar to the Dickin Medal.
25. The Japanese dog breed Tosa was crossed with six different breeds: Old English Bulldog, Mastiff, St. Bernard, German Pointer, Great Dane, and the Bull Terrier. It is banned in 13 countries.
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