DOGGY MYTHCONCEPTIONS

In as much as dogs are the most popular type of domestic pet in the world, there are aspects to them that’re still widely misunderstood. Here are takes on some of these dog-related misunderstandings – some “doggy mythconceptions”, if you will.

A wagging tail doesn’t always mean “I’m happy”

Though a wagging tail is noted to be a universal indicator of “I’m happy” in the language of dogs, this doesn’t always mean that since tail wagging is, in a way, a type of doggy language in itself.

“Low tail wagging” can be an indicator of “I’m feeling insecure”, while “rapid tail wagging” matched with the tensing of muscles and/or dilated pupils can be a signal for aggression.

How dogs wag their tails also says something about how they’re feeling. Wagging their tails to the right generally points to “I’m happy”, while wagging towards the left says “I’m frightened” or “I’m apprehensive”.

Dogs can see in color

Many may be under the impression that dogs can only see in black and white, but this is not really how dogs see the world, since their eyes have two cones which can detect colors.

There is a limit, however, to what colors dogs can detect: they can detect colors that fall in the blue and yellow spectrum, but can’t distinguish a difference between green and red.

A little chocolate is okay

No, it is not.

Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which is toxic for dogs. Though the amount of this chemical differs from chocolate type, the fact is that it is not good for dogs should be enough to convince dog owners not to give dogs chocolate.

Generally, darker chocolate varieties contain more theobromine than lighter or white varieties. Should your dog accidentally consume chocolate, it is best to call your vet.

Old dogs can learn new tricks

In a 1523 treatise on animal husbandry, an English writer named Fitzherbert wrote “the dogge must lerne when he is a whelpe, or els it wyl not be; for it is harde to make an old dogge to stoupe.”

The line, which in current linguistics would read “The dog must learn when he is first born or it is hard to make an old dog comply”, is widely attributed to be the source of the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.

This saying is not true.

In fact, professional dog trainers note that it is easier to train dogs when they are a bit older than pups since they tend to be more focused on lessons compared to pups which tend to be sporadically curious about everything.

Trainers, though, note that there’s an advantage in training dogs as pups: since you’re basically dealing with “blank slates” with puppies, you don’t need to make them unlearn bad habits that’ve taken root as they learn something new.

The Dog Year Myth

Dog owners who want to humanize their dog’s age often do so by measuring their dog years with this formula: one year for a person is equivalent to seven years for a dog.

In reality, however, there’s more to this when talking about a dog’s age, because dog breeds differ significantly in terms of how fast they age and how long they live.

The seven-years-per-year formula may come off as sound during the early stages of a large dog breed’s life, but it has to be noted that some breeds “age” considerably faster than others, with some reaching “adulthood” in less than 18 months.

There’s also the fact that small dog breeds tend to live longer than large dog breeds. Some small breeds can live for up to 14 to 18 years, while most large dog breeds are already considered “seniors” in 8 years’ time.

Grass is “medicine”

Its widely believed that a dog eating grass is an indicator that the canine in question is not feeling well and is therefore “taking some medicine” by its own volition. This is not true.

Dogs eat grass for all sorts of reasons, which ranges from just being bored to feeling anxious. Studies on dog behavior have found that some dogs eat grass – particularly during the summer months – because they think of the act of eating grass as a form of having a good time.

But if your dog regularly vomits because of regularly eating grass, you better keep an eye on him/her – especially if he/she has not been vaccinated for lungworm or other anti-parasite medications.

Dogs and “appeasement behavior”

Dog owners would often say that they can tell if their furry wards are guilty of something because... well… they would look suspiciously guilty after making a mess or chewing up a pair of shoes.

This is technically not true, as this type of reaction from dogs is a manifestation of “appeasement behavior” – which means that a dog is actually acting “guilty” in response to an owner’s disappointment, not that it is actually feeling guilty.

In most cases, a dog appearing to be “guilty” is behaving this way because he/she has been told off to do something in the past, and it is largely his/her way of diffusing tension in response to feeling threatened.