General Beliefs Associated With Dogs
1. When dog eat grass, it is a sign of illness.
Many dogs eat a small amount of wild grass. This is harmless as long as the grass is not sprayed with pesticides. Some experts say that the dog eats grass when his stomach is upset and he feels uncomfortable. The grass causes him to vomit and feel relieved. Another view is that dogs eat grass for its fiber content. Some dogs may simply like the taste of grass. Research has also shown that eating of grass as a habit that originates from the wild dog that gorged her prey and then vomited in order to feed her pups. Eating a lot of grass may also be an indicator of an imbalanced diet.
However, it is not usually a sign of illness, as many dogs may eat small amounts of grass.
2. Every one year of a dog’s age is equal to seven years of human life.
This belief has changed. Earlier it was estimated that every one year of a dog’s age was equivalent to seven years of a human being. This is not, however, accepted now. The latest research has given the equivalent ages of dog and man as follows:
Dog’s Age Man’s Age
6 months 10 years
8 months 13 years
12 months 15 years
2 years 24 years
4 years 32 years
6 years 40 years
8 years 48 years
10 years 56 years
12 years 64 years
14 years 72 years
16 years 80 years
18 years 88 years
In other words, dogs at 1 year of age are at the same physiological stage of life as a 15-year-old person; at 2 years as a 24-year-old person, and each successive year of the animal is equivalent to 4 years of human beings.
All breeds of dogs do not grow at the same pace. In fact old age is different for each breed and each individual dog. In general large breeds have a shorter span of life as compared to smaller breeds. For example, a St Bernard may begin to start growing old at 6 years, while a smaller breed may not show signs of ageing until he is about 10 years of age.
3. Pure breeds are more likely to get fat.
This is not always correct. However some breeds like Labrador retrieves, cocker spaniels, dachshunds, basset hounds and beagles have a great tendency towards obesity. German shepherds, greyhounds and Dobermans are least likely to become obese. It has been seen that obesity increases with age, and it is more common in females than males. Obesity is more prevalent in dogs belonging to owners who are overweight themselves or elderly. Such persons are likely to exercise less, and as a result, their pets also get less scope to exercise.
4. A pet dog welcomes the entry of a new pup into the house.
This is not true. The best way to introduce the new pup so that the older dog does not fight or feel jealous is to let both of them meet outside the house in a place where neither has been before. This way the older dog will not feel that his home territory is being violated. An ideal place for such a meeting is a park. After a short introductory meeting, return home with the older dog. Ask a friend to bring the pup to the house after a short interval. The older dog may growl but continue to give him the maximum attention and present him with a treat or two. Growling a little to assert his dominance is normal for the older dog. He will, however, soon become friendly with the pup.
5. Dogs scratch the ground with their hind feet after evacuation to cover up their faeces.
No. this is not done to cover up what they have done. They do this to mark the earth by scraping with their hind and forelegs. It has been noticed that the dog often scrapes the earth when another dog is approaching.