there are some popular myths about dogs that simply aren't true like when a dog licks you they're kissing you or that one human year equals seven dog years or even that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's let's uncover the truth about these myths but first let's address one of the biggest misconceptions about dogs one when your dog wags its tail it means it's happy yes it can mean they're happy but it can also be a sign of various other moods a slow low wag May indicate their feeling insecure while a fast High wag
May indicate their feeling aggressive even the direction of the Tail Wag can be a sign of their mood a study found that when they Wag More to the right they're feeling good about something but when they Wag More To the Left they're feeling unsettled and here's another myth about dog behavior two dogs eat grass when they are sick in fact they may eat grass because they are bored or anxious similar to how humans become Restless when bored or anxious a study found that only 22% of dogs that regularly eat grass vomit afterward and only 8%
show signs of being sick before eating grass that said if they are eating grass frantically or all the time it's best to take them to the vet to check what's going on grass is generally harmless to dogs but not everything they try to eat is harmless many people think that if it's safe for us humans to eat then it's safe for our dogs too but that's not always true there are several foods that are perfectly safe for us but dangerous for our dogs such as chocolate grapes raisins and onions just to name a few you're
vet can help you learn what they can and cannot eat and also help you come up with a plan to keep them healthy now let's talk about a myth that almost everyone thinks is true three one human year is equivalent to seven dog years this probably started because people said humans live about 70 years and dogs live about 10 years but that's quite inaccurate small dogs often can live up to 15 years while some larger breeds may only live up to 8 years additionally dogs mature faster than humans according to a chart from the AKC
a dog's first year of life is roughly equal to 15 human years and after that one year of your dog's life is about five human years here I'll talk about a slightly sensual myth but first if you love animals and all sorts of trivia about dogs subscribe to our channel to never miss our future videos about these beloved friends now let's move on to the next myth four many people think that only male dogs Mount other dogs objects or our legs but females can do it too the act of mounting isn't always sexual it can
be a display of social dominance or the dog might be overly excited and doesn't know how to express itself otherwise additionally many people think that only male dogs lift their leg to urinate and Mark territory but females can join the party too they may lift their leg to Mark when they're in heat to inform males what's going on or simply to let other dogs know that's their territory the size of the female can also have an impact with smaller females typically lifting their leg more than larger females but no matter if you have a male
or female dog the next false myth affects all dogs six dogs need to chew bones many dogs love to chew and there are plenty of benefits to it like helping them relax and also cleaning their teeth but giving real bones to your dog can result in a serious accident they can Splinter and cut your dog's mouth throat or stomach as well as being too hard and breaking your dog's teeth if you boil the bones they can Splinter and cause choking or get stuck in the stomach of of course if you don't give your dog anything
to chew on they'll find something on their own something you probably don't want them to chew on like your shoes so instead of leaving the door open for your dog to chew whatever they want it's preferable to give them nylon toys like this flexible bone or rubber toys found in pet stores that won't hurt their teeth or stomach and speaking of your dog's health here's another misconception people have seven many dog owners think they should shave their dogs in the summer but this can be problematic for several reasons first by shaving you remove their natural
protection against Sunburn and insect bites and if your dog has a double coat like Shepherds and retrievers for example you'll be depriving them of their natural ability to regulate temperature which can cause them to overheat if you're thinking of giving your dog a new look talk to your vet to see what's best for your furry friend there's another mistake that people make that harms their dogs but first let's talk about a myth that might make you reconsider the next toy you're going to buy for your dog eight the myth that dogs only see black and
white in reality they can see colors but they don't distinguish them as well as humans for your dog red is just a dark color appearing brownish gray or black and yellow orange and green all look somewhat yellowish but they can see blue well so next time you grab a can of tennis balls consider buying blue balls instead of green ones so they stand out more on the green grass dogs being unable to see colors is a relatively harmless myth but the next myth can really harm relationship with your dog if you don't know what wrong
nine the myth that you need to be the pack leader we all know that in wolf packs there's an alpha wolf who is the dominant leader and since dogs descend from wolves you need to be the pack leader or else your dog will try to assume that position however wolf experts like Dr David Mech have changed their minds about the concept of wolves competing to be the dominant alpha wolf today scientists say that wolf packs resemble more of a family with the leader being the parent or another dog rather than a competitive dictatorship as everyone
used to think what this means for you as a dog parent is that you don't need to dominate them or never let them walk in front of you eat before you or get on your furniture these decisions should be based on what you want your dog to do not out of fear that they'll think they're the alpha in your house and speaking of the concept of aggressive alpha dogs here's another myth 10 playing tug-of warar will make your dog aggressive and letting them win at tug of warar will make them think they're Domin dominating you
this simply isn't true and in fact playing tug-of-war with dogs can help strengthen your relationship with them you both have fun together and get some exercise which strengthens the bond between you Additionally you can use this time to teach various commands your dog can learn to release the toy learn that bringing their toys back to you can be fun and you can mix in different commands and tricks between tug-of-war sessions but that's not the only myth about dog play here's another one 11 all dogs love to play fetch this is a bit like saying all
children love candy sure many of them do but not all so if fetch isn't your dog's favorite activity don't worry they're not broken just see what activities they enjoy and do those activities with them and speaking of fetch here's another myth that might surprise you 12 a quiet dog is a good dog let me ask you is a quiet child a good child imagine a 2-year-old child and at the end of their birthday party they were definitely quiet you might think that child isn't okay so when you tire out your puppy physically they may also
have their moments of collapse and start getting restless or uncontrollably nipping at you so instead of just tiring out your dog give your furry friend an appropriate mix of physical and mental exercise mix in puzzle toys like Kong toys and physical activities like your walks fetch games and tug ofwar now these next myths have much more at stake than just whether your dog is tired or not the first one is that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's there you go here's the truth they're not necessarily cleaner the myth that a dog's mouth is
cleaner than a humans is a widespread misconception that has persisted over time while it's true that dogs lick themselves and may exhibit grooming behaviors attributing a higher level of cleanliness to their mouths compared to humans is not accurate both dogs and humans Harbor a vast array of bacteria in their mouths although the specific types of bacteria May differ between the two species while some bacteria in a dog's mouth may be beneficial or harmless to them it's important to recognize that they can still carry pathogens that have the potential to cause illness or infection in humans
the notion that a dog's mouth is cleaner likely stems from observations of dogs licking their wounds which may contribute to faster healing due to the presence of certain enzymes in their saliva however this does not equate to overall cleanliness as a dog's mouth can still Harbor bacteria from various sources including their environment food and interactions with other animals and here's a big mistake that can harm your dog 14 when your puppy urinates on the floor rubbing their nose in it will help prevent them from doing it again that's not true because you're not really teaching
them where to urinate what you're teaching is that they should fear you if your puppy urinates in an inappropriate place it's better to clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner so they don't go back to the same spot then take them outside show them where they should do their business and praise them for going in the right place they'll appreciate your patience and who knows they might even lick you which brings us to the next myth 15 when dogs lick you it's their version of kissing you I'm sorry but if your puppy is licking your
face it might be because they're trying to make you vomit your food so they can eat it that's what wild wolf pups foxes and coyotes do to their mother when she returns from a hunt so take it as a compliment it's like they're seeing you as their mom but that's not the only reason dogs lick you and it's not the only gross reason either dogs like salt and smelly things so if you're sweaty they might be trying to lick your sweat your dog might also lick you to pick up some leftover food on your hands
or face to clean you or as we all want to believe they might be trying to show you affection by licking you they're showing that they love you dogs are truly lovable but they still have Strange Behaviors to us humans do you know for example why they like to sniff behinds no that's why I made this video that's here on the screen talking about the strange reason why dogs like to sniff behinds click on the screen and continue with me in the joyful K9 world
