It’s not surprising that there are more than 4 million dogs in the UK alone, and almost half a billion worldwide.
However, there are some misconceptions about how much work dogs actually do.
While it may seem like they spend every waking hour running around after you, chasing tennis balls or playing fetch with their owners, this isn’t quite true.
In fact, dogs only need to be active for around two hours per day.
This means that you can rest assured that your dog won’t miss out on any important activities thanks to its light sleeping schedule.
If anything, it will be up early each morning to take part in some fun before having an afternoon snooze!
Dogs have a natural instinct to protect their pack
Dogs know instinctively when another member of their pack is in trouble, and they will react accordingly.
When we humans get hurt or scared, we often run away from danger.
This is why we don’t want to go near the edge of cliffs or look into the eyes of strangers.
However, if a dog sees someone who needs help, it will rush over and start trying to pull them back.
Dogs instinctively know how to act by following the rules of their pack, and they understand that the safety of their family comes first.
Therefore, dogs will always try to protect their family members from harm, even if their own lives aren’t at risk.
This is why it’s essential to teach your dog to stay calm when faced with danger.
For example, if you leave your keys in the kitchen while you go out shopping, your dog might decide that it wants to chase after them.
However, they should never try to grab something that could cause serious injury – they could end up harming themselves too.
If your dog does catch hold of something, it’s best to let them play with it for a few minutes while you check what it is.
Then, you can safely take it away from them.
The same goes for other situations where your pet could potentially hurt themselves, such as chewing on furniture or getting tangled up in cords.
You should always supervise your dog when they’re exploring new territory, especially if you don’t know them well enough to spot potential dangers.
Dogs are very attuned to their surroundings
Dogs are naturally curious creatures, which makes them highly sensitive to their environment.
For example, a dog will often notice the scent of smoke before humans do, which means it can alert its master to any potential fires before they become too serious.
Another interesting characteristic of dogs is their ability to hear high-pitched sounds.
This allows them to pick up on things such as car alarms and sirens, which helps them warn their owners of nearby dangers.
Dogs have a strong sense of smell
Dogs have developed a keen sense of smell due to their diet.
As wild animals, their ancestors would have had to sniff out food from miles away by scent alone.
This helped them survive in the wild, but also meant that they were better prepared for hunting prey as well as finding shelter when necessary.
As domesticated animals, however, dogs no longer have to rely solely on their noses to find food.
Instead, they are able to use their noses to locate different types of smells – such as food, people, and even certain scents associated with specific emotions.
A dog’s nose has over 250 million olfactory receptors compared to just 10 million in humans.
The human brain has a total of 100 billion neurons, but dogs have as many as 150 billion – which gives them a huge advantage when it comes to processing information.
In addition, the canine brain is also slightly bigger than ours – which may help explain why dogs tend to be more intelligent than us.
So while we may think that our senses are superior, dogs are well ahead of us when it comes to smell!
Read on to learn more about how dogs make the best pets.
Dogs have a lot of energy
In addition to being very energetic, dogs also tend to have a lot of stamina.
This is because they are built to run all day long and even through the night if necessary.
They don’t tire easily, nor do they get too hot or cold as a result.
This makes them ideal pets for those who live somewhere where it gets pretty chilly at night or on a hot summer’s day.
The same goes for those who live in places where it gets really windy or rainy – as long as the weather doesn’t cause them to feel uncomfortable, then they should be fine.
If you want to find out why dogs have such high energy levels, we suggest reading our article on why dogs are always hungry.
Dogs need to be exercised
There are a few reasons why your dog needs to be exercised.
Firstly, it keeps them fit and healthy.
A sedentary lifestyle is bad news for dogs, as it can lead to obesity and other health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
Regular exercise helps dogs maintain a healthy weight, which is essential if they want to live long lives.
Secondly, exercising dogs also gives them something to focus on during the day instead of just lying around watching TV or eating their food.
This can help them cope with boredom, which many dogs suffer from if they don’t get enough stimulation.
Thirdly, exercise is good for dogs mentally.
They love physical activity and it allows them to channel their excess energy into something positive.
This helps them stay calm and happy, which is vital when they’re living with humans.
Finally, exercise is great for dogs socially.
They enjoy being around people and interacting with other animals, which is why they love going to the park and walking the local area.
This can help them form new relationships with other dogs and even humans.
If you’ve always wanted to know exactly what kind of exercise your dog does need, keep reading to find out more.
Dogs are social creatures
As previously mentioned, dogs are very sociable animals.
They love nothing more than spending time with their owners, their friends and other people in general.
This is why they are such great companions – they want to be with you all the time!
Dogs also love to play games, which is why they’re always begging for treats.
They enjoy being outside as well, and will often lead their owners on walks by tugging at their leashes.
You might wonder whether dogs are intelligent enough to learn new things.
Well, according to research conducted by the University of Edinburgh, dogs are just as clever as humans when it comes to learning new skills.
They can even pick up new words and phrases without needing help from their owners.
Dogs are also keen to please their owners, and will happily go along with whatever task you ask them to perform.
They’ll follow instructions, sit still for long periods of time and never complain if you tell them what to do.
Dogs are also naturally inquisitive creatures, meaning they love to explore everything around them.
Hi, my name is Megan Turner and I have worked in a dog’s shelter for four years now. It is truly my dream job, and I see hundreds of dogs every month being united with new owners to give them a loving forever home.
Unfortunately, handicapped dogs are much more likely to be ignored when a family is picking out their new pet. Handicapped pets need more care than non-handicapped pets, so it is understandable why they are often harder to rehome.
