Fantastic Facts About 16 Fascinating Breeds!

Varsha Verma with Rocky
Dogs never fail to amaze us. Here are a few fantastic facts about 16 different breeds of dogs, which make us look at them with awe and admiration. –Varsha Verma
1. Ode to oldest Salukis: The royal dog of Egypt or Saluki, is perhaps the oldest known breed of domesticated dog. Historians have found their existence to 329 BC when Alexander the Great invaded India. In southern Iraq, there found carvings of a dog that look similar to a Saluki which dates back to 7000BC.
2. Barkless Basenji: If you think all dogs bark, then it is time to read this. Basenji is one dog breed who does not bark, yet they can make a sound like yodelling or whining. It is believed that the ventricle of their larynx is shallow, which limits the ability of their vocal folds to vibrate sufficiently enough to make a classic bark sound.

3. Speedy Greyhounds: The fastest land animal is Cheetah which has a recorded speed of between 68.0 mph and 75.0 mph. But, they can keep this speed for around 200-300 yards. While, a Greyhound can keep a speed of 35 mph for upto 7 miles. So, in a long distance race, Greyhound is a sure winner!

4. Dark tongue Chow Chows and Shar-Peis: Interestingly, two dog breeds – Chow Chow and Shar-Peis have black tongues and not pink. However, when Chow-Chows are born, their tongues are pink, which turn blue-black at 8-10 weeks of age.

5. Best Hunters – African Hunting Dogs: The best land hunters of the world are the African hunting dogs, who are successful in 50-70 percent of their hunts. What’s more? They even hold a Guinness World Record in their name for their hunting skills.

6. Australian Shepherd is American: Yes, you read it correctly… Australian Shepherd is not an Australian breed, it is an American breed developed in the 19th century.

7. Dalmatians are not born spotty: When a Dalmatian is born, he is totally white. As he gets older, spots begin to appear after 10 days. These spots continue to develop until they are 18 months old.

8. Beardy Barbets: Barbet is a French dog, who has a beard and hence its name. The word barbe in French means beard.

9. Nosey Bloodhounds: Bloodhounds have impressive tracking scents and their tracking results are considered as evidence in the court. One of the most famous Bloodhound was Nick Carter, a Kentucky hound, who tracked 650 cases and because of his amazing skills, he sent 126 criminals to jail.
10. Smart Border Collies: Border Collies are considered to be the smartest dog breed. This had been confirmed by the university of British Columbia as well. And the worlds smartest dog is Chaser, a Border Collie, who knows the name of her 1000 unique toys. What’s more? She brings things when she is asked to get them. Her cognitive skills and development is similar to that of a toddler.
11. Farty English Bulldogs: We all love Bulldogs for their sweet demeanour, but however lovable they are, they are notorious for their chronic flatulence. It is because they have sensitive stomach and they are not able to digest food easily. Moreover, their short nose and flat face is a hindrance in eating well. So, they eat fast, resulting in excess air in their intestines.
12. Lion-hunters Rhodesian Ridgeback: Read again…Rhodesian Ridgeback were used to hunt lions in mid 1600s. They looked like jackals and had an amazing ability to survive encounters with wild animals, especially lions.
13. Wolfy Shih-Tzus: Don’t judge a book by its cover and dog by its looks. Shih-Tzu looks totally adorable but do you know that Shih-Tzu is genetically one of the most closely related dog breed to wolves.
14. Royal Pekingese: One of the oldest toy breeds of China is Pekingese, who were companion dogs for Chinese royalty and were named after the city of Peking (now Beijing). They were also very popular with Buddhist monks. Since these dogs were kept by royal people, they were treated like royalties and they even have had servants to take care of them.
15. Six-toed Norwegian Lundehund: How many toes does a dog have? Four…but not Norwegian Lundehund…they have six toes per foot, and all are fully formed and muscled. The extra toes give more traction and grip to navigate on slippery rocks and peaks.
16. Super swimmer Newfoundlands: Newfoundlands are black wooly dogs, bred to help fishermen work in cold waters of Canada. No wonder their fur is water resistant, their built is muscular and they can save a person from drowning. Not to forget their thick, webbed paws and the longest toes, which help them swim in water with a down-and-out motion, which help them swim through waves and surf.