All About Dogs

First I want to share this picture of a flower that just opened in a small bouquet I have in my kitchen. The bouquet is from periwinkles I have planted in the front of my house, and I’ve enjoyed bringing some of the color into the kitchen, especially when the buds open to such lovely blooms. I think this one is the best so far, although I did like the one I shared HERE last week.

I started to do a blog post about rules of writing after reading a take on Elmore Leonard’s Ten rules over at the Author’s Community site, but then I realized that post would work better on The Blood-Red Pencil blog, which is, after all, all about writing and editing. So, here I am late morning on Monday, without a topic for today’s blog.

Thank goodness I’ve found the website AnswerThePublic.com that offers a wealth of trivia to work into a blog post. Since I did a post, All About Cats, not long ago, I thought it might be nice to give equal time to dogs today.

  • Where do dogs like to be touched? Individual dogs have specific spots where they like to be petted; common areas are the base of the tail, under the chin or on the back of the neck where the collar hits. Most dogs dislike being touched on top of the head and on the muzzle, ears, legs, paws and tail. Which explains my dog’s reluctance to have his feet cleaned after a morning walk in the rain.
  • Can dogs see in the dark? Dogs see a lot better than humans do at night. Dogs have many adaptations for low-light vision. A larger pupil lets in more light.
  • Why do dogs lick? Right from birth that is how the mother communicates with her new puppies, how she stimulates them to start breathing and how she cleans them when they are born, so it’s very important to the survival of puppies.  In the wild and in domestic dogs, you’ll find they will lick around the mother’s mouth as newborns and puppies still retain that instinct. It’s also sort of a submissive gesture — the more subordinate members of a pack will lick the more dominant members and that’s important in maintaining pack harmony.
  • What dogs get along with cats?  Dog breeds that are typically good with Cats are: Basset Hound. These are loyal, patient, and low-key dogs. Beagle. Beagles were bred to hunt in packs, so they are typically friendly with other animals. Bulldog. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Collie. Golden Retriever. Labrador Retriever. Papillon.
  • Will there be dogs in heaven? This has been highly debated over the years, and I have always believed the answer is “yes.” There is some biblical validation from this quote from Isaiah 11:6, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
  • How do dogs view humans?  Scientists are studying the brains of dogs, and what the studies show is welcome news for all dog owners. Not only do dogs seem to love us back, they actually see us as their family. It turns out that dogs rely on humans more than they do their own kind for affection, protection, and everything in between.
  • Do dogs experience the same emotions as people? Dogs have the same brain structures that produce emotions in humans. They have the same hormones and undergo the same chemical changes that humans do during emotional states. Dogs even have the hormone oxytocin, which in humans is involved with love and affection. So it seems reasonable to suggest that dogs also have emotions similar to ours. However, it is important not to go overboard: The mind of a dog is roughly equivalent to that of a human who is 2 to 2½ years old. A child that age clearly has emotions, but not all possible emotions, since many emerge later in the path to adulthood.

That’s all for me for today, folks. Please do share any dog stories you might have, including pictures of your canine companion. I hope your week starts off on a good note. Be happy. Be safe.

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