Dogs Are The Best. 7 things You Might Not Know About Them

In my mind, there is no question about it. Dogs are the best. My kids give me a bad time because I have more pictures of our dog, Astro, than I do of them. But he's so damn photogenic, right.

Here are some things you might not know about dogs;

1) Dogs are pretty much selfless. A humorist once wrote "Dogs are the only things on Earth that love you more than you love yourself".  A study done in 2015, found dogs to be "prosocial" animals. They possess the willingness to help others, even when there is no benefit to themselves.

2) They have quite the powerful sniffer. Their noses are about 100,000 times better than ours. I believe it. I can walk into a large room with my dog's leash hidden in my pocket and he'll know right away, from across the room, that I have it.

3) Dogs were the first animals domesticated. They've been around so long that they have actually co-evolved with humans. Wow!

4) Did you know dogs have 3 eyelids? I didn't. Under the 2 visible eyelids there is a pink membrane that adds a layer of protection from dust and dryness. If you are ever able to see this membrane, it may be a sign of bad health and should prompt you to make a trip to the vet.

5) Dogs went to space before a human did. A dog in 1957 named Laika, a mongrel from off the Moscow streets, became the first living thing to enter orbit on Sputnik 2.

6) Dogs are as clever as a toddler.  The average dog learns up to 150 words. That's about the same amount as a 2 year old toddler.

7) Dogs can be amazingly loyal.  A Japanese man had a dog named Hachico that would meet him everyday at the train station when returning from work. The man died one day but the dog still went to the train station every day for ten years until he also died.

So, yeah, dogs are the BEST!