DOG TRIVIA
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VELCRO In the early 1940's, Swiss inventor George de Mestral went on a walk with his dog. After arriving home, he saw that his pants and his dog's coat were covered with cockleburrs. When he looked at the burrs under a microscope, he discovered they have a natural hook-like shape, which became the basis for his invention of a unique, two-sided fastener --- one side with stiff "hooks" like the burrs and the other side with the soft "loops" like the fabric of his pants. The result was VELCRO® brand hook and loop fasteners, named for the French words"velour" and "crochet."
 CERBERUS, GUARD DOG OF HADES Most sources of Greek mythology agree that Cerberus had several heads ... some say that Cerberus had the heads of three dogs - others, that the center head was in the shape of a lion, while the other two were in the shape of a dog and a wolf, respectively - and still others say no, not three heads but 50 or perhaps 100! He also had a dragon's tail and a thick mane of writhing snakes. Cerberus was the watchdog of hell. Chained to the gates of Acheron, harassing the spirits entering Hades ... permitting new spirits to enter the realm of the dead, but allowed none of them to leave ... devouring those who tried. Only a few ever managed to sneak past the creature, among which Orpheus, who lulled it to sleep by playing his lyre, and Heracles, who brought it to the land of the living for a while (being the last of his Twelve Labors. MOST POPULAR DOG NAMES Increasingly, people are being choosier about their pet's name ... and with dogs, names like Bowser & Rover are in disfavor. The trend is seen as part of a steady growing importance of the role that the pets play in family life. Family dogs are seen more and more as bonafide family members. According to a survey by the Veterinary Pet Insurances, the most popular names for a male pet are Max, Buddy, Jake, Rocky, Bailey, Buster, Charlie, Bear, Sam, Lucky, Cody, Toby, Jack, Shadow, Duke, Rusty, Harley, Sammy, Oliver, and Murphy. The most popular female names are Molly, Maggie, Daisy, Lucy, Sadie, Ginger, Chloe, Sophie, Bailey, Princess, Angel, Zoe, Sasha, Lady, Missy, Samantha, Abby, Brandy, Misty, and Bella. WHAT BREEDS ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES? Dogs with single-layer coats or hairless breeds are usually recommended: Poodles, Bichon Frise, Bedlington Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Kerry Blue Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Maltese, Portuguese Water Dog, Italian Greyhound, Basenji, and the Chinese Crested. For more information: WHAT BREEDS ARE THE MOST INTELLIGENT? This is a controversial question because people have different ideas of what makes a dog intelligent. Is it learning to obey a command quickly? Or is it an independent ability to solve problems? Many people argue that these are both types of intelligence, so just using one as the measure of K9 smarts is wrong. According to WorkingDogWeb.com the top 5 breeds are as follows: Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Doberman Pincher. To learn more about canine intelligence:
DO DOGS SWEAT? Dogs sweat only from the bottoms of their feet ... and the only way they can discharge heat is by panting. For more dog trivia: DID ANY DOGS SURVIVE THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC? Two dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic. They escaped on early lifeboats carry so few people that no one objected. Miss Margaret Hays of New York brought her Pomeranian with her in lifeboat No.7, while Henry Sleeper Harper of the publishing family boarded boat No.3 with his Pekinese, Sun Yat Sen. For more dog trivia, visit the following website:  GREYHOUND The fastest dog, the Greyhound, can reach speeds of up to 44 mph. (Most dogs run at a speed of 30 mph.) They were known to exist in ancient Egypt as many as 6,000 years ago. and were traditionally used to hunt large prey such as wolf, deer, and wild boar. For more information on Greyhounds, visit the Greyhound Club of America: http://www.greyhoundclubofamerica.org TOP 50 HEALTHIEST CITIES FOR PETS. Colorado's capital, Denver, was named the Number 1 healthiest city for a pet to live according to the Purina Pet Institute. Purina used such criteria as health and health care, services, and legislation for pets' health and well-being. Pennsylvania cities came in twice on the list with Philadelphia coming in at Number 9 and Pittsburgh coming in at 35. California had the most number of cities on the list at eight (8). Just as a side note for those involved with the Dog Park @ Beacon Hill in Lower Allen Township: Washington, D.C. although in sixth place overall, reigns as the canine capital of the east with 39 (yes, you heard me correctly, thirty-nine) dog parks in the metropolitan area. For more information visit: GERMAN SHEPHERD The German Shepherd Dog, or Alsatian ... or Deutsche Schaferhund, is known in many countries for its intelligence, trainability, loyalty, adaptability, and fortitude. Rin Tin Tin, probably the most famous American German Shepherd was actually born in France in September of 1918. (For a must read biography go to http://www.rintintin.com/story.htm). Rin Tin Tin ultimately made 26 pictures for Warner Brothers before his death on August 10, 1932. At the peak of his career with Warner Brothers he received some 10,000 fan letters a week and was considered to be one of Hollywood's top stars. Below is a picture of Rin Tin Tin posing with co-stars Lee Aaker and James Brown. Teacher and author Helen Keller had a German Shepherd. Keller achieved worldwide recognition by overcoming blindness and deafness to become a notable writer and teacher of the handicapped. Adolf Hitler's favorite dog, Blondi, was used to make sure his cyanide capsules were lethal. Hitler used the cyanide to commit suicide when he saw it worked on Blondi. For more dog trivia, visit the following website:
DOGGIE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with their ears. Unfortunately, the likes of bulldogs and pit bulls only have 10, due to their breeding. Therefore, these dogs easily get misinterpreted by other dogs and often get into fights. THREE DOG NIGHT The phrase 'Three Dog Night', attributed to the Australian Aborigines, came about because on especially cold nights these nomadic people needed three dogs (dingos, actually) to keep from freezing. BASSETS Bassets can't swim. Their legs are too short to keep their heavy, long bodies afloat.  FOO DOGSThe Sacred Guardians Foo Dogs are the ancient sacred dogs of Asia who guard Buddhist temples. The association between these dogs and Buddha is one of great significance. Foo Dogs have the appearance of a lion. The lion in Buddhist religion is seen as sacred, and has sometimes been offered to Buddha as a sacrifice. The name given to these guardians originates from China. The Chinese word for Buddha is Fo, which led to the original title- "Dog of Fo". There have been other theories that the name developed from the city of Foochow; however, there is no actual proof of this. Another name given to the beast is "Lion of Korea". This, of course, is due to the creatures close appearance to a Lion. Foo Dogs can be traced as early as the Han Dynasty. Their first appearance was in Chinese art, which dates back to approximately 208 BC to about 221 AD. Foo Dogs vanished for nearly 400 years after their first appearance. They later returned in the T'ang Dynasty that was in power from 618 to 917 AD. Foo Dogs were popular because of their meaning. The Lion is a creature of the feline race that is known as the proud master of all cats. Its introduction into Chinese art coincided with Buddhism. The Foo Dog was the protector of sacred buildings and a defender of law. The dogs were commonly placed at business institutions, temple gates, home entrances, and estates. It was also not uncommon to see these sacred dogs guarding tombs or placed in front of government buildings to scare evil spirits. Through out the ages, Foo Dogs were frequently given as gifts to the Emperor. They would be presented in sculptures or in the form of artwork. Foo Dog artwork varied. Buddha was sometimes depicted on the back of the great beast, but Foo Dogs are more often displayed in a powerful guarding position. The creature is usually presented holding a spear in its paw. This was the representation of the peace and serenity the animal would maintain for the sanctuary it was guarding; thus discouraging any wrong doers and demon spirits from entering the place of tranquility. The Foo Dog comes in many shapes, sizes, different materials, and colors. Their faces have a mischievous and almost devilish look about them; and their eyes are normally wide open with a tiny speck in the middle. This threatening appearance is what gives the idea that they guard against evil spirits. It is important to point out that the Foo Dog is also known as the Celestial Dog, and the Happiness Dog. The animal is a symbol of energy and value, and is often displayed in a male/female pair. The male plays with a ball that symbolizes the Earth, while the female holds a cub. The Foo Dog is embodied in rich Chinese history and tradition. They are still very popular today, not only in China, but also in other parts of the world. They are fantastic dogs not only infused with artwork - but with meaning. A DOG'S NOSE Human's have 5 million cell receptors in their noses, while most dog breeds have more than 100 million. The membranes in a dog's nose, if unfolded and laid our, would be larger than the dog itself! FIDO The once popular name 'Fido' comes from Latin meaning fidelity. CELESTIAL COMPANIONS The constellation Canis Major (the great dog) follows his master, the constellation Orion (the hunter), as Orion crosses the sky. Sirus, the dog star, is the brightest star inthe heavens and is located on the shoulder of Canis Major, lighting the way for the hunt.  CHEWBACCA
Chewbacca, the hairy Wookiee in the Star Wars movies, was inspired by George Lucas' loyal dog Indiana, an Alaskan Malamute. An immense, fur covered warrior of great strength and loyalty, Chewbacca was a well known figure in both the underworld and in the Rebel Alliance. Born on Kashyyyk over two centuries before the Battle of Yavin, Chewbacca was a wise, sophisticated being with exceptional skills in starship piloting and repair. For their brutish strength and technological savvy, Wookiees were enslaved by The Empire for use as labor. For a time, Chewbacca was a slave, toiling away for the betterment of the Empire until an impudent Imperial cadet named Han Solo freed him. Chewbacca stood 2.28 meters tall (almost 7.5 feet) and had a coat of ginger-brown fur. He wore nothing, save for a bandoleer that carried specialized ammunition for the bowcaster that he carried, and a simple tool pouch so that he could enact the many repairs the chronically malfunctioning Falcon required. For more information:
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