Dogs are amazing creatures… (you already know that.)

Humans have been partnered with them since the dawn of time.

They help us at work, play, get fit and healthy as well as keep us sane.

During this period we have got to know a few interesting things about them.

Things that make us understand just how incredible they are.

Today our research team has put together five little known facts about dogs.

Fair caution though…these facts may make you fall even more deeply in love with your furry friend…

Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Fact #1: The reason dogs curl up is because of an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and to protect vital organs while they sleep.

Your dog is making his or her own nest when they curl up in an attempt to stay safe in a vulnerable state. Even when your dog is safe at home, they still often revert back to basic instincts when getting ready for sleep, as it’s a vulnerable state.

Fact #2: Dogs don’t ONLY see in black and white — they can also see blue and yellow!

For the longest time experts thought that dogs could only see in black and white, however new research from the University of Washington found that blue and yellow are are also colours that dogs can recognise.

Which is interesting because the most popular colors for dog toys today are red or safety orange. That’s because red is difficult for dogs to see and may appear to them as a very dark brownish gray or even black. So if your dog is struggling to find a red toy on the grass… it’s likely in a camouflage position to him.

Fact #3: When a dog spins in a circle before settling down, it’s because he’s making himself at home! This is a nesting trait carried down from your dog’s wilder ancestors.

Another ancient ritual that’s been kept over the years. This one is a bit less explainable however there are indication it could be to make sure that the surrounding environment is safe before they plump down to rest.

Fact #4: Dogs poop in alignment with Earth’s magnetic field.

Another fascinating fact… another one with reason we don’t quite know the reason why.

What we do know is that they join cattle, roe deer, red deer, hunting red foxes, red foxes, coyotes and grey wolves in doing this. It’s technical term is a thing called “magnetoreception”.

Fact #5: Dogs can be trained to detect changes in the human body — there are even seizure alert dogs that assist patients during the onset of a seizure.

Dogs aren’t just helpful for the blind or those less able. Because of their superpowers, like a strong sense of smell, or being very receptive to changes in the environment, they help humans out with more physiological and psychological areas than we have yet discovered.

 

…. well don’t those just pull at your heart strings!

The list shouldn’t end there though. The more we study and observe the behaviour of dogs, the more we understand just how special they are.

In the comments below feel free to comment with what you think your dogs secret superpower is…