Popular Misconceptions and Myths About Dogs, Part I
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.
