Awhile ago, I found this list of 15 interesting facts about dogs, adapted from the book Never Trust A Calm Dog… And Other Rules Of Thumb by Tom Parker.
I’ve chosen my 10 favorites to share with you here — along with my personal experience with each one.
Top 10 Facts About Dogs
These are legit things that every new dog owner needs to be aware of before getting their very first dog…
#1 – If you give your dog a fancy name, it’s not for your dog but for your own pride. You’ll end up using a nickname.
True!… here’s everything you need to know about naming your dog.
#2 – Owning 2 dogs is no more work than owning one, but 3 dogs is hard work.
To be honest, it’s not until they’re full-grown adult dogs that it becomes “no more work” than owning just one dog. The process of raising and training 2 dogs at the same time is definitely a challenge.
#3 – Figure on 1 pound of dry dog food for every 30 pounds of dog(s).
Use that as a daily feeding guideline — and remember that 1 pound equals 16 ounces or 2 cups.
#4 – A kennel should be twice the length of the dog. Measure the dog from its nose to the tip of its tail.
Yep, your dog needs to be able to move around freely within the dog crate or kennel without bumping the sides.
#5 – In a suburb of medium density, a dog’s bark can be heard in 200 surrounding houses — or by 800 people.
Yeah, that’s a lot of range when your dog gets to barking in a quiet neighborhood. Here’s how to stop dog barking before it becomes a problem.
#6 – Anything over 45 minutes seems like forever to your dog. You will be greeted as enthusiastically coming back from a 2-hour shopping trip as you will coming back from a 2-day vacation.
Ahh, yes… there’s nothing like wet puppy kisses to greet you when you come home!
#7 – A stray dog that is afraid of people will trust the people associated with the dogs it plays with.
So if you’ve found a stray dog or you’re adopting one, you may have greater success at getting closer faster by spending time with another dog in the stray’s presence.
#8 – The old rule multiplying a dog’s age by 7 to find the equivalent human age is fallacious. A dog is able to reproduce at 1 year and has reached full growth by 2 years. To calculate a dog’s age in human terms, count the first year at 15, the second year as 10, and each year after that as 5.
I always use this dog age chart to determine Dog Age vs. Human Age in terms of their physical age vs. their physiological age.
#9 – If a dog tolerates gentle handling between its toes, it probably is well suited for children.
True. Also… the best way to get your dog used to nail trims (something a dog requires every month) is to start “handling” your dog’s legs, paws, and toenails as early as possible yourself.
#10 – The best time for taking a puppy from its litter — psychologically and physically — is when it is 49 days old.
That is 7 weeks old. Most veterinarians agree that 8 weeks is truly the safest age to remove a puppy from its mother. I raised a puppy that was removed at 7 weeks, and I was dealing with submissive urination issues for years because the pup had not had quite enough time with the mom dog to learn the skill of “holding it” even when you’re excited or nervous.
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of.
I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube).
My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year!
When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
