10 Facts And Common Myths About Dogs Clarified

Myth busted!

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• August 15, 2021

You might have run into a TikTok creator Knowledgesaurus, while surfing online. If you stopped to see what he has to say, good for you. If you just clicked away, you should rewind.

He is immensely popular due to his fact-packed videos, and there is something for everyone there. This time he dedicated a video to dog owners, busting common myths and explaining facts about their four-legged friends.

His 1.9M followers, and the rest of us, can finally find out why dogs are staring at us while they do their business, do they feel jealousy and guilt, and so many more interesting things.

1. Fact: Staring At You While They Do Their Business

"Your dog is staring at you while they poop because they trust you and think you'll look out for them while they're vulnerable while they're doing their business."

Dr. Jerry Klein, American Kennel Club's Chief Veterinary Officer, also has something to say about myths about dogs.

"Most people think they know their dog's health by judging the regular behavior like activity level and appetite, but most dog owners do not really detect many of their dog's medical issues until they become more significant problems," Dr. Klein says. But, "Conditions like dental disease and ear infections eventually present to veterinarians because most owners don't closely examine their dogs' mouths and ears."

Regular health examinations by a vet are crucial to your dog's health, says Dr. Klein, "because they will detect things like subtle weight fluctuations, which could be a clue to underlying disease, new heart murmurs that have developed, and intervene before more serious disease occurs."

2. Myth: Dogs Eat Grass When They're Sick

"That dogs eat grass because they're sick. And while this can be true, a lot of dogs do this out of boredom or they just think it's fun to eat grass."

Dr. Klein busted a couple of very widespread myths. The first one is about one dog year translating as seven human years.

“Although dogs do age quicker than humans, the 7:1 ratio is not perfectly accurate. Dogs age faster when they are younger, and then the aging process slows down as they get older. The size of the dog also plays a role in the aging process—larger dogs age faster than small dogs.”

Another popular myth is that a dog is sick if it has a warm nose. Dr. Klein explained: “The idea that a dog in good health should have a cold, wet nose is nothing more than another myth. The temperature of a dog’s nose does not represent his health or sickness. Using a thermometer is the only way to accurately measure your dog’s temperature.”

3. Fact: They Know Your Routine

"Your dog actually knows your routine. If you have a pretty normal routine, your dog can tell when you're coming home based off of the amount of your scent left in the house."

And if you are worried that your dog is too old to learn new tricks, don't be. "We have all heard the expression 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks at some point in our lives," Dr. Klein said, and explained that "you can absolutely teach old dogs new tricks; like how to shake hands, speak or roll over." He added that "Keeping the training sessions short, fun and using plenty of positive reinforcement like treats and praise can help make the training process easier."

"At one point in time, it was believed that dogs could only see in black, white, and shades of grey, and this myth happens to be still believed by many people today. Dogs have fewer color-sensitive cones in their eyes than humans do. But it has been discovered that, although not in the same way as humans, dogs can, in fact, see color. They can see blue, greenish-yellow, and yellow along with various shades of grey."

And what about the wagging tail? Does it mean the dog is happy? "A wagging tail does not always mean the dog is happy," he said and explained: "While a natural, mid-level wagging tail does indicate contentedness, most other wags indicate the opposite. A high, stiff wagging tail can be a sign of agitation in the dog, suggesting that he is ready to protect something, while a low and quick wag may express that the dog is scared and submissive," he concluded.

4. Fact: Dogs Can't Feel Guilt

"Even though your dog may look guilty, dogs cannot feel guilt."

5. Myth: Dogs See In Black & White

"That dogs see in black and white. Dogs lack some light receptors in their eyes to see colors, but they can see on a yellow-blue scale and this is what it would look like in their vision versus ours."

6. Fact: Scooting Their Butt

"When your dog is scootin' his butt across the floor like this, he's not just trying to make you laugh. This is almost a sure sign of plugged or infected anal glands, which can collect fluid and can actually be drained manually, or they might be given something for it."

Alyssa Mages, the chief visionary officer at "Empowering Veterinary Teams," says that most pet owners know their dogs very well. "In my experience as a CVT, I would refer to this exact phenomenon telling owners that I only see a single instance of how their pet is, while they see a more in-depth, long-term presentation," she said. "Both of which are essential when they come into the hospital—for either an acute or emergent concern where my or a veterinarian's expertise comes to the forefront vs. updates on a chronic condition that can vary and present differently from day to day."

Alyssa also addressed some common myths—" their mouths aren't cleaner, they do see in color, their age, etc.—but I think that there is one that remains, that myth of the 'perfect' breed of dog. This simply doesn't exist!"

She continued: "There are unicorns of every breed, and we cannot forget our mixed breeds, those loveable mutts are simply the best! What does exist is the perfect pairing—you'll know the best dog for you when you meet each other. The energies will blend, the body languages will match, and everyone wins."

7. Myth: 1 Human Year = 7 Dog Years

"That 1 human year equals 7 dog years. The first year of a dog's life is usually about 12 to 15 human years, the second is usually 9 to 10, and the rest after that are usually about 4 to 5. It depends on the dog's weight, breed and other things"

8. Fact: Dogs Can Get Jealous

"On the flipside, dogs can feel jealousy. Any time you're giving attention to another dog, treats, petting, your dog can feel jealous."

9. Fact: Putting Paw On You

"Whenever your dog puts their paw on you like this, it's their way of showing that they love you and it's their way of petting you."

10. Myth: A Dog's Mouth Is Cleaner Than A Humans

"And this myth started when dogs licked their wound, they were seen to heal quicker, but that wasn't because they're cleaner, it was because of the blood flow from licking it. So dogs' mouths are dirtier and this is probably why your vet tells you not to let your dog kiss your face."

Damjan