Popular Misconceptions and Myths About Dogs, Part II
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?
