10 Dog Myths!!

1.  Dogs only see black, white and gray scale.
Dogs are in fact color blind when it comes to red and green but they do see color.  The colors that dogs see are not as vivid as the human color scale but what their vision lacks they make up in their sense of smell.

Source: http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/LA/DrP4.htm

2.  All of a dog’s senses are more sensitive than that of a human.

A canine’s sense of taste is NOT as sensitive as humans. 

"Most of a dog's taste buds are clustered around the tip of the tongue.  Dogs can detect bitter, sweet, salty, and sour tastes, but their sense of taste is relatively poor and they have only one-sixth the number of taste buds that humans have."

3.  One human year = seven dog years
This one couldn’t be further from the truth because dogs (depending on the breed) are typically considered sexually mature between ages one and 18 months.  The best way to relate dog years to human years is through the following graph:

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dog_and_human_year_graph.png

4.  A wagging tail means a dog is happy.

Dogs wag their tails for many reasons and it DOES NOT always mean that they are happy.  

"A friendly dog will communicate his intentions through loosely wagging his tail. But, a wagging tail does not always indicate friendliness. Dominant or aggressive dogs may wag their tail, but the tail is held high and maybe just the tip of the tail is moving rapidly. A playful dog will also hold his tail high, but it will be wagging greatly from side to side. A dog who holds his tail low and wags it stiffly may be indicating he is submissive or afraid."

5.  A warm dry nose means your dog is sick.

A perfectly healthy dog's nose will change from dry to moist and cold to warm throughout the day.  On the other hand, you should take your dog to a veterinarian if he/she is experiencing changes in nasal texture and pigmentation.  

Source: Lola

6.  All dogs like to be petted on their head.

Many dogs tolerate being petting on their head but in the canine world, it can be interpreted as a threatening gesture.  Therefore, it is always safest to NOT pet a strange dog on the head.

7.  A dog eating grass indicates stomach upset.

Grass eating is a normal behavior in dogs and is not always related to illness.  Outside of stomach upset, dogs might eat grass because they enjoy the taste or they're hungry.

8.  All dog food is created equal.

There are many dog foods on the market that are considered to be very unhealthy.  Unless otherwise directed by a veterinarian (due to a certain medical condition), here is a guideline to follow when looking at dog food labels:

1. A meat should be the first ingredient.
2. The guaranteed analysis protein level should be 30% or more.
3. The fat content should be 18% or more.
4. Supplements such as Omega Fatty Acids and Vitamin E are good to have.
5. NO FOOD COLORING!!!!!

9.  Humping is always sexual in nature.

Humping is in fact a sexual position in canines but they also hump for other reasons.  Male and female dogs both hump for dominance, excitement and even play. 

10.  Deaf dogs are more easily startled and therefore are aggressive.

Deaf dogs adapt to their new life without hearing and while they can become startled more easily at times, it does not mean that they are going to become aggressive or bite.

"Owners report that their dogs' responses to being touched unexpectedly range from a "YIKES" response, where the dog may jump, to a "huh?" response, where the dog simply turns and looks. Some may be momentarily disoriented when awakened, but few become aggressive or bite in response."


Which of these myths did you find most interesting?

*Johanna*