TOTALLY GEEKED!

Popular Misconceptions and Myths About Dogs, Part I

By Bob Grant on September 17, 2011

Groucho Marx once said, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” That’s true, but here are a few myths about dogs that aren’t, exactly.

While there aren’t nearly as many odd myths about dogs as there are about their feline counterparts, we humans still entertain plenty of misconceptions about our erstwhile best friends. In this Very Special two-part episode of Mythbusters, we’ll take a look at seven of the most common.

As with cats, some of the items we’ll examine here are honest misconceptions that seem plausible, at least. Others, well…let’s just say that the best thing you can say about them is that they’re superstitions.

Myth 1: Dogs that cower or duck when you reach toward them have been abused.

You might think so, but in most cases this is a myth about dogs that has no basis in fact. One thing you have to remember is that, like their cousins the wolves, dogs are social creatures — and in many cases they’re submissive to what they consider authority. Ever heard of the “alpha dog” concept?

Dogs tend to accept their place in the pack, and in most cases, they perceive humans as the leaders of the local pack. This isn’t always the case, and size doesn’t necessarily matter — anyone who’s ever owned a Pomeranian can tell you they’ll usually try to be the alpha, no matter how small they are.

Myth 2: Dogs see only in black and white.

This myth about dogs has persisted for decades, mostly because our knowledge about how a dog actually sees is based on the physical structures that we can observe inside their eyes. If we could get inside their heads and see through their eyes, the matter could be settled in an instant — but that’s not in the cards.

Scientists once thought that a lack of certain color receptors meant canine eyes couldn’t perceive colors at all. Today, the theory is that dogs are more like people with red-green color blindness. Anything orange or red might look green, which explains why Fido might not be able to find his favorite tennis ball in the grass.

So even though a dog might not be able to tell the difference between, say, red, green, and yellow, they have no trouble telling apart other colors. We now know that dogs can distinguish shades of violet, gray and blue better than most humans can, which busts this myth about dogs once and for all.

Myth 3: If a dog scoots his rear end on the grass or carpet, he probably has worms.

This may be valid in some cases, but it’s more likely that your pet has problems with his anal glands, which (there’s no way to put this delicately) are little sacs in their rectums that can get impacted or infected. Your vet should be able to offer your dog some relief.

And there you have it: the fascinating truth three common dog myths. If you’ve found this humble article educational and entertaining, don’t hesitate to read Part II, where we’ll explore four more myths about dogs.

Ready to bust a few more myths about dogs? Well, take a gander at Part II of our doggie myth article.

The fact that there are so many myths about dogs seems more than a little ironic. After all, we’ve been boon companions since some enterprising caveman tempted a prehistoric wolf into partnership thousands of years ago. You’d think that by now, we’d have put some of these myths to rest.

Of course, we’re talking about a species (us) that’s bred dogs into an incredible number of varieties, and goes to ridiculous lengths to keep those breeds “pure” — so maybe we’re too busy doing other things to bother cleaning up those myths. Be that as it may, here’s the truth about a few more to keep you occupied.

Myth 4: Dog mouths are cleaner than human ones, because their saliva is antiseptic.

Well, after a few doggy kisses, you’re liable to wish this myth about dogs were true. The reality is that dog saliva contains bacteria that your body considers exotic, and these can easily make you sick, especially if you have a compromised immune system.

On the other hand, dog saliva really can kill some bacteria that affect humans; research has proved that. But as far as a dog’s mouth being cleaner than a human’s, come on now — they lick their own rear ends.

Myth 5: Dogs ages seven times faster than humans.

While this myth about dogs can give you a rough estimate of how a dog ages, a little thought will reveal it isn’t that straightforward. For example, most dogs are sexually mature after one year — when, as common wisdom has it, they should be the human equivalent of 7 years old.

Obviously this isn’t a true one-to-one ratio. Some dogs age faster than others, especially the larger breeds. But it’s hard to go wrong if you calculate it this way: consider the first year to be equivalent to 16 human years; after the first two years, the dog can be considered the equivalent of a 24-year-old human.

At age 3, Fido’s as old, physically, as a 30-year-old human-type person. After that, multiple your pup’s years by five. So, if your hound dog is nine, that means that in human years she’s 30 + (5 x 6) = 60. So lay that old 7-year myth about dogs to rest.

Myth 6: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Well, why not? The learning capacity is there, especially if you’re dealing with an intelligent breed — but even a dog that’s as dumb as a stump can learn something new if it wants to. That’s the basis of this myth: in older dogs, the desire to learn new behaviors often just isn’t there.

Myth 7: Fido feels guilty when you yell at him for doing something wrong.

Not really, according to most canine behavioralists. He may look guilty, but that’s because he’s trying to make you stop yelling at him. It all goes back to our first myth about dogs, and the reality of the pack mentality. You’re the alpha in the pack, and he knows you’re unhappy, so of course he’s going to act submissive.

The truth is, your pup doesn’t have a clue what he did wrong. Hey, he’s a dog. If dogs had the intellectual capacity to feel guilt, considering all they get up to they’d probably end up writing long, dreary Russian-style novels.

Thankfully, this myth about dogs is just that; could you imagine a canine Dostoyevsky?