All About Dogs: Interesting Facts and Trivia About Man's Best Friend

You may be disgusted to discover that your dog is eating his feces, or that of other animals. This is a condition called coprophagia. Yes, it has a name! It is when dogs are compelled to eat feces. Sometimes it's because the dog doesn't feel that they got enough nutrients, or satisfaction from the food he ate, so he'll try to eat it again. Other times it is just from boredom. Finally, sometimes when a dog goes on the rug, he'll eat the feces to hide the evidence because he doesn't want to be punished. (Source: http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/dog_behavior/poopeating.cfm )

Why are dogs so loyal?

There may not be a scientific explanation for why dogs are so loyal, but it is true that dogs will remain loyal to their masters for life. When a dog sees that someone loves, cares for, and protects them, they become entirely loyal to that person. Also, by nature dogs are considered "pack animals" meaning that when in the wild they roll in groups or families of dogs to find food and stay safe. So a pet dog might consider the humans he lives with as part of his pack or family. They stay completely loyal to their pack and will bite someone's head off if someone or something threatens their family members. (Source: Simon Wright, "Why dogs are more loyal than cats" Helium)

Are dogs really color blind?

Yes, dogs are considered color blind. However, while they see mostly in black and white, they can also see colors in the blue-violet range and the yellow-green range. So they can distinguish between those two colors. They cannot see reds, greens, and oranges. (Source: Neitz, Geist and Jacobs Study, 1989)

What is the largest breed of dog?

If you're talking about overall size, the largest breed of dog is the English Mastiff according to the American Kennel Club. The English Mastiff will usually get to about 200 pounds. The largest dog ever recorded was a Mastiff that was 343 pounds and over eight feet long. Now if you're asking what is the tallest dog, the answer is the Irish Wolfhound which has been known to reach five feet tall. That's almost taller than a petite woman. Imagine those two walking down the street!

Why is it that dogs have a superior sense of smell?

Dogs have a sense of smell that is up to 100 million times stronger than that of humans, meaning that they can pick up a scent that is 100 million times more diluted as compared to what a human could detect (www.nhm.org). The 220 million smell-sensitive cells located in their noses are what make their sense of smell so powerful.