Common Myths About Dogs

Doggie Myth Busters 

         This week we decided to focus on the ten most common myths that people believe about dogs. I hope these help you and even surprise you! Enjoy:)

1. A dogs mouth is NOT cleaner than a humans. A dog's mouth has tons of dog specific bacteria in their mouths, as long as its a healthy dog it wont cause us any harm, but the whole a dog's mouth is cleaner than ours is a complete myth!
2. A warm or dry nose does not mean that your dog is sick, this is a common myth. Often, dogs have warm or dry noses after they wake up, which is completely normal!
3. Dogs do NOT only see in black and white, in fact, they can see colours, just not in the same manner as we do. 
4. Dogs do NOT specifically eat grass to induce vomiting, although they some times do vomit after eating grass, the grass was not the cause of this. Some dogs just like to eat, chomp or graze on grass. It will not hurt them (as long as it is not chemically treated) they may just need some extra greens in their diets.  
   
5. A wagging tail does NOT mean that a dog is happy, yes, commonly a dog will wag its tail when happy or excited, however this is not always the case. K9 body language can get pretty complex and difficult for humans to pick up on. A wagging tail can also be a sign of fear, anxiety or even aggression. Be sure to look for other signs in body language before engaging. 
6. Although many believe that only male dogs "hump" or lift their leg to pee is not true, both male and female dogs show this behaviour. 
7. Licking wounds does NOT mean healing, generally, licking wounds is significantly worse for a dog's wounds and should be prevented. 
8. Certain dog breeds being more aggressive than others is a myth. Although larger and stronger dog breeds have the ability to be more dangerous when aggressive, smaller breeds can be just as aggressive as a larger dog. Any breed can show aggression towards other dogs or humans. 
9. When two dogs are barking at each other through a fence (for example the neighbours dog) it does NOT mean that they hate each other. The dogs are simply claiming their territory and making it known to the other, it could also mean they are simply excited and want to meet and play with one another. 
   
10. People often believe that if their dog has been running in the yard all day that they do not need a walk, however this is not true. The energy that they are burning in the backyard requires very little thought or brain power. Walks allow your dog to focus and will give you a much more tired and content dog. 

        I hope you all learnt something about your dog today and the ten most common myths about dogs! Be sure to check back in with us next wednesday for a new #woofwednesday. 

Tail wags from the CompleteK9 team! :)