Health Benefits of Having a Pet
Compared to non-pet owners:
- People who own pets typically visit the doctor less often and use less medication.
- Pet owners, on average, have lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
- Pet owners recover more quickly from illness and surgery.
- Pet owners deal better with stressful situations.
- Pet owners are less likely to report feeling lonely.
Did You Know.....
...that the largest litter of puppies on record is 23? The record is shared by three bitches of different breeds - an American Foxhound, St. Bernard and a Great Dane. Each whelped 23 puppies in one litter.
...that Dalmatian puppies are born pure whit - without their distinctive spots? It's only when they start to grow that their black or brown spots begin to appear.
...that during the 19th century mummified cats in Egypt were excavated and used as manure? In one consignment alone, there were 19 tons of mummified cats. Unfortunately, all that was saved from that consignment was one skull, which was given to the British Museum.
...that an Old English Mastiff holds the record for being the heaviest dog? In 1989, "Zorba", a Mastiff in London, weighed 155.58 kg (343 lbs).
...that some dogs can live beyond 20 years? "Bluey", an Australian cattle-dog, holds the record for the longest life - 29 years and 5 months. Bluey spent 20 years of his life working with cattle and sheep in Australia.
...that China reports that some Goldfish there live well over 50 years? The average life span of Goldfish is about 17 years.
...that cats have up to 26 more vertebrae than the human backbone? The cat's additional vertebrae give it greater flexibility.
...that in France dog ownership is a constitutional right for all citizens?
...that Mastiff's were recruited as dogs of war during the Roman Empire as well as the Middle Ages? The Romans trained the courageous Mastiffs to fearlessly attack their enemies. During the Middle Ages, the Mastiff was sent into battle against mounted knights. Not entirely defenseless, the Mastiff was geared up with his own coat of armor. With a deadly iron spike set on his head and a cauldron of hot sulfur and resin placed on his back, the Mastiff was transformed into a fearsome warrior.
...the heaviest cat on record weighed 21.3 kg (46 lbs., 15-1/4 oz.)? The stately cat, named "Himmy", was a ten year old male tabby from Queensland, Australia.
...about "Toby", one of the world's richest dogs? Toby was a Standard Poodle owned by Ella Wendel of New York. Upon her death in 1931, Ms. Wendel bequeathed 15 million pounds to her beloved pet.
...that in the past, Burmese cats were reputed to have had their own servants? Once owned by Burmese aristocracy and priests, the Burmese cats were so highly valued that it was illegal to sell them.
...about "Dusty", the ultimate mother? Dusty, a tabby from Bonham, Texas, gave birth to a record breaking 420 kittens. She was 17 years old when she had her last kitten.
...that the amazing Swordtails can sometimes change from females to males? Swordtails first became aquarium fishes in about 1910. A few years later, it was reported that some females, after have several broods, had reversed sex - completely changing from females into fully functioning males!
...that 25% of a dogs stool volume is shed intestinal epithelium?
...that all dogs, from the St. Bernard to the tiny Poodle, are direct descendants of wolves. They can all breed together and produce fertile offspring. Technically they are of the same species.
...that the belief that dogs chew grass to aid them in vomiting is probably false? Dogs can very easily regurgitate. In fact, after eating wolves can travel significant distances back to their dens and regurgitate the food at will to feed their pups!
...the common belief that dogs are color blind is false. Dogs can see color but it is not as vivid a color scheme as we see. It is much like our vision at twilight.
...some authorities estimate that some dogs sense of olfaction (smelling) is as high as 1 million times greater than ours.
World's Largest Dog
The worlds heaviest as well as longest dog ever recorded was an Old English Mastiff named Zorba. In 1989, Zorba weighed 343 lbs. and was 8 feet
World's Tallest Dog
The tallest dog on record was named Shamgret Danzas. He was 42 inches tall (at the shoulder!) and weighed 238 lbs.
World's Smallest Dog
The smallest dog in history was a tiny Yorkie from Blackburn, England. At two years of age and fully grown this little dude was an incredible 2.5 inches tall by 3.75 inches long! He weighed only 4 ounces! HE was approximately the size of a matchbox.
World's Oldest Dog
The oldest dog that has been reliably documented was an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey. He was put to sleep at the age of 29 years and 5 months!
World's Best Drug Sniffing Dogs
A US Customs Labrador named "Snag" has made 118 drug seizures worth a canine record $810 million.
The greatest number of drug seizures by dogs is 969 in 1988. IN ONE YEAR! The team of "Rocky" and "Barco" patrolled the Texas and Mexico border, alias "Cocaine Alley." They were so good that Mexican drug lords put a price of $30,000 dollars on their heads.
Estimating Your Dogs Age
Since a dogs lifespan is usually limited to 15-20 years it should be enough to say that a 2 year old dog is young, a 9 year old dog is middle aged, and a 14 year old dog is old, etc. However, for some reason humans feel the need to anthropomorphize every thing that relates to animals. I am guilty of it (check out the fastest cockroach on the insect page). Since I will never be successful in my efforts to stop the needless "humanization" of animals, I offer the following.
The classic "one dog year equals seven human years" formula has somehow crept into our popular culture. It is a very poor method for estimating your dogs "human age." It is only accurate in the middle of the spectrum and does not take into account the upper and lower ends of the scale. For example: A 1 year old dog has reached sexual maturity and for all intents and purposes has reached its greatest height and length at this age. No one would claim that a 7 year old child has reached sexual maturity and has stopped growing. At the other end of the scale you must consider that dogs ROUTINELY live past the age of 15. That means in human terms most everyone would be living well into their hundreds! In the case of the worlds oldest dog (29) he would be 203! There is a better method.
Use this formula:
The first year of a dogs life = 15 years.
