About 12,000–15,000 years ago, the ancient Cro-Magnons domesticated dogs. The owners say: shaggy wards understand them from the first word and constantly amaze with their abilities and intelligence.

Even better to learn four-legged friends will help interesting facts about dogs - creatures whose loyalty and loyalty has been laid down over centuries of evolution.

Dogs from the Upper Paleolithic to the present day

When were the dogs domesticated?

Based on their research on cave paintings and archaeological finds, scientists came to the conclusion that the first dogs were domesticated during the Upper (Late) Paleolithic era in the Old World.

Ancient people used dogs not only as companions and helpers, but also as an addition to their menu in hungry times.

The influence of a dog on a person

The flocking instincts of the new four-legged inhabitants of human settlements changed the hunting tactics of the Cro-Magnons. Imitating dogs, people began to practice group trophy hunting.

The role of dogs was not limited only to help in hunting. In the XIV century BC e., during the Egyptian-Syrian wars, fearless dogs did not leave the chariot of Tutankhamun, fiercely attacking enemy troops.

The Chinese emperors wore the arms of their broad Pekingese kimonos. If the ill-wisher dared to raise his hand to the august person, the brave guard suddenly appeared from his clothes and grabbed the wrist of the enemy.

In 1748, the Swedish physician and naturalist Karl Linnaeus identified the dog as a separate biological species.

How many dog ​​breeds are there in the world?

As of 2017, the International Federation of Cynologists totaled about 400 officially recognized breeds.

Although the debate about the oldest breed has not ceased to this day, genetics are firmly convinced that primacy belongs to the Samoyed dog, saluki, Siberian husky and basenji.

How many dogs in the world and Russia?

According to statistics, today in The number of pets in Russia is about 12 million, and in Western Europe this number exceeds 43 million.

The love of modern inhabitants of the planet for dogs sometimes reaches the point of absurdity. So, in 2014, a dog named Duke was elected mayor of the tiny American town of Cormorant.

Sense organs, emotions and intelligence

The dog’s perception of the world is fundamentally different from the human. With 150 million olfactory receptors in its nose, four-legged pets sense odors that people don’t even know about. The hearing of animals is well developed: they pick up sounds made by a source remote at a distance of 40 m, and ultrasonic waves. The range of frequencies heard by the dog reaches 40,000 Hz.

Less developed in dogs is vision that does not play a major role in animal life. An adult dog is able to see the owner only from a distance of 40 m. The tetrapods lack a multi-colored vision of the world: they recognize only white, yellow, gray and blue tones. Read our article: How do dogs see? But nature gave friends a man with magnificent night vision, allowing you to navigate in complete darkness.

• The eyeball of dogs is protected by 3 centuries: the upper, lower and hidden side blinking membrane hidden in the inner corner of the eye.
• The nose is a dog’s business card. Like the print of a human finger, the pattern of his lobe is unique.
• Knowing the ability of animals to perceive high frequencies, Paul McCartney finished the song “A Day in Life” with an ultrasonic whistle indistinguishable to the human ear that Martha, the musician’s favorite bobtail, could hear.
• Empathy is characteristic of four-legs (manifestation of sympathy and understanding of other people's emotions). Dogs feel the changes in the mood of the owners and catch the slightest changes in the timbre of the voice. Familiar to pets and jealousy.
• Wagging the tail is not always an expression of joy. Tilting the tail to the left, the dog gives an alarm to relatives.
• If a sleeping dog twitches, paws or whines, then she sees dreams.
• Animals often express their emotions by barking. The exception is the silent of the canine world - representatives of the Basenji breed. Due to the structural features of the larynx, these dogs can only snort, growl and howl.
• Dog intelligence is like the mind of a 2 year old child. They are able to master 165-300 words, commands and gestures. The Border Collie is recognized as the smartest breed. These smart two-tone dogs remember the names of people, understand long phrases and count to five.

Dog records

The pages of the Guinness Book of Records recorded not only impressive achievements of man. The heroes of the famous folio were dogs, who achieved success thanks to their unique physical data or outstanding abilities.

Tallest dog in the world

The height at the withers of 111.8 cm was demonstrated by the Great Dane named Zeus, who went to the dog forefathers in 2014.

The heaviest dog in the world

The hardest dog is the English mastiff Zorba. The scales, on which the giant was placed, showed 156 kg.

Chihuahua Miracle Milli became the smallest friend of a person, whose height is 9.65 cm and weight is 400 g. Her mistress claims that as a puppy, the baby fit in a tablespoon.

The Australian Shepherd Dog born in 1910 is recognized as the long-liver of the canine world. The old woman died in 1939, having lived 29.5 years. Until the last days, the animal served its master, guarding the flock of sheep entrusted to him.

The title of the fastest dog was given to Greyhound, characterized by a lean body of elongated shape, strong paws and low weight. The speed of the rapid running of the four-legged sprinter reaches 68 km / h.

St. Bernard Barry, born in 1800, showed unlimited devotion to his work. In search of travelers caught by the storm, the fearless animal climbed the snowy Alps thousands of times. Barry has 40 saved lives. In 1899, a monument dedicated to the dedicated dog was erected in Paris.

How the friendship of man and dog arose and developed, one can only guess. One thing is known: since that time, four-legged creatures have faithfully served their masters, proving selfless love and indestructible fidelity. Keep this in mind when deciding to buy a puppy and taking responsibility for the life of a new household.