Dog Breeds

All dog breeds are descended from wolves. Domestic dogs began appearing about 12,000 years ago. The American Kennel Club recognizes 150 different kinds of purebred dog breeds. This is not counting the many hybrid dogs that have their own associations, or the neighborhood mutts that are a family favorite.

The five most popular male dog names are Max, Jake, Buddy, Bailey, and Sam. The top 5 female dog names are Maggie, Molly, Lady, Sadie, and Lucy. The notion that cats and dogs are natural enemies (suggested by the phrase,"fighting like cats and dogs") is overstated, if not simply false. Generally speaking, cats and dogs get along better than cats and cats or dogs and dogs. Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with the ears. When two dogs approach each other, the dog which wags its tail very slowly is in charge.

The smallest dog in history was a tiny Yorkie who, fully grown, was only 2.5 inches tall by 3.75 inches long and weighed only 4 ounces. The heaviest and the longest dog, recorded in 1989, was an Old English Mastiff who weighed 343 lbs and was 8 feet 3 inches long from nose to tail. The tallest dog ever recorded was an Irish Wolfhound, who was 3 feet 3.37007874 inches tall at the shoulder. The oldest dog, a Queensland Heeler, was 29 years, 5 months. The Italian Greyhound is the fastest dog breed, able to reach speeds of 45 miles per hour. Greyhounds can also jump a distance of 27 feet.

To figure out your "true dog's age" in human terms, count the first full year as 15 years, the second full year as 10 yeas and all the following years as 3 years. In other words, a 5 year old dog would be: 15+10+3+3+3=34 years old. Explore our website to learn many more facts about the world's dog breeds.

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