Dog Facts

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.
For me they are the role model for being alive.
~Gilda Radner

Welcome Everyone to Dogs on Thursday!
(Sorry I am running a little late this morning.
We have flu at our house today.)

Here are a couple of reminders and updates:

If you haven't already voted for a charity for the upcoming snuggle project, please do that.

We will announce the results next Thursday and then start working on the snuggles the following Thursday.

Next Thursday we will also announce the info/rules, etc... on the Spring Swap.

And... Don't forget to wear orange on April 10th and support your local ASPCA.

Thank you Nichole for that information.

For today, in place of the "Doggie Spotlight" is a new feature called "Fun Dog Facts".

Here is the first installment:

1: The worlds 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 3 inches long from nose to tail!

2: The worlds tallest dog..... The tallest dog on record was named Shamgret Danzas. He was 42 inches tall (at the shoulder!) and weighed 238 lbs.
Worlds 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.

3: The worlds 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!

4: The worlds 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.

5: Dogs can see color but it is not as vivid a color scheme as we see.
It is much like our vision at twilight.

6: Some authorities estimate that some dogs sense of smell is as high as 1 million times greater than ours. (I would vouch for that at out house with Elise, especially if there is was a squirrel in the back yard!)

7: Canis Major or The Great Dog:- The great dog follows his master, Orion, as he makes his annual journey through the sky.
Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is located on the shoulder of Canis Major.
It is the brightest in the heavens, and its name means sparkling and scorching, as it is nearest to the sun during the height of summer.

8: The hot, summer days - The Dog Days - which Sirius was thought to cause, run from July 3 to August 11th.

9: The three stars of Orion's Belt point at the Dog Star, Sirius, in Canus ajor at Orion's heels.
It is best seen in the northern hemisphere during winter, between December and March.

10: The wild ancestors of all dogs were hunters.
Wolves and other wild relatives of the dog still hunt in packs for their food.
Dogs have retained the urge to be with the pack. This is why they do not like to be left alone for too long.

If you would like to submit a dog fact please email it to me or Natalie and we will post it on the next 'Fun Dog Facts' installment!