6 amazing things you never knew about your dog
What reason could a dog possibly have for pretending to be sick? Do our four-legged friends like being hugged? Do they actually feel guilty when we catch them red-handed? We find out the answers to these and more of your burning questions about man’s best friend.
1. Dogs don’t feel guilt
As much as you might argue against this one, scientists have learned that dogs don’t actually feel guilt. Yes, they may tuck their tail between their legs, put their head down, crawl, whimper or hide – but this isn’t indicative of guilt. It’s simply a response to their owner’s behaviour – our body language, tone of voice and even our scent.
2. Dogs can get jealous
The green-eyed monster isn’t exclusive to humans, studies show. If you’ve ever tried to introduce your dog to a friend or family member’s pooch only to be greeted with growling, barking or whimpering, chances are they’re just jealous that another animal is taking so much of their owner’s attention. Take it as a compliment!
3. Dogs are great judges of character
Not sure how trustworthy or reliable your new friend, neighbour or love interest is? Test your doubts by introducing them to your dog. Why? Our canine friends have incredibly high social intelligence, meaning they’re able to pick up on cues that we ourselves cannot. So, if your dog doesn’t like someone, there’s a good reason.
4. Dogs can pretend to be sick
Dogs are as guilty of chucking “sickies” as the rest of us, it seems. If your pooch is feeling lonely or neglected, they’re likely to do anything in order to get your attention – even faking sick. Of course, any sign of illness or injury in your pet should never be ignored, but the symptoms most commonly developed by attention-seeking pups are coughs, limps, and scratching.
5. Dogs aren’t into hugs
Sorry to break it to you, but Fido isn’t a huge fan of your hug. It’s nothing personal, we promise. It’s all down to our innate desire to assign human characteristics to all animals (e.g. referring to your dog’s two front legs as “arms”). Unfortunately for us affectionate humans, dogs see hugs as an act of dominance, and are likely to pull away.
6. Dogs speak our language
Rather, they can understand it. English, German, Japanese… no matter the language, dogs have the ability to understand up to 500 words. No wonder they get so excited hearing the word “walk” or “treat”. Despite their impressive vocabulary, however, dogs take most of their cues from our facial expression, body language and the tone of our voice.