What are the facts about dogs that most owners don't know?

Do you think you know everything there is to know about canines? Think again! Check out these interesting facts you may have never heard:

- Most dogs do not think about the future. They live in the present.

- It is not true to say dogs who cower often were once abused. More often than not, they cower because they are unsure what is going to happen when they come up against a type of person, animal, or situation that they did not get accustomed to when they were young and impressionable. They may fear people of different races and different ages, as well.

- Abnormal heart rhythms and long term problems that the owner did not even know about can cause what appears to be sudden death. A vet cannot find out if a dog was poisoned unless the owner knows what kind of poison might have been given. There are hundreds of poisons, and the only way to test for one is to request a test just for that specific one. Each test has to be done independently and they don't come cheap.

- Dogs do not growl or bark at someone because that person is evil. They growl and bark because their natural instinct is to protect their territory and their family from strangers. Someone who smells differently than the people they know is likely to be considered a potential bad person: be it from body odor, bad breath, unwashed clothes, other animals' scents on them, illness, or being upset or scared.

- Dogs have wet noses because it helps to absorb scent chemicals.

- Your dog can smell your feelings. In fact, your dog's sense of smell is approximately 100,000 times better than yours. So it shouldn't be shocking when they can detect when we're afraid or anxious. When a human is fearful, they perspire, and a dog is easily able to pick up on this change.

- Just because a dog doesn't die from eating one grape or one piece of chocolate candy doesn't mean its okay to feed him these things.

- Man's best friend? Petting a dog and gazing into their eyes releases oxytocin (i.e the love hormone) not only for you, but for them as well.