15 Surprising Facts About Dogs

Here at Embark, we love making new discoveries about dogs. That’s why our founders traveled the world studying them. This was Embark’s very beginning, and these findings have since helped thousands of customers learn even more about their furry family members.

Dogs are full of surprises. Become a canine expert with the help of these surprising dog facts.

15 fun facts about dogs

1. A dog’s sense of smell is estimated to be between 10,000 and 100,000 times better than our own, according to National Geographic.
2. Puppies are born without teeth or eyesight. They are also born deaf, according to the American Kennel Club.
3. Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not colorblind. They can see color, although they do see fewer colors than humans.
4. Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet, according to livescience.com.
5. According to National Geographic, dogs can sniff out early signs of Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, several types of cancer, oncoming epileptic seizures, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There is also some emerging research that suggests that trained dogs can use their noses to detect the virus that causes COVID-19.
6. Dogs curl up in a ball when they sleep due to an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and protect their abdomen and vital organs from predators says Dr. Margaret Gruen, DVM, clinician at NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Behavior Service.
7. Scientists found that the Australian dingo is genetically distinct from domestic dogs, and likely descended from wild dogs.
8. All dogs dream, but puppies and senior dogs dream more frequently, the American Kennel Club writes.
9. Greyhounds can run as fast as 45 miles per hour, making them the fastest dogs on Earth.
10. Geneticists and archeologists now agree that the ancestor to modern dogs separated from other wolves over 20,000 years ago. By 15,000 years ago, they were fully dog-like and spreading around the world, says Dr. Adam Boyko, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Embark.
11. Human blood pressure has been known to decrease when petting a dog, and so does the dog’s.
12. There’s a genetic reason why some dogs have blue eyes.
13. As of March 2017, a total of 89.7 million dogs were estimated to live in U.S. households as pets, statista.com reports.
14. Dogs can learn words, according to The New York Times. One well-studied Border Collie named Rico knew 200 objects by name and, like a toddler, could infer the names of novel objects by excluding things with labels he already knew.
15. A dog’s nose print is unique, similar to the human fingerprint, according to the AKC.

Are you curious about your pup? Get an Embark Dog DNA Test to learn more about their breed mix, traits, and genetic health risks.