Dog science is growing in popularity as more researchers devote their time and resources to understanding how our best friends evolved to become so intertwined with humanity. From dog biology to dog psychology, we now know more about puppies and their behaviour than ever before. Interested in learning what science has to say about your dog? Continue reading to learn about some of the more fascinating discoveries we`ve made.

What Causes Dogs to Sleep So Much?

The amount of time a dog sleeps is determined by a variety of factors, including his age, size, breed, health, and activity level. Because of the amount of REM sleep that dogs get, all dogs require significantly more sleep than humans. While humans spend about 25% of their sleep in REM cycles, which is the deepest and most restful stage of sleep, dogs only spend about 10% of their time sleeping. This means they must sleep longer to compensate for the imbalance.

What Do Dogs Mean When They Bark?

Although dogs bark for a variety of reasons, biologists previously believed that their barking was unaffected by the message.

According to Scientific American, recent research into dog biology has discovered that dogs have elasticity in their vocal chords, allowing them to slightly alter the sound of their barks to convey different meanings.

Timing, pitch, and amplitude of dog barks vary depending on context, according to spectrographic images. The same can be said for growling. While researchers are still unsure what these various barks and growls mean, experiments have shown that dogs react differently to the vocalisations of other dogs depending on the context. Scientists, for example, recorded a dog growling over food and growling at a stranger. Dogs were more hesitant when they played back the "food growl" while offering another dog a treat.

Other studies have found that dogs and humans are more likely to react to a dog`s "stranger bark" than to other types of barking. More dog science research is needed to decode every woof and growl, but it`s becoming clear that a dog`s barking has a more complex communication component — they`re not just barking for fun.

Can Dogs Run Fast?

The speed at which a dog can run varies depending on the dog. Running speed is heavily influenced by factors such as size, body shape, and leg length, as well as age, health, and physical condition. The world`s fastest dog averages about 45 miles per hour, with the fastest member of this breed ever clocked at 50.5 miles per hour.

While streamlined greyhounds and other fast breeds, such as whippets and Afghan hounds, appear to be built for speed, all dogs can make their bodies more aerodynamic when running, either by flattening their ears to reduce wind resistance or pushing them back to avoid getting tripped up.

When dogs run, the way their legs move changes. A walking dog moves their right and left legs together, whereas a running dog leaps with their front and back legs paired, which allows for greater speed.

Can Dogs Jump Very High?

For some dogs, jumping up on a couch is not an amazing feat; for others, stairs may be required to snuggle with you in your favourite chair; and for still others, containing them in fenced yards can be difficult due to their jumping ability. A dog`s jumping ability, like their running ability, is heavily influenced by their size, strength, age, health, and body condition. The highest jumping dogs have been reported to clear 6 feet, but small breeds that can jump multiple times their body height may be more impressive. Another aspect of dog jumping is the distance they can jump. Dogs are trained to run in dock-diving competitions.

Can Dogs See Well?

A dog`s eyes are incredible and can see things that we cannot. However, a dog`s vision is not always superior to that of a human. A dog`s eyes are positioned on the side of his head, which results in greater peripheral vision, but their visual acuity (or ability to focus on objects) is only about 20 to 40 percent of that of a human. This means that what a dog can distinguish as an object at 20 feet can be distinguished by a human with 20/20 vision at 90 feet. As a result, dogs rely heavily on their other senses to help them navigate the world.

Why dogs are happy to see us?

When you get home at the end of a long day or even after just an hour or two chances are your dog is overjoyed and excited. Every! Single! Time! One of the things we adore about dogs is their exuberant reaction to being reunited with their humans. But why are they so excited?

There are three major factors at play. Canine behavioural researchers discovered that the scent of a familiar human triggered the reward centres of the brain in a way that no other scent did, implying not only those dogs know the difference between humans and other dogs, but that dogs genuinely enjoy spending time with humans.

Another study used a cognitive experiment designed for children seeing their mothers after a long absence to measure the reaction of dogs reuniting with their owners and discovered that the response is very similar. It`s important to remember that dogs are social creatures who dislike being left alone. Our return means relief from loneliness for them. When you add it all up, it`s no surprise that dogs can`t wait to see their favourite people.