The dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been the most widely kept working, hunting and companion animal in human history. The word "dog" may also mean the male of a canine species, as opposed to the word "bitch" for the female of the species. The dog quickly became ubiquitous across world cultures, and was extremely valuable to early human settlements. For instance, it is believed the successful emigration across the Bering Strait might not have been possible without sled dogs.
Ten Facts about Dog
- The tallest dogs are the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound.
- The oldest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years, 5 months.
- The average dog's mouth exerts 150 to 200 pounds of pressure per square inch. Some dogs can apply up to 450 pounds.
- Dogs are omnivorous. They need more than just meat to flourish.
- A one-year-old dog is physically as mature as a 15 year-old human.
- This impact on human society has given them the nickname "Man's best friend" in the western world. Currently, there are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.
- Dogs naturally have a wonderful sense of smell. They have many more sensory 'smelling' cells than a man's 5,000,000.
- Dogs, as we know them today, first appeared in Eurasia about 13,000 years ago.
- The smallest breed is the Chihuahua. It weighs only 4 pounds and is 5 inches high at the shoulders.
- Obesity is the number one health problem among dogs.
