Dogs smell in stereo! Each nostril sniffs on its own, so a dog can tell which direction a smell is coming from. They also breathe out through the side slits of their nose, so old air doesn’t mix with new smells. Dogs have up to 300 million smell sensors, about 50 times more than our 6 million! 👃

Old TVs looked like slideshows to dogs! Dogs’ eyes refresh up to 75 times a second, while ours top out at around 60. Old TVs flickered 60 times a second, so dogs probably saw choppy, blinking pictures. 📺

Dogs drink with a backwards spoon! Dogs curl the tip of their tongue backward into a spoon shape, slap the water, and then bite the splash before it falls. That’s why so much water ends up on the floor! 👅

Some dog breeds have super unusual traits! Norwegian Lundehunds have at least 6 toes on every foot, and they can bend their heads all the way back to touch their spines. Dalmatians are born without any spots (their spots start showing up after about 2 weeks), and Basenjis have an unusually shaped voice box, so they yodel instead of barking! 🎶

Dogs like to poop facing north or south! Scientists watched 70 dogs poop almost 1,900 times over 2 years. Most lined up with Earth’s magnetic field, but only when the field was calm. They’re walking compasses (kind of)! 🧭

Dogs communicate with their wags! Dogs wag more to the right when they see someone they love, and more to the left when they see a strange dog that makes them nervous. 🐕

The oldest dog on record lived to be 29! Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog, lived 29 years and 5 months, more than double a typical dog’s life. He herded sheep and cattle for almost 20 years! 🎂

Greyhounds can run up to 45 mph! That’s more than 1.5 times faster than Usain Bolt’s top speed of about 28 mph! At full speed, they have all 4 feet off the ground twice in every stride. 💨

Your yawns are contagious to dogs! One study found that most dogs yawned after watching a person yawn. Try it with your dog! 🥱

Staring at your dog can be good for you! When dogs and owners look into each other’s eyes, both of their bodies release oxytocin. This is the same “bonding” hormone that helps parents and babies connect. Scientists didn’t see this with wolves raised by people. ❤️