Five things you may not know about your dog

By: Tiffany Ditto

Even for experienced pet owners, unlocking the mysteries of our fur babies can be a challenging task. Underneath their cute exterior lie strange behaviors and things you may have wondered about but didn’t know the answer to. With the help of expert journals, here are a few facts about doggos that aren't commonly known:

1.) On average dogs can understand about 165 words, according to a study done by Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert in canine intelligence, published by the American Psychological Association. These aren’t only commands but often words that come up in day-to-day conversation. For instance, if you usually feed your dog around the same time you eat, your dog may perk up when they hear you talking about dinner plans.

2.) Dogs can get the flu too. Canine Influenza was first identified in the U.S. in 2004, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The most common side effects include a cough that lasts 10-21 days, nasal or ocular discharge, sneezing, lethargy or anorexia. But don’t worry; just like with humans, your dog can get vaccinated.

3.) Dogs, unlike humans, don’t need night vision goggles. Dogs eyes have the ability to reflect up to 130 times more light than the human eye – making them five times more sensitive to light than we are, according to an article written by Coren for Psychology Today. This explains why when you take a photo of your dog with the flash on or see them at night, their eyes appear to be glowing. However, cats possess even better night vision capabilities than dogs.

4.) If you’re ever cuddling with your fur baby and they seem to be having a bad dream, they actually might be. According to research done by Coren, published in Psychology Today, during sleep dogs exhibit similar stages of electrical activity observed in sleeping humans—meaning your doggo dozes off into dreamland, too.

5.) Many dog owners will tell you that dog’s pant when they’re hot because they don’t sweat, but that’s not entirely true. According to Ceasar’s Way, the website of Cesar Millan, a dog behaviorist with over 25 years of experience most known for his hit TV show the Dog Whisperer, dogs secrete moisture from their nose and paws to cool down.