1) How many words do we understand?
According to canine researcher Stanley Coren, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, dogs can distinguish more than 160 words. Even, in some cases, up to 200 words. In addition, they are able to solve complex problems, with mental abilities close to that of a 2-year-old child. Three types of canine intelligence are distinguished: the instinctive, the adaptive, the work and the obedience.
If that was not enough, during the game, dogs are able to deliberately deceive both dogs and humans for a reward and, according to Coren, "they have almost as much success deceiving humans as humans by deceiving dogs".
2) Do we see in color or black and white?
By several studies, an old belief has been denied "that they see in black and white". Not so, dogs see in color, but with a different spectrum to that of humans. They are not able to distinguish well the shades of colors between the red and the green, they all see them as shades of yellow.
In addition, it has a great ability to observe in the dark. In the retina is the tapetum lucidum, which is a layer of reflective cells which allow them to develop an incredible night vision. This membrane is the cause that whenever we take photos to them in dark places, always the eyes shine.
3) Do we recognize emotions?
In an experiment carried out by the University of Lincoln, UK, and of San Pablo, Brazil, scientists placed 17 dogs in front of images of human faces expressing joy or anger, associated with the voice of a happy or angry person respectively.
In this way, the images of happy faces were successively associated with a pleasant voice. Then they did the same with images of visibly annoying people. The team noted that the dogs spent significantly more time looking at facial expressions that matched their emotional state and vocalization.
It was determined that dogs are able to recognize the moods of people. Because without having time to establish a relationship with the people, they were able to identify the mood of each of the volunteers by associating signals.
4) How many hours do we sleep a day?
Dogs go through the same phases of sleep that we, they dream and they have nightmares.
When they are puppies they sleep a lot, 90% of the day, although they do it in an inconstant way with interruptions of the dream and changing of place until they regulate its internal clock and they learn to sleep in its bed. The remaining 10% is dedicated to feed. In fact, up to 12 weeks of life, the most common is that they spend sleeping between 18 and 20 hours per day.
An adult dog sleeps about 13 hours a day, spread over 8-9 hours at night and small naps or lighter day breaks.
5) Do we create a maternal bond?
The answer is Yes. A research team from Azabu University, Japan, published a study in the journal "Science" which affirm that the relationship between a dog and its owner is similar to that of a mother with her son. In one bond as in the other, the presence of the love hormone, called oxytocin, has comparable levels. Researchers suggest in their study that this mechanism of connection between man and dog was forged in the course of domestication. They have created a connection as strong as that created biologically between parents and children. Therefore, the simple visual contact between the dog and its owner strengthens their emotional ties, according to the study.
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