Posts Tagged ‘dog facts’
Dogs in Mythology: Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus was a multiple-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld, the kingdom of Hades. This terrifying beast prevented the deceased from leaving as well as the living from entering. Cerberus was said to have been born from the beasts Echidna and Typhon, with multiple dog heads, snake heads growing from…
Read MoreHow Many Human Years are in a Dog Year?
It is a well-accepted fact that a single dog year is equal to 7 human years. If your dog is 3 years old, that would mean that they are 21 in human years. Sounds about right! However, if you start translating the the age of a very young or older dog, this 1:7 ratio starts…
Read More9 Dog Breeds with a Royal History
Most dog breeds were bred to do dirty work: exterminating vermin, guarding homes or flocks against predators and intruders, or chasing down high stamina prey animals. Other dogs got to live the cushy life, serving as companion animals to royalty. These dogs were lucky enough to find their way into royal courts, palaces, and even…
Read MoreThe Origin of Dog-Related Sayings
The history of humankind and dogs go way back, so it’s no surprise that many of our common phrases involve dogs! If you’re curious about the meanings of some of the less literal dog sayings and idioms, you’ve come to the right place. Dog Days of Summer The dog days of summer refer to…
Read MoreBreed Spotlight: Portuguese Water Dog
History The Portuguese Water Dog originated in the Algarve region of Portugal where it was bred to assist at shipyards. These dogs were tasked with guarding ships, herding fish into fishermen’s nets, retrieving lost tackle or broken nets, and acting as couriers from ship to ship, or ship to shore. They would sometimes travel with fishing…
Read MoreThe Amazing Adaptations of Sled Dogs
A Brief History The use of dogs to pull sleds has been traced back to around 9,000 years ago through remains on Zhokhov Island in the East Siberian Sea. Archaeological analysis of dog remains showed that, by this time, the inhabitants of the island had domesticated two varieties of dogs: hunters and draft animals. Since…
Read MoreBreed Spotlight: Swedish Vallhund
History The Swedish Vallhund is an ancient herding breed from Sweden whose origin story is a bit murky. It is likely that the breed arose over 1,000 years ago during the Viking settlement of England when they were known as the “Vikingarnas Dog”. During this time, these dogs were used as cattle drovers and…
Read MoreHow Smart Are Dogs?
Research on animal intelligence is slowly revealing that many species are actually more smart than we have previously believed. Dogs are certainly no exception. Even if you’re not one to keep up with canine scientific research, it’s likely you’ve recently seen a dog make headlines for exhibiting high intelligence, such as assisting in the recent…
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