You probably know a whole lot about your dog – what all his sounds mean, what toys make him go nuts and how to trick him into taking medicine.

Since your pup is probably one of your best friends in the whole world, you might want to know a bit more about what makes him such a special creature… besides his off-the-charts cuteness.

And the more you learn about dogs and their unique characteristics, the better you can care for them and love them.

  1. Your doggo’s nose is often wet for a good reason – it secretes a mucus that absorbs scent chemicals. Then they lick their nose to help them figure out what they’re smelling.
  2. The tallest dog in the world is 3’8″ tall! He’s a Great Dane named Zeus who lives in Michigan.
  3. A greyhound dog could beat a cheetah in a long distance race – they can maintain speeds of 35 mph for up to 7 miles while the cheetah can only maintain top speeds for 200-300 yards.
  4. Dogs have three eyelids, which help to protect and lubricate their eyes.
  5. They are not actually colorblind. In fact, they do see color but just less vividly than humans.
  6. The only sweat glands a dog has are located between their paw pads.
  7. At the end of the song, “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles, there is a frequency only dogs can hear. Paul McCartney included this for his sheepdog.
  8. Dogs’ mouths can exert 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch, with some breeds able to exert as much as 450 pounds per square inch.
  9. On average, city dogs live 3 years longer than country dogs.
  10. America has the highest dog population in the whole world and France is #2.
  11. One-year-old dogs have the equivalent physical maturity as 15-year-old humans.
  12. Bloodhounds have such an amazing sense of smell that it can be admitted as evidence in court.
  13. Special service dogs are trained to detect epileptic seizures in their owners.
  14. Newfoundland dogs have webbed feet and water-resistant fur, making them excellent companions for fisherman.
  15. The Titanic had three canine survivors!
  16. The leading health problem in dogs is obesity.
  17. Your dog’s nose print is as unique as your fingerprint.
  18. Humans have been keeping dogs as pets now for over 12,000 years.
  19. The world’s largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound.
  20. The world’s smallest breed of dog is the chihuahua.
  21. The world’s heaviest breed of dog is the St. Bernard.
  22. The world’s oldest breed of dog is the Saluki.
  23. There are 703 different dog breeds.
  24. The first living creature to enter space was a dog named Laika on November 3, 1957.
  25. In 1990, a blind man hiked the Appalachian Trail assisted only by his guide dog.
  26. Over a million people in the US have named their dogs as the primary beneficiary in their will.
  27. The favorite breed in the US, UK and Canada is the Golden Retriever.
  28. Over half of all American presidents have owned dogs.
  29. Dogs instinctually curl up in a ball to sleep to keep themselves warm and protect their organs.

You already knew dogs were incredible creatures, but now you have a lot more facts to back that up. Keep this page bookmarked and pull it up next time you need to impress a friend or colleague with your amazing knowledge about man’s best friend.