A Short Comparison Of Dog Anatomy With Human

A dog may be man's best friend, but anatomically speaking which species is superior?

One obvious difference between dog anatomy and human is the contrast in size (and of course that human's walk on two legs and dogs on four!) An average human height is 180cm, with the tallest dog, the Great Dane, reaching 86cm, and the smallest dog, the Chihuahua being 26 cm max.

This immediately identifies one of the fascinating facts about dog anatomy - the wide range of size within dog breeds. No other species has such a wide spread of size and weight as the dog. Not convinced?

Affenhuahua 2kg

St Bernard 120g (ten times more than the Affenhuahua)

Human 61kg (average)

An Extra Eyelid

Of course you are familiar with your own eyes and having upper and lower eyelids. But did you know dog anatomy is such that dogs have three sets of eyelids? They have the additional of a "third" eyelid, also known as the "nictitating membrane."

The third eyelid is located at the inner corner of the eye, and slides across the cornea to protect it when danger threatens. It is most usefully deployed when a dog pushes through undergrowth or if faced with an angry cat - as it forms a barrier to scratches.

Born to Sniff

The dog has a typically black, leather nose, but did you know this feature of dog anatomy is as unique to each individual as a fingerprint is to people? The folds and creases on a canine nose are unique and can be used as a means of identification. Another striking difference between dog anatomy and human is our sense of smell. A dog devotes over 40% more of his brain power to processing smells than the human brain. Indeed dogs are born to sniff with that wet nose being able to detect which direction a faint smell is coming from. The average human has a generous 5 million scent detecting cells in their nose, but this seems insignificant compared to the king of scent hounds, the Bloodhound, which has a magnificent 300 million scent-detecting cells.

Sounds Superior

Another area where dog anatomy wins is their sense of hearing. Whereas we may struggle to hear a sound 20 feet away, a dog can hear the same noise over 80 feet distant. Not only that but whereas the human ear can't detect sounds above 20 KHz, the dog's ear easily hears up to 60 KHz and a whole studio of sound that is denied to us.

A Tale of Tails

Whilst not all dog breeds have tails, for those that are equipped with this marvelous means of canine communication, a waggy tail has to be the most joyful part of dog anatomy. An average tail is made up of 23 articulated bones. But here's the rub. Did you know that people have a vestigial tail? OK, it's only present for a few days, but the human fetus develops a tail from days 31 - 35 of gestation - a throwback to our simian ancestry.

Life Story

And finally, one of the biggest differences between dog anatomy and our own is the dog's shorter lifespan. The average human life expectancy is 71 years, whereas for our canine companions it's just 10 -13 years. Given the effect dogs have on our hearts and lives, this is one area where it's a hollow victory, to be the superior species.

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The Animal Human Connection - A Brief Overview

The History of the Dog

For thousands of years dogs have provided people with protection, companionship and support. What we today recognize as the domestic dog became a part of human society when nomadic bands of hunter gatherers were roaming the Earth. There is evidence to suggest that these dogs, descended from the Grey Wolf, were viewed as both working animals and as valued partners in surviving the tough environment that characterized the lives of those societies. Today the dog has become part of the fabric of society (how to socialize you dog) and a valued member of families across the globe.

The Value of the Dog

There are very few homes that would not be enriched by the addition of a dog. Our children learn to love these additions to the home as they would a family member. Many people have extremely fond memories of spending time in the outdoors with what would later prove to be not only a faithful companion, but also a staunch friend and ally during the challenging years of childhood.

It seems that the thousands of years that human beings spent sharing their homes with the canine species has forged a bond that is very difficult, if not impossible to break. The truth of the matter is that we need dogs as much as they need us.

The Loss of Your Pet

Sharing our lives with pets brings so many benefits, but sadly, despite an ever-improving standard of veterinary care, every owner will eventually experience the loss of their much-loved friend. Coping with loss and grief can be a lonely and difficult struggle for many of us, and as a veterinary technician with cats and dogs of my own, even I haven't been immune to the storm of emotions that descend after the loss of a favorite friend.

4 Steps of Grieving

Through helping family, friends and clients cope with the loss of their pets over the years, I've learned some helpful ways to help both them (and myself) come to terms with the grief that the passing of a pet can bring.

1. Everyone Grieves Differently: allow yourself the time and space to grieve.

2. Don't Let Others Minimize Your Loss: avoid those who try to downplay your emotions.

3. Ask For Support: empathy goes a long way, and being around like-minded individuals help ease any loneliness you may be feeling.

4. Find Ways to Remember Your Pet: celebrate and honor the special relationship you had with your pet.

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Top 20 best quotes about dogs by the famous personalities of the world

As all of us knows about the friendship of Dogs with human being. Every one referred the moment of his life to the loved one and also the behavior of dogs always quoted by the famous personalities of the world. in this article we selected 15 best quotes and saying about our four leg buddy by the famous people all over the world.

1.     "You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'”

Dave Barry (author, Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway: A Vicious and Unprovoked Attack on Our Most Cherished Political Institutions)

2.     "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

—Josh Billings (a.k.a. Henry Wheeler Shaw; humorist and lecturer)

3.     “Dogs are wise. They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more.”

—Agatha Christie (author, Death on the Nile)

4.     “The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.”

—Johnny Depp (actor, Pirates of the Caribbean)

5.     “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog.”

—Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th President of the United States)

6.      “There are three faithful friends: an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.”

—Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father of the United States)

7.     “To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.”

—Aldous Huxley (author, Brave New World)

8.     “A dog can’t think that much about what he’s doing, he just does what feels right.”

―Barbara Kingsolver (author, Animal Dreams)

9.     "When the Man waked up he said, 'What is Wild Dog doing here?' And the Woman said, 'His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.'"

—Rudyard Kipling (author, The Jungle Book)

10.     “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.”

—Jack London (author, The Call of the Wild)

11.     “Dogs don't rationalize. They don't hold anything against a person. They don't see the outside of a human but the inside of a human.”

—Cesar Millan (dog trainer)

12.     “Dogs never bite me. Just humans.”

—Marilyn Monroe (actress, Some Like It Hot)

13.     "If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them."

—Phil Pastoret (author, Our Boarding House)

14.     "Happiness is a warm puppy."

—Charles M. Schulz (cartoonist, Peanuts)

15.     "I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts."

—John Steinbeck (author, The Grapes of Wrath)

16.     “Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.”

—Elizabeth Taylor (actress, Cleopatra)

17.     “A hungry dog hunts best.”

—Lee Trevino (golfer)

18.     "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."

—Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

19.     "Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul, chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!"

—Anne Tyler (author, The Accidental Tourist)

20.     "If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."

—Woodrow Wilson (28th President of the United States)

Out of hundreds quotes we selected the best 20 by the best personalities of the world.

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