Indeed, there’s little wonder why the dog has been touted as ‘man’s best friend’. Our canine chums are loyal, accepting and, most of all, great companions.

Their affectionate eyes, glistening wet nose and floppy ears make our furry friends super adorable — even when they’re being naughty or mischievous. However, despite our love for dogs, there are many popular myths about dogs. Here are four common falsehoods about our barking buddies.

Sorting fact from fiction: myths about dogs

With myriad misconceptions circulating about dogs we thought we’d help sort fact from fiction. Here are a few widespread mistaken beliefs about our furry companions.

Myth #1—Dogs see in black and white

Not so. Contrary to popular belief, our precious pooches do not see the world in black and white. (Few, it made me kind of sad to think that our furry friends had such a grey view of the word!)

However, they may be colour blind. Although, this too is up for debate! It’s believed that dogs have two colour receptors—blue and yellow. So while they can’t see as many colours as a human can, they can see variants of yellow and blue. This type of vision is called dichromatic vision.

Certainly, dogs are less sensitive to variations in the different shades of a colour, in comparison to us humans. Even so, we needn’t feel sorry for our canine chums, as factors such as brightness, movement and colour contrast give our furry friends a great view of their environment.

Whereas humans might not see so well in the dark, dogs have pretty good night vision. A spokesperson for the American Kennel Club explains, “For the purpose of hunting in the dark, canine eyes have a larger lens and corneal surface and a reflective membrane, known as a tapetum, that enhances night vision. They also have more rods, which improves low-light vision, in the retina.”

Myth #2—One dog year equals seven human years

When it comes to myths about dogs, it seems calculating your dog’s age using the popular one-to-seven-year ratio is all-wrong! Since forever, pet owners have followed the common rule that one dog year is equivalent to seven human years.

Yet, in fact, the first year of your pooch’s life is more equal to 12-14 human years. Furthermore, your dog’s age is influenced by many factors such as its breed, size and genetics. I suppose it’s like saying one sixty-year-old human can be very different from another sixty-year-old, depending on their health status, physical activity levels and genetics.

Furthermore, the author of a new study published in the journal Cell mid last year says a one-year-old dog is likely to be more equivalent to a thirty year-old-human. He adds, “I like to take my dogs on runs, and so I’m a little bit more sympathetic to the six-year-old now.”

Myth #3—Female dogs should have one litter before being spayed

There is no evidence to support this misconception. While some may think it cruel to stop a dog from having a litter, this isn’t really so. Experts claim dogs don’t experience grief or a sense of loss by not having a litter. It is also claimed that spaying dogs can help reduce the likelihood of future health issues. Of course, this can be a contentious issue and it is really up to you if you have your dog spayed.

Myth #4—Dogs’ mouths are cleaner than humans’ mouths

Approximately 80-90% of our barking buddies have dental disease. What’s more, dogs like to sniff and lick all manner of things! So, it’s highly unlikely your dog’s mouth is cleaner than yours. Particularly if you have good dental hygiene practices, which I hope you do!

So where exactly did this falsehood stem from? It is thought this myth evolved from the idea that when dogs lick their wounds they heal faster. Yet, this isn’t because dogs have clean mouths but more so because the licking action stimulates blood flow, assisting the wound healing process.

So, there you have it; four common beliefs about our four-legged friend that aren’t true.

 

Got a dog myth to debunk? Share your views on myths about dogs in the comments section below.

 

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