Woof! Bark! *sniff* Happy National Dog Day!
National Dog Day was started in 2004 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige. The date was chosen to be August 26th because it was the date her father got their first family dog.
Mans best friend earns that title for a reason. They are awesome from their cold wet nose to their waggly tail. Speaking of their nose, it can smell forty times better than a human nose. Dogs are used to sniff out drugs, people, money and even medical issues. Dogs have been trained to let people know when their blood sugar changes and are even being trained sniff out Covid-19. A dogs nose print is unique like a human fingerprint.
Not only do dogs have an excellent sense of smell, they also have great hearing. They can hear higher frequencies than humans can and also hear things from further away. Dogs have 18 muscles in their ear responsible for moving them around which make their ears an important part of their communication with other dogs and humans.
People love their dogs and they are truly a part of many peoples families. 40% of owners in the United States allow their dogs to sleep in their bed. 70% of dog owners in the US sign their dogs name to their Christmas cards. There are a lot of pet dogs in the US, 75 million, more than any other country.
