Facts about Dog

The English word "dog," in common usage, refers to the domestic pet dog, Canis lupus familiaris.

Most of the time the dog will keep the extra red blood cells stored in its spleen.

Conversely, dogs seem to view their human companions as members of their pack, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow dogs.

The average lifespan for mixed-breed and midsize dogs is about 13 to 14 years.

Behaviors such as urinating in the house, running away, and aggression are also reduced; and unwanted litters of puppies are avoided, which could contribute to the problem of stray and feral dogs (ASPCA 2014).

The family Canidae itself often is called the "dog family" and includes jackals and coyotes, which are closely related to dogs and wolves, as well as foxes, which are less closely related.

Genetic research has identified 14 ancient dog breeds, with the oldest being the Chow Chow, Shar Pei, Akita Inu, Shiba Inu, and Basenji.

Infectious diseases commonly associated with dogs include rabies (hydrophobia), canine parvovirus, and canine distemper.

The dog (Canis lupus familiaris or Canis familiaris) is usually considered to be humankind's first, and perhaps most important, domestic animal.

Dog fossils from about this time have been found in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America (Clutton-Brock 1999).

Dogs have often appeared in art since the time of ancient Egypt, where they were often included in hunting scenes painted within the tombs of important people.

Modern dogs can weigh anywhere from 1 to over 100 kg (2.2 to 220 lbs).

The constellations Canes Venatici, Canis Major, and Canis Minor are named from the Latin word for "dog," for their perceived resemblance to dogs.

Two serious medical conditions affecting dogs are pyometra, affecting unspayed females of all types and ages, and bloat, which affects the larger breeds or deep chested dogs.

Domestic dogs can survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed vegetarian diet, particularly if eggs and milk products are included.

Most dogs are covered with a thick coat of fur, which protects them from the elements.

The first fossil evidence of domesticated dogs, which had changed in physical form from their wolf ancestors, dates from around 15,000 years ago.

Dogs, being covered in fur, are limited in their ability to cool down.

Advocates of mixed breed dogs as working dogs and pets say that they are more intelligent and have fewer health problems than purebreds (Kilcommons 1996).

Dingos, wild dogs of Australia which are descended from domestic dogs, average 10 to 20 kg (22 to 44 lbs) in weight (Nowak 1983).

The majority of dogs in the world are of mixed breed or no definite breed.

In ancient Roman writings, miniature pet dogs like modern toy breeds are mentioned (Clutton-Brook 1999).

Sirius, the brightest star in the sky as seen from earth, is called the "dog star" because it is found in Canis Major.

Dogs are susceptible to various diseases, ailments, and poisons, some of which effect humans in the same way, others of which are unique to dogs.

The typical lifespan of dogs varies considerably by breed.

An average litter consists of about six puppies, though this number may vary widely based on the breed of dog.

In Christianity, Jesus told the story of the poor man Lazarus, whose sores were licked by street dogs.

Mohammad expressed that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim’s good deeds (Malik Ibn Anas 2:969).

Spayed and neutered dogs avoid some diseases such as breast and testicular cancer.

Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs.

On November 3, 1957, a Russian dog, Laika, became the first animal to orbit the earth.

The time when Sirius rises just before sunrise, mainly July and August, are called the "dog days of summer."

Through history different dog breeds have gone in and out of fashion.

Dogs' coats come in a wide range of colors, including black, white, brown, yellow, red, and gray.

The English word "dog" might derive from the Old English "docga," a "powerful breed of canine," like the modern mastiff.

In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists.

At present, there is some debate as to whether domestic dogs should be classified as omnivores or carnivores, by diet.

The dog's ancestor, the gray wolf, is the largest canid; with adults weighing between 18 and 80 kg (40 to 175 lbs).

What information a dog actually detects when it is scenting is not perfectly understood.

When the animal enters into a situation where its full metabolism is required, such as play, catching game, or fighting other dogs, the extra cells are released into the bloodstream.

Dogs presently make up only a small percentage of animals used in research; rats and mice far outnumber them.

Dogs bear their litters roughly 9 weeks after fertilization, although the length of gestation can vary from 56 to 72 days.

A dog's heart and lungs are oversized relative to its body and its normal everyday needs.

Compared to some other animals, dogs have not played such an important role in religion.

Dogs are able to healthily digest a variety of foods including vegetables and grains, and in fact dogs can consume a large proportion of these in their diet.

Other genetic research seems to indicate that China was the site of the original domestication of dogs (McGourty 2002).

Dogs have long been used as subjects of scientific research.

In ancient Egypt, dogs looking like the modern greyhound and the mastiff are pictured in art.

The trainability, devotion, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households have earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships.

Small dogs generally produce from one to four puppies in each litter, while much larger breeds may average as many as 12 pups in each litter.

Despite the many benefits which dogs provide for humans, they also do harm.

There he was befriended by a dog which licked his sores and brought him food and he was able to recover.

Congenital diseases of dogs can include a wide range from hip dysplasia and medial patellar luxation to epilepsy and pulmonic stenosis.

Both of these are acute conditions, and can kill rapidly; owners of dogs which may be at risk should learn about such conditions as part of good animal care.

Dogs, like almost all canids, are social animals.

Dogs, like wolves and other canids, are specialized for a life of hunting and eating other animals.

Many terms are used for dogs that are not purebred.

In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a "dog," while a female canine is called a "bitch."

Their actions mimic the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as family members.

The Catholic Church recognizes Saint Roch (also called Saint Rocco), who lived in the early 1300s in France, as the patron saint of dogs.

Different breeds of dogs emerged over time due to environmental factors and human selection.

According to recent genetic research, the lineage of dogs separated from that of wolves about 100,000 years ago (Wayne 1997).

Rabies is an especially serious problem in India, which has about 25 million feral dogs (Sandeep 2002).

Much of the research which led to the discovery of insulin and to the successful treatment of diabetes in humans was carried out using dogs as experimental subjects.

Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans).

Adolescence for most domestic dogs is around 12 to 15 months, beyond which they are for the most part more adult than puppy.

In Africa, diseases spread by domestic dogs have contributed to the decline of endangered wild predators, such as the lion, the leopard, and the African hunting dog (Kruuk 2002).

Eighteen or more muscles can tilt, rotate, and raise or lower a dog's ear.

The average dog's vision seems to be about 20/50 to 20/100, using the human standard.

The hearing of dogs is superior to humans.

Dogs have lived and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the unique sobriquet, "man's best friend."

Dogs, like most carnivores, are naturally active only 4 to 6 hours each day and prefer to sleep the rest of the time (Kruuk 2002).

The first ways that dogs were useful to humans were as helpers in hunting and as protectors.

Other research dogs are obtained from various sources including pound seizure, newspaper ads, strays, and lost or stolen pets.

Dogs can also have a negative effect on the natural environment.

Studies of feral dogs have found that they often form packs of 3 to 5 individuals (Clutton-Brook 1999; Nowak 1993; Voelker 1986).

Some breeds of dogs are also prone to certain genetic ailments, such as hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, cleft palate, blindness, or deafness.

Dogs have often been mentioned favorably in literature.

A dog also has relatively more red blood cells than a human.

There he was befriended by a dog which licked his sores and brought him food and he was able to recover.

Owners of dogs often enter them in competitions, whether show (breed conformation shows) or sports, including dog racing and dog sledding.

Wolves, and it is assumed the ancestors of dogs, almost always live in pairs, a male and a female with their young, or in larger groups called packs.

Spayed and neutered dogs avoid some diseases such as breast and testicular cancer.

According to recent genetic research, the lineage of dogs separated from that of wolves about 100,000 years ago (Wayne 1997).

The World Health Organization estimates that about 55,000 people die of rabies each year; mostly in the rural areas of Africa and Asia, and mostly because of dog bites.

the hero's dog Argos is the only one to recognize him on his return home in disguise.