Dogs are, perhaps, the most beloved animal in this world. Their key characteristics of loyalty and friendliness have long defined them as the perfect companion for humans and countless of funny videos, pictures, and art are there to back up that claim. However, there's definitely more to them than just the title of a 'man's best friend' and there are some things out there that you might not be aware of. That's why we dug around and compiled some interesting facts about this canine species for your interest (and entertainment). So scroll down below and see for yourself if any of the facts listed were previously unknown to you. Oh, and don't forget to comment and vote on the most interesting ones!
#1 There Are Vending Machines For Dogs
There are vending machines in Istanbul that dispense food and water for stray dogs. The price? An empty recyclable bottle.
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375points
#2 Shelter Dogs Served As ‘Ball Boys’ At Brazil Tennis Open To Bring Awareness To Brazil's Street Animals And Promote Their Adoption
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371points
#3 Cheetahs Are Nervous Animals, So Zoos Give Them Their Own Emotional Support Dogs
While cheetahs might be quite the big cats and the fastest animal on the Earth to add to that, actually, they are very sensitive beings. They get so anxious; they don’t know how to socialize with each other and get too stressed to procreate. Seeing that cheetahs need some assistance, for years now zookeepers have been assigning these animals their very own emotional support dogs. “When you pair cheetah cub with a guide dog, the cat looks to the dog for cues and learns to model their behavior. It’s about getting them to read that calm, happy-go-lucky vibe from the dog” explains Janet Rose-Hinostroza, animal training supervisor at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
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332points
#4 FBI Tracks Animal Abusers
The FBI believes that animal abuse is a serious enough crime to be tracked right along with homicide, arson, and assault. National UCR Program of 2015 stated the FBI's planned to collect data on animal cruelty: "Beginning January 1, 2016, the national UCR Program will add the offense of Animal Cruelty to the NIBRS as a Group A offense and as a Crime Against Society".
318points
#5 A Dog Once Accidentally Finished A Half-Marathon And Finished In 7th Place
A bloodhound went outside to pee, accidentally joined a half marathon, and ended up in the 7th place. Ludivine was let outside by his owners for a doggy break when he saw people running by, decided to sneak out the fence and join in on the fun. The event led the marathon organizers to change its name to "Elkmont's Hound Dog Half" and they put Ludivine on their logo.
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310points
#6 Chaser The Border Collie Had The Largest Tested Memory Of Any Non-Human Animal
According to Wikipedia, "Chaser could identify and retrieve 1,022 toys by name, which was the foundation for her vocabulary. She began to understand that objects have names at five months of age." The dog could also recognize common nouns such as house, tree and ball, as well as adverbs, verbs and prepositional objects.
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303points
#7 There Is An Island Where Dogs Guard A Colony Of Tiny Penguins
There's an island off the coast of Australia where a pair of Maremma Guardian dogs guard a colony of tiny penguins after they were almost wiped out by foxes. The 'Little Penguin' colony was nearly extinct until 2006, when trained dogs were put on the island to protect them. There's a movie based on the story called "Oddball". The synopsis of the film reads: "Oddball" is the heart-warming true story about an eccentric chicken farmer (Shane Jacobson) who, with the help of his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks and in the process tries to reunite his family and save their seaside town."
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291points
#8 Sergeant Stubby Is The Most Decorated War Dog Of WWI, And The Only Dog To Be Nominated For Rank And Then Promoted To Sergeant Through Combat
He served for 18 months and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, found and comforted the wounded, and once caught a German soldier by the seat of his pants, holding him there until American soldiers found him. Sgt. Stubby is the subject of an animated film, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero.
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281points
#9 There's A Festival In Nepal And India Where Humans Thank Dogs For Their Loyalty And Friendship
Tihar also known as Deepawali and Yamapanchak, is a festival celebrated in Nepal and some parts of India. It last five days and each day has its name and festivities. Second day of the festival is called Kukur Tihar and celebrates dogs all over the country. People offer garlands, tika and delicious food to dogs and acknowledge the cherished relationship between humans and dogs.
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272points
#10 In 2017, A Black Lab Got His Photo In A School Yearbook For Helping His Owner Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
A black Labrador named Alpha was put next to his owner A.J. in a yearbook for helping his human out. A.J. has Type 1 diabetes and Alpha helps to monitor his blood sugar levels.
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238points
#11 In Welsh Folklore, Corgis Were The Preferred Method Of Transportation For Fairies
According to a Welsh legend, woodland fairies gifted this breed to the humankind and that the breed's markings were left on its coat by fairy harnesses and saddles.
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228points
#12 When Police Dogs Retire In Some Countries They May Have The Chance To Receive A Pension Plan For Their Contribution
English police forces even set up a retirement plan for dogs. According to Wikipedia, "police dogs in Nottinghamshire, England, now have the opportunity to retire with a form of security since their government forces now offer $805 over the span of three years to cover any additional medical costs". Not only do they now receive a pension plan but they also get to retire and reside with their original handler.
201points
#13 Dogs Love The High-Pitched "Baby Talk" Some People Do When Interacting With Them
A research revealed that dogs like the silly, high-pitched "baby talk" human do when interacting with them. The study conducted at the University of York showed that dogs favored speakers with a high-pitched manner than those who talked in a normal adult voice.
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188points
#14 When Playing With Female Puppies, Male Puppies Will Often Let Them Win
Puppies exhibit behavior that's been previously recorded in some other species too, like red-necked wallabies, squirrel monkeys, hamadryas baboons and even humans. Researcher Camille Ward and her team collected data showing that male puppies tend to let female puppies win and speculated that they do so in order to not discourage female puppies to play with them in the future as female puppies tend to choose other females as playmates.
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186points
#15 There Is A Terrioty In Costa Rica Called Territorio De Zaguates That Is A Huge No-Kill Dog Shelter
Territorio De Zaguates (Land of the Strays) is home to over 1.300 wagging tails. Their belief is that every dog deserves a chance at life and their mission is to either find home for the pooches or provide them a safe sanctuary. The shelter used to let visitors wander the fields with dogs for free, but has since closed for renovations and plan to open for public in the upcoming year.
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183points
#16 Some Australian Shepherds Try To Herd Small Children Out Of Instinct
Untrained Aussies may nip at the feet and heels of small children, like they would with sheep, but this is usually out of boredom or lack of boundaries set by their owners.
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176points
#17 Dogs Have The Biggest Heart Relative To Their Body
Even though the largest heart in the animal kingdom belongs to Blue Whale (one weighed in 2014 was 440 pounds (199.5 kilograms)), the biggest heart-to-body-weigh ratio was recorded with no other than the good boys (and gals)!
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175points
#18 Ancient Greeks And Romans Mourned And Buried Their Dogs
According to "Mourning Animals– Rituals and Practices Surrounding Animal Death" book, people of the Ancient world sometimes buried their dogs with gravestones that survived the upcoming centuries. One of the surviving epitaphs reads:"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."
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171points
#19 There's A Prison Program That Allows Inmates To Train Service Dogs
There is a program that makes prison inmates responsible for training and raising seeing-eye dogs. Many of the inmates reported that they felt like they were making amends for their past actions by working with the puppies. NEADS has a "Prison PUP Program" and its information page says: "90-95% of NEADS puppies are trained in 7 correctional facilities throughout New England. Our statistics show that, under the guidance of NEADS staff, inmates are able to provide consistent training at a high level simply because of the amount of time they are able to devote to the dogs. This enables us to place dogs faster with people in need."
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169points
#20 Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Never Scratch, Paw Or Bark At The Luggage When They Detect Explosive Materials
All bomb-sniffing dogs are trained to calmly stop and sit down when they detect the scent of explosive materials.
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164points