#1. Dogs were the “Ball Boys” at Brazilian Tennis Open
At Brazilian Tennis Open, shelter dogs were used as “Ball Boys” to bring awareness about the street animals living in Brazil, and to promote their adoption.
Dogs love playing fetch and they do it so damn well, so using dogs as ball boys is such a brilliant idea. One wonders why did it take us so long to actually bring this idea to life?
#2. Bomb-sniffing dogs never bark, scratch or paw at the bag if they detect a bomb
Since scratching or pawing could trigger the bomb, and even barking might set it off – dogs don’t do either of these things. Instead, they are trained to stay calm, stop, and sit down quietly when they smell any explosive or suspicious material.
Exactly opposite of what you see in most action movies, isn’t it?
#3. In America, many dogs have shot their owners with a gun
Well, all the cases were obviously accidental. But there are dozens of cases in America where dogs have accidentally pulled the trigger on a loaded gun, shooting their owners.
Rifles and shotguns are so common in US, that it’s not even a surprise anymore. Although, owners mostly end up getting injured – there was once a man in Texas who got shot by his dog with a shotgun, and then died later of blood loss.
#4. A dog once accidentally joined a half-marathon and finished 7th
A bloodhound named Ludivine was let out of the house by his owners, so that he could pee outside. But he saw people running on the road, and he jumped the fence to join them. He kept running with them and finished in the 7th place.
The marathon organizers changed the name of the race to “Elkmont’s Hound Dog Half”” and made Ludivine the dog as their logo. He was even given a medal.
#5. Dogs love it when you do the “baby talk” with them
Studies have revealed that dogs love it when you talk to them in a high-pitched “baby talk” using a silly voice. The research conducted on a large number of dogs showed that dogs preferred the “baby talk” as compared to the normal adult voice, and their brains responded more favorably to the baby talk.
#6. Dogs know when you are sad or stressed or troubled
I mean, it’s quite obvious to anyone who has ever had a dog. But it’s also a scientific fact, not just a popular observation.
Researchers at the Clever Dog Lab of Vienna University, observed dogs reacting to various sounds and stimuli. They found that dogs were responding more to negative emotions than positive or neutral emotions. And dogs reacted the same way to humans crying as they react to a dog whining – indicating that they consider human’s grief similar to a dog’s grief, and sympathize with them.
It also reinforces the fact that the dog see you as their family, as one of the pack.
#7. Dogs in Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt were mourned and buried when they died
People of the ancient world were just as fond of their dogs and loved them unconditionally. The historical book “Mourning Animals – Rituals and Practices Surrounding Animal Death” mentions an epitaph on a buried dog’s gravestone:
I am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as I rejoiced when bringing you home in my own hands fifteen years ago.
#8. Dog people have more friends than cat people
According to a data analysis by Facebook:
Dog people have more friends than cat people. Dog people are more extroverted while cat people are more introverted. But even though cat people have less friends, they get more event invitations than dog people – that’s probably because dog people cannot afford to leave their dog alone at home because dogs get separation anxiety, while cat people can leave their cats alone since cats are perfectly fine living on their own as long as they get food.
#9. It’s scientifically proven that dogs use deception to get treats
Department of Evolutionary Biology and Experimental Studies at the University of Zurich did an extensive research on dog psychology and found that dogs can recognize emotions and they also know how to manipulate them. They also found that dogs use manipulative tactics such as soft whimpering, making googly eyes, and droopy face to ask for treats when they sensed that the humans had a tasty treat with them.
#10. Dogs have the biggest heart to body ratio
Largest heart in any known living being actually belongs to the Blue Whale which has a heart that weighs about 200 kilos, but Dogs have the biggest heart-to-body weight ratio.
And it’s true in more than one ways for the kindest and most loving animals on the planet.
#11. Male puppies often let the female puppies win while playfighting
This behaviour is common across many species: squirrels, monkeys, baboons, and even humans. Many studies have shown that since female puppies prefer to play with other female puppies, male puppies try to attract the female puppies to play with them and that’s why they often lose to female puppies on purpose every time the male and female puppies engage in a playfight.
#12. Sergeant Stubby is the most decorated war dog of World War I
Sergeant Stubby is the only dog in the history to be nominated for a rank, and he was promoted to Sergeant due to his achievements in combat.
During his 18 months in the army, he took part in 17 battles. He saved his soldiers many times from mustard gas attacks, searched for wounded soldiers and comforted them. Once he caught a German soldier by the pants and kept holding him until American soldiers arrived.
Featured Image Courtesy: Facts and Trivia
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