Welcome back to Wacky Wednesday. Last week covered nose prints, the dog’s incredible sense of smell, dogs that can smell disease, the non-barking Basenji, and the myth of the seven dog years. This week, five more weird facts that I love bringing up in the van when conversation gets rolling.
1. Dogs Sweat Through Their Paws
Dogs do not sweat through their skin like humans do. Their main cooling system is panting. But they do have sweat glands, and those sweat glands are mostly in their paw pads and around their nose. That is why you sometimes see wet footprints on the floor from a nervous or hot dog. The dog is sweating through the paws. It is also why dogs pant instead of sweating. If your dog leaves wet footprints on the floor during a vet visit, now you know why. It is not a sign of a health issue. It is just how dogs cool down and express stress.
2. The Average Dog Has 42 Teeth
Adult dogs have 42 permanent teeth. Puppies have 28 baby teeth that fall out between 4 and 6 months of age. If you have a puppy and you find a tiny tooth in the house or the food bowl, that is normal. If you have an adult dog and you are counting teeth on a regular basis, they should number 42. Dental problems are common in dogs, especially as they age, which is why brushing or dental spray is part of every full groom at Vroom Grooms.
3. Dogs Have a Unique Way of Cooling Their Tongue
When a dog pants, the dog is evaporating moisture from the tongue, mouth, and upper respiratory tract to cool down. The dog also dilates blood vessels in the face and ears to release heat. Panting is not optional for dogs in warm weather — it is their only cooling system. This is why you should never leave a dog in a hot car, even briefly. A 70-degree day can make a parked car over 100 degrees in 10 minutes, and the dog cannot sweat to cool down. The dog can only pant. Panting in that level of heat is not enough.
4. A Greyhound Can Outrun a Cheetah — for About 30 Seconds
This one is a fun one. A Greyhound is the fastest dog breed, capable of about 40 to 45 miles per hour at full sprint. A cheetah is the fastest land animal, capable of about 70 miles per hour. The cheetah is faster. But the cheetah can only sustain that speed for about 30 seconds before it overheats. The Greyhound can run at race pace for much longer. So in the first 30 seconds, the cheetah wins. After the cheetah tires, the Greyhound catches up. In a long race, the Greyhound actually finishes ahead.
5. Dogs See in Color, Just Not the Same Colors We Do
The old myth that dogs see only in black and white has been thoroughly debunked. Dogs do see color. They see blues and yellows fairly well. They do not see reds and greens as well as we do. Their color vision is similar to a person with red-green colorblindness. The next time you are picking out a toy for a dog, consider a blue or yellow one. The red ball you love might look brown or gray to your dog. The blue ball will pop.
More Weird Facts Next Wednesday
That is the second Wacky Wednesday. New weird dog facts coming next Wednesday, and every Wednesday after that. If you have a weird dog fact you love, send it in. I will feature the best ones in upcoming Wacky Wednesday posts.
The Bottom Line
Dogs are fascinating creatures with a lot of quirks that we are only starting to understand. Every Wednesday is a chance to learn something new and to share it with you. See you next Wednesday for more weird facts.
Stay fresh and furry, Nicole / Vroom Grooms LLC
About the Author
Nicole is the owner and certified groomer behind Vroom Grooms LLC, a mobile dog grooming service serving Northwest Ohio. She has been certified since 2020 after completing 640 hours of hands-on training, and shares weird dog facts with her clients every Wednesday as part of the Vroom Grooms blog rhythm.
This post was drafted with help from Nagini 🐍, her digital assistant, who keeps the blog running, handles the tech side of the website, and makes sure Nicole spends more time with dogs and less time wrestling with WordPress.