A couple of fun facts about dogs, most of which even I didn’t know!

1. In an interview in 2013, Sir Paul McCartney said that he added a frequency that only dogs can hear to the end of the Beatles song “A Day in the Life”. Of course, I had to try it. I played it three times just make sure it wasn’t a fluke. So, watch your dog when you play the song!

2. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic. The dogs were in first class and included a Pomeranian puppy. Her owner wrapped the puppy in a blanket to escape the sinking ship. Everyone thought she was carrying a baby. Another Pomeranian and a Pekingese were also rescued. Move over, Rose and Jack!

3. A Greyhound would actually beat a cheetah in a long-distance race!  Greyhounds are excellent long-distance runners and can maintain a speed of 35 mph for up to seven miles. While the cheetah is incredibly fast, it only can keep its speed for about 200- 300 yards. So, they may have the running start but it’ll be surpassed by the Greyhound!

4. A 50-year-old blind man named Bill Irwin hiked the entire 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail with his black and tan German Shepard guide dog, Orient. Orient packed his own provisions and stopped at every signpost which Irwin read with his fingertips. They hiked the Appalachian Trail for eight months in 1990. He didn’t use maps or a compass, just his seeing-eye dog!

5. 30% of all Dalmatians are deaf in one ear and 5% are deaf in both. This is due to the extreme piebald gene which is responsible for their white coat and blue eyes in some Dalmatians. Dalmatians with larger dark patches are less likely to be deaf.

6. Many dog owners haven’t heard of this interesting fact, but did you know that your four-legged friend has three eyelids? The third lid is called the “haw” or nictitating membrane, and is responsible for keeping the eye protected and lubricated. I had a dog where I saw this third eyelid often when she was sleeping. I thought she was sleeping with her eyes open!

7. Chow Chows and Shar Pei are the only dogs that have fully blue-black tongues. What is even more interesting, the cause of these blue and black tongues is currently unknown!