The Most Amazing Facts
- Historians have found evidence that in medieval times, mongrels that belonged to peasants had to wear heavy blocks around their necks to stop them running free and thus breeding with noblemen’s purebred hunting dogs.
- In Russia, some stray dogs have demonstrated fantastic levels of intelligence and ingenuity by learning how to use the subway system to travel around Moscow in their search for food!
- Plenty of people know that the first mammal to orbit the earth was a Russian dog by the name of Laika. But few are aware that Laika’s daughter called Pushnika bred with John F Kennedy’s terrier called Charlie - and the two had four puppies together!
- A scientist by the name of Doctor Roger Mugford made a device called a ‘wagometer’ which he claimed could interpret a dog’s mood simply by analysing the wagging of its tail.
- Welsh folklore states that corgis are in fact the dogs of the fairies and elves, and are used to pull the little folk’s coaches and be the steeds of their greatest warriors!
- Amazingly, wild baboons have been seen kidnapping puppies from their families, and taking care of them throughout their lives. They become part of the baboon’s own family, their duty usually being as a protective guard dog!
- By studying documents we have found out what the ancient Egyptians called their dogs. Generally they had names that described their colour or their best skills, such as ‘blackie’, ‘brave one’, or ‘good herdsman’.
- It has been proven that dogs can detect lung cancer by smelling a patient’s breath, and can even smell early signs of cancer before medical experts can detect them.
- When a number of lampposts fell over in Croatia, people thought there might be a group of vandals about or that they weren’t constructed very well… however it turned out that a chemical in dogs’ urine was reacting with the metal, causing it to weaken and rot!
- Lord Byron was so annoyed that his tutors at Cambridge University would not allow him to bring his dog to live with him that he brought along a bear instead!
A Dachshund