Dogs are lovable and well-known creatures, but there are still a lot of things that people don’t know about them! Here are 8 things you probably didn’t know about dogs:

1. Dogs have a sense of time

It’s true! They can tell the difference between if their human has been gone for just minutes, or hours. They can also be conditioned to expect certain things at certain times, such as walks or dinner. 

2. They’re the most diverse looking mammals 

There’s incredible diversity in dog’s body shape, breed, and appearance. According to a recent study, breeding is the cause of a dog’s body or skull structure being so diverse. 

3. Their sense of smell is 100,000 times stronger than a human’s 

Dogs can also smell your feelings! They can also use those powerful noses for things like sniffing out diseases, or even fear (when someone is scared, their perspiration changes, and dogs can sense that change!). 

4. They’re jealous of your affections 

Dogs get jealous when they see you displaying affection to other dogs or animals… but on the flip side, they don’t feel guilt! So when they’re giving you puppy eyes after doing something naughty… they don’t actually feel guilty at all; they’re just responding to you. 

5. Petting a dog is beneficial for your mental health 

Studies show that owning a dog is good for your mental health. There are quite a few mental health benefits to owning a dog, which you can read more about in our blog post The Positive Impact of Pets on Mental Health!  

6. There’s a town mayor who’s a dog 

His name is Max, a golden retriever in Idyllwild, California. Sadly, the first Mayor Max passed away in 2013, but luckily, a new Max was elected and has been leading the town ever since. 

7. Your scent helps ease your dog’s separation anxiety 

If your dog has separation anxiety, try leaving a piece of clothing for him/her at the house while you’re gone. It’s proven that leaving your scent will alleviate your dog’s separation anxiety. 

8. Dogs are as intelligent as 2-year-old humans 

The 5 smartest breeds include Border Collies, Poodles, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Dobermans. Border collies are top of the list, most being able to understand about 200 different words!

Alexa Highsmith

Writing Specialist at Lilly Brush Co.

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