United Kingdom of cats and dogs

Our pawsome pals at Sainsbury's have shared their findings from a recent survey about the nations favourite pet with us, and we couldn't wait to share them with you. Amongst some of their wooftastic stats, it has been found that our favourite dog breed are Cockapoos, whilst London dogs tend to be shorter and lighter than the rest of the UK. You can even take a closer look at how your local area compares to other animal loving regions across the UK here. So without further ado here is what they've discovered:

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15 pawsome doggy facts

We know it's a given but we absowoofly love all things dog! We also love sharing and educating our members about all things doggy. So we have collected 10 pawsome doggy facts to share with you - so get your learning caps on and let the fun facts commence!

1. Dogs have three eyelids.

They have an upper lid, a lower lid and a third lid which helps keep the eye moist and protected.

2. Your dog can smell your feelings.

Your pup can pick up on subtle changes in your scent, which can help them figure out how you are feeling — such as when you become nervous or fearful.

Doggy member Hamish, sniffing out your feels — Doggy member Hamish

3. Sleep positions

Dogs curl up in a ball when they sleep due to an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and protect their abdomen and vital organs from predators.

4. What dog does not bark?

The Basenji is the only bark-less dog in the world.

Doggy member Vesta and Sky - barkless Basenjis — Doggy members Vesta and Sky

5. Oldest dog

The oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey who lived 29 years and 5 months, until he was usurped by Bobi, a 31 years, 365 days old Rafeiro do Alentejo from Portugal, who passed away in October 2023.

Doggy member Crash looking happy and healthy — Doggy member Crash

6. Part of the gang

According to PETA, if a dog isn’t spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate and their offspring can product 67,000 dogs in 6 years.

7. Super Sniffers

A dog's sense of smell is guessed by scientists to be 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours!

Doggy member Harvey runs through the grass happily — Doggy member Harvey

8. How many?!

There are an estimated 900 million dogs in the world.

9. Tasting smells

Dogs’ noses secrete a thin layer of mucus that can help them absorb scent. They then lick their noses to sample the scent through their mouth.

10. Sleeve dogs

During the Tang Dynasty, the imperial palace began to breed smaller and smaller lion dogs (Pekingese). The smallest were called "Sleeve Dogs," because their owners could carry the tiny doggies around concealed in the billowing sleeves of their silk robes.

Doggy member Penelope, a Pekingese sitting on a chair — Doggy member Penelope

11. Why do dogs chase their tails?

This is a habit that comes from instinct; dogs chase their tails in the wild to flatten the grass for a comfortable sleeping area, so you will often find your dog doing this before it lies down. You’ll also often see a doggy chasing their tail when they’re excited, so keep an eye out for this just before you take them for a walk.

12. Noseprint Identity

Just like our fingertips, all dogs have individual patterns on their nose, making them all completely unique to one another.

13. Chocolate is toxic to dogs

Ever been tempted to give your furry friend your last rolo? Research has proven that chocolate is toxic to our pooches, so be sure if you're having some chocolate you save it all for yourself :)

14. Dogs have webbed feet

Have you ever got close enough to a pooches feet to notice that they are webbed? Not all breeds have this, it is mainly working dogs and other breeds that have a natural attraction to water. Having weebed feet simply helps the dogs steer themselves better whilst they are swimming, high paws!

15. Dogs can read our faces

Securing their position as mans best friend, recent studies have found that dogs can read our facial expressions, and are capable of being able to tell when we are happy, sad, pleased or angry, how absowoofly wonderful.

Quiz: How much do you know about the dogs of the UK?

We hope you enjoyed the quiz! Share your result with us on Facebook, we always love hearing from our members.

Quiz: How much do you really know about dogs?

It’s time to put your general dog knowledge to the test and see how much of a canine expert you are. So put your thinking caps on and answer the following questions…

Quiz: do you know your dog breeds?

From tiny terriers to huge hounds, there are hundreds of dog breeds out there - but how well do you know dog breeds? Most people can't tell these breeds apart, can you? Take the quiz below and put that dog knowledge to the ultimate test.

Want to find out more about how you can have happy dog time with a local doggo, or find local, trusted dog care support?

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