5 Facts About Dogs You Didn’t Know
Raising a dog can be filled with discovery. Day-to-day interactions with our canine family members brings us joy and teaches about unconditional love. But there still may be a few mysteries – some facts about dogs you may not know.
Dogs like music depending on its type. Just as music influences our moods, it has similar effects on dogs. In a study done in Psychology Today, researchers found that heavy metal music incited more barking in shelter dogs. Classical music had a relaxing effect. An SPCA paper published in Scotland, found that many dogs seem to prefer soft rock or Reggae. Wind instruments such as the clarinet, saxophone or flute, tend to provoke howling. Check out Spotify’s Songs for Dog Therapy playlist. It is geared toward what dogs like and includes selections such as Fur Elise, Canon for Dogs and Dog Spa music.
A dog’s sweat glands are located in its paws. The sweat produced in the paws has a salty smell that has been compared to the scent of corn chips. On a very hot day, keeping a dog’s feet wet helps to cool them down. Because sweating through the paws has limited cooling capacity, dogs pant as a more efficient way of cooling off. Panting enables body heat to escape through the membranes of the throat, mouth and tongue.
Dogs can bond deeply with one person. A dog may see his favorite human as a pack leader, caregiver or best friend. Dogs can be drawn to someone’s demeanor, tone of voice, or way of moving. They can sense when they are loved and when they are being ignored. The bonds dogs form are based on trust and mutual respect and take time and attention to grow. Spending quality time with your dog in activities that are fun, helps to create a special closeness and emotional chemistry that can deepen the bond between you. The BarkHappy app gives you access to special places and events that you and your dog can share and enjoy together to help you form a closer bond.
A dog’s nose print is unique. While humans can be identified through their fingerprints, for dogs, a nose print is uniquely individual. A dog’s nose consists of small ridges and bumps that form distinct pattern groups and lines. In the past, paw prints were used for identification, but a nose ID is now considered to be more reliable.
Tail wagging doesn’t always mean happiness. While most of us associate tail wagging with a content dog, it can also be a signal that a dog is agitated, fearful or insecure. According to Psychology Today, dogs wag their tails as a social communication with the tail’s position and movement being the key to understanding its meaning. A tail held at middle height is a sign of relaxation. When the tail is held vertically, it’s a dominant signal. Lower positions are a sign of submissiveness, with the extreme being a tail tucked under the body. Dogs will move their tails rapidly at the sight of someone they know, and more slowing with strangers. If they are moving their tails strongly to the right, it indicates a positive interest and an excited state. A tail moving to the left is a sign of more negative emotions such as anxiety or aggression.
A dog’s nose print is unique. While humans can be identified through their fingerprints, for dogs, a nose print is uniquely individual. A dog’s nose consists of small ridges and bumps that form distinct pattern groups and lines. A nose ID is considered more reliable than a paw print.
