Interesting Facts About Dogs

We would like to share as much information as possible relating to keeping a dog. We love pets and if we are able to help just one dog owner to understand his best friend a little better then we have achieved our goal with this section of the site. Here are some interesting facts that you may not know:-

It's All Done In Doggie Years!

Dog years to human years aren?t necessarily 7 years. I found an article online somewhere recently that suggested the following was a more accurate assesment of a canines age. After the first 12 months a dog is the equavalent age of a 15 dg years old. After 36 months, the dogs age is nearer to 28 doggie years and at 48 months the dogs age is 32 dog years. Afer ten human years the dog is 56 doggie years old and after making it to around 14 of our years, the dog is an impressive 72 canine years old. Happy birthday to all pooches. For those who are wondering a 16 years old dog is actually around 84 dog years old. (please don't take this as fact, its for fun and its up to you what you really believe) This was added ( November 2009 )

Dogs "Ear" Better Than Us But Sight Is Average

Dogs have much better hearing than we do. Mainly, due to the larger ears. They can also move their ears in different directions because they have double the amount of muscles in their ears as we humans do. They can hear a sound at 250 yards whereas we would struggle to hear the very same sound at any distance musch past 25yds. This is also in part due to the fact that dogs are able to hear higher frequency sounds than we are and to detect sounds from much further away.
This was added ( November 2009 )

Dolichoephalic - Mesocephalic And The Short Snub Nosed Brachycephalic Dog Skull

Dogs have 3 skull types. Dolichoephalic is the elongated like that of the Saluki. The mesocephalic is the medium sized skull like that of the Pointer. And the brachycephalic is the short, snub nosed skull, like that of the Pug. A dog?s spine and limb bones are tubular, skull, pelvis and shoulder bones are flat.
This was added ( November 2009 )

A Dogs Sight Is Really Quite Average

A dog's eyes are forward facing, indicating that they are predators. However dogs also have a peripheral vision of up to 250 degrees around them and it is untrue that they are colour blind. They can see in colour, its just that their vision is not as good as ours. A dogs visibility is more or less as good as our would be at dusk. A dog cannot distinguish a person standing still 300 yards away, but they are able to identify their owner if the stand waving their arms, up to a mile away. Did you know that a dogs eyelids are made up of 3 layers!
This was added ( November 2009 )

Dogs Don't Drink Milk Or Eat Chocolate

Human chocolate contains an ingredient similar to caffeine known as Theobromine. This unfortunately can be fatal to a dog. It is also advisable not to let your dog drink milk as they cannot usually tolerate the lactose content. It can encourage sickness and diarrhoea.
This was added ( November 2009 )

The Fastest Dogs On Earth & The Heaviest Dog Breed

Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on Earth, and they can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. On the other end of the scale you have Saint Bernards which are the heaviest dog breed on Earth. A fully grown Saint Bernard can reach weights of 85kg to 90kg and that's actually just a little heaveier than your average human male!
This was added ( October 2009 )

It's All About Smells, Scent and Duty For Dogs

A dogs sweat glands are found between their paw pads. This is where they sweat.
Dogs have wet noses so they can to collect large amounts of the minute droplets of smelling chemicals in the air. Hence, why their sense of smell is far greater than that of a human and the fact that they have 200 million scent receptors, we only have 505 million. This is why they are ideal to train to sniff out drugs, explosives, stowaway people and even cancerous cells in the human body. A dogs nose prints are also as unique as our own finger prints which means that your precious pooch could be identified accurately should the need arise and you had actually taken a print or scan of his nose. Wierd but true.
This was added ( October 2009 )

Rescue Dogs, Guide Dogs and Just Plain Clever Dogs.

Dogs are so adaptable, they can be trained to help the blind, deaf, or physically impaired cope with daily tasks safely. examples would be crossing streets and fetching items like slippers and newspapers, to more complex tasks. Such is the ability of some dogs, they can predict the start of an epileptic fit or seizure as well as detect people that are buried in avalanches or earthquakes. Rescue dogs are wonderful, aren't they. I am not sure how true this is, but I read somewhere that among the smartest dog breeds are the Border Collie, The Poodle? and the Golden Retriever. Those same lists detailing the clever dogs also suggest that possibly one of the most beautiful hounds ever to exist, the amazing Afghan Hound is not among the smartest dogs money can buy.
This was added ( October 2009 )

Dogs In Northern Ireland Need To Be Licensed

Yes, indeed.
Although Dog Licences in the UK were abolished in 1987 by the Conservatives, due to being too costly to administer and pretty much obsolete, they are still a legal requirement for dog owners in Northern Ireland as well as the Isle of Man. If enforced properly, the registration scheme can allow dog wardens to exercise an element of control over irresponsible dog owners. There is still a debate going on as to whether some sort of blanket dog registration scheme should be reintroduced in the UK, in addition to the requirements layed out in the 1990 Environmental Protection Act and the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
This was added ( May 2009 )

Epilepsy In Dogs

Epilepsy in a dog is more common than you would think. However, it is not the only thing that will cause your pet dog to have a seizure. It is very important that you first rule out all the other potential sources that could have caused your dog to have the fit or seizure. Here are a few examples of what could have caused the episode.
- ingestion of poisons
- kidney & liver disease
- infections and meningitis
are just some of the reasons your dog would convulse, so try to objectively rule these out first. Many harmful household products would make a dog sick and it would pay to have a quick look around first.

There are certain breeds that seem to have a predisposition towards epilepsy. Some of the breeds that seem to have a higher risk are Collies, Poodles and German Shepherds. However, it can occur in any breed and mixed breeds as well. The first seizure can happen at any age, but it is usually young to middle aged dogs who acquire this condition. If your pet does suffer from canine epilepsy then you will quickly learn to tell when they are about to occur. This was added ( May 2009 )

Siberian Huskies

Siberian Huskies make for wonderful family pets as they are very friendly by nature. They molt approximately twice a year and are very intelligent animals. They do require training and respond well to an authoritive approach in this respect. Exercise is very important if you own one of these dogs and they also require companionship so if you are away from home most of the time then you should buy a companion dog for your Husky. This was added ( May 2008 )

Ticks

It is important to check your pets regularly for ticks especially if you live on a farm, in the country side or in close proximity to other animals. Not only are heathland and woodlands the only infected areas, but even local parks and your garden are prime sites for ticks. If you have recently been abroad then it certainly is important for you to be routinely checking your dog or cat for ticks. The best places to check are around the head, behind the ears and under the jaw. The areas between the inside of your pets legs are a prime spot for ticks to go un noticed for long periods of time especially if the animal has long hair. This was added ( April 2008 )

Ticks Are Parasites

They spend up to 3 days feeding of your pets blood and attach themselves to your pet and are very difficult to remove. They are not only a danger to pets but also live stock, zoo animals, wild life and humans too. They spread disease and discomfort, should be removed using the correct technique making sure the head is not left behind after removal and treated against regularly. See your vet for full details or visit www.fleatickfacts.com right away for more detailed information. This was added ( April 2008 )

Ticks Spread disease

Yes, its true! It's not just the fact that a tick could cause discomfort for your pet, but this nasty little critter could also actually cause disease too. There are ticks in the UK, its not just abroad and UK ticks could give your pet Lyme disease or Anaplasmosis which has symptoms like depression and fever and lethargisism. On the other hand our European counterparts also carry nasty illnesses including Ehrlichoisis ( Spain, Italy and Greece ), Babesiosis which infects the red blood cells and causes anemia and then there is Hepatozoonosis which could cause weight loss and lethargy in your pet. This was added ( April 2008 )

Am I legally obliged to buy pet insurance?

No you are not. It is always wise to have a dog insurance policy, especially if your dog is a more hostile breed, or prone to ill health later in life, but this is only for your own financial well being and naturally it will help you to provide the expected level of medical care required by law at a time you may need to. This was added ( April 2008 )

Must a dog wear a collar?

Yes your dog must is the short answer. See our Dog legal section for more details.. This was added ( April 2008 )

Is there an age limit for buying a pet?

Yes, a child under the age of 16 years old is not allowed to purchase a pet from anyone, even privately An adult may buy a pet for a child under 16 years however, the Law states that the child?s Legal Guardian is responsible for the care of the pet(s) and not the child. Naturally that does not mean that a child is not responsible for looking after their pet, just that the buck actually stops with parents and they are the ones who could be prosecuted. In much the same way as it is the duty of the store owner not to sell alcohol or cigarettes to minors, so is it the store owners duty to ensure that the buyer of any animal is over the age of 16. This was added ( April 2008 )

Dogs Dental Plan

Dental problems are amongst the some of the most common and often painful not to mention expensive problems for our furry friends. A dogs bad breath is usually due to bacteria and if this bacteria gets into the blood stream then it can cause some terrible problems! The bacteria can cause terrible damage to a dogs internal organs including kidney disease and heart valve failure! There is no definite standard, but many pet owners take their pets to a dental hygienist at least once a year.
This was added ( April 2008 )

British Pets Increase In Number!

According to www.projectbritain.com ( Woodlands Junior School ) we are a nation famous for our pets! More than 50 per cent of British families own a pet. The guesstimate is a whopping 7.7 million cats, 6.6 million dogs, one million budgerigars and 18 million goldfish. According to Woodlands Junior School the Brit's are also increasingly adopting exotic creatures such as small farm animals, snakes, tropical fish, and spiders. Well here is an interesting fact; they also estimated 2,000 households now have some sort of reptiles as a pet! This was added ( April 2008 )

Traveling With Your Pet..?

Your pet now needs a passport to travel! Crazy world that we live in isn't it. We would suggest that you start planning well in advance of your trip. You will need to go to the vets as your dog or cat will need a Rabies vaccination. This and a few other details will appear in their very own passport, including your dogs microchip number. Yes, your pet may no longer travel abroad without being first being micro chipped. When you arrive abroad this microchip will be scanned and your pets passport scrutinized so don't be alarmed! A photo of you pet will also be required for the pet passport. When traveling with your pet it is advisable to prepare for the trip. Bear in mind the weather as a hot Summers day can be too much for you pooch to handle, without regular stops nd lots of cool water close at hand. Better yet we suggest you travel early morning or evening if you pet is traveling with you. This was added ( April 2008 )