- How many hours does an average dog sleep a day? The average dog sleeps about 13 hours a day. This is almost as long as a newborn baby. (Newborns sleep an average of 14 to 18 hours a day.) But the sleep pattern is different between a dog and a human. Dogs don’t necessarily sleep for hours at a time. Sometimes it’s just a quick 15 minute nap.
- What are dew claws and why do dogs have them?The dewclaw is the one attached higher up on the foreleg on the inside that has a pad similar to the paw pad. Some argue that the dewclaw serves no purpose and should be removed. Others say that some dogs’ dewclaws make contact with the ground when they run, so the dewclaw helps with running. My bulldog uses his dew claws to help him hold his bone when he is chewing. YourDictionary.com suggests it’s called a dewclaw because it touches the dew instead of the ground.
- Can cosmetic surgery be performed for dogs? When a friend suggested that I put braces on my bulldog, I thought she was kidding. But she wasn’t. Actually, there are veterinary dentists who charge anywhere from $1200 to $2,000 to straighten your dog’s teeth. And if braces aren’t enough, would you think you could get Fido testicular implants for around $400? Does Missy need a “breast change” after nursing his puppies? That is also available. So is a facelift or nose job. Nose job is encouraged to stop stocking. Bulldog owners take note. (Unless you’re like me and really think your bulldog’s snoring is cute.)
- Why does my dog like to lick my nose? There are disagreements among experts as to why a dog licks a human’s nose. Some say it’s to show affection to its owner, while others say that dogs greet each other by licking each other’s faces, that’s how your dog is saying “hello” to you. The third message communicated by licking a person’s face is the respect the dog has for the person because that is how dogs respect each other; licking the face of another dog. So does that mean a dog respects every dog he says “hello” to? Something to ponder.
- What is the average number of puppies in a litter? It’s pretty obvious that the answer to this varies significantly by breed, so let’s look at the extremes. At the low end, Pomeranians average two pups per litter and at the high end, Pekingese average 10 pups per litter. The world record for the most puppies in one little boy goes to a Nap Mastiff who had 24 puppies in a litter in 2005!
- What percentage of dog owners allow their dogs to sleep in the bed with them? Would you believe that two out of three dog owners allow their dog to sleep in the bed with them? A whopping 67% invite Fido into their bed.
- How many people in the United States have a dog? There are about 111 million households in the US Of those, 44.8 million households in the US have a dog. That means about 4 out of 10 households have a dog. The average number of dogs per household is 1.7. By comparison, 37.5 million households have a cat.
- Why do writers use the name “Fido” as a common dog name?? Fido is derived from the Latin word for “faithful” and it is widely believed that this is how the dog name “Fido” originated. Ironically, Fido isn’t even on the Top 10 list of common dog names, as maintained by petfinders.com.
- What is the most common dog name in the United States? Buddy. A quick survey of my personal friends revealed that I have four friends with a dog named Buddy.
- Who has the highest pet dog population in the world?? Not surprise. America does. Who comes in #2? Brazil.
If you ever find yourself in a dog trivia game, knowing these useless facts about dogs could help you win the game!