Let's explore: Interesting Facts about Dogs that You May Not Know

Dogs have always been considered man's best friend, however, there are some facts you may not know about this "best friend."

Our dogs, our "best friends," have many surprises, from super-strong noses that can smell disease to dogs that can use subways to get around. Let's take a look at some interesting facts about dogs that you may not have known:

- Dogs have the same intelligence as toddlers. Many researchers have shown that dogs are smart enough to understand up to 250 words and gestures, as well as 5 numbers and simple calculations. An average dog has the same intelligence as a 2-year-old child, scientists say.

- Some people say that dogs are color blind, they only see white or black. In reality, however, dogs can still see color, just to a very faint degree, similar to how humans see at dusk, or when there is a faint layer of dust in front of them.

- Dogs don't like being hugged as much as many people think. While many of us often hug dogs as a way of showing affection, according to scientists, dogs don't really like being hugged. Dogs view putting their paws on it as a sign of dominance, something they don't usually accept.

- Dogs often turn in circles before lying down, as this motion flattens the surface on which they are about to lie down.

- The fingerprints on a dog's nose are unique, just like human fingerprints, no two dogs have the same nose print.

- Although each breed has a different sense of smell, a dog's sense of smell is extremely sensitive, much stronger than that of humans. Humans have about 5 million olfactory cells, while the Alsatian (German Shepherd breed) is thought to have about 220 million. They can smell almost anything.

- The longest-lived dog ever recorded was an Australian Bulldog named Bluey who lived to be 29 years old from June 1910 to November 1939.

- Dogs can sense disease. In case you have some symptoms of cancer, diabetes, or epilepsy, your dog can detect them. Experiments and evaluations have shown that they can be trained to sniff out these diseases. Scientists believe this may be due to the dog's unusual ability to sniff out proteins.

- Moscow's stray dogs have learned to use the city's subway system to travel to more crowded areas in search of leftovers.

- A dog's eye has three eyelids: an upper eyelid, a lower eyelid, and a third eyelid called the sclera or third eyelid. Dogs with third eyelids were created for the purpose of moisturizing and protecting the eyes from foreign objects.

- All dog breeds, regardless of mutation, are descended from wolves, so any breed can easily be crossed.

- Dogs rely more on smell than taste to differentiate food. Humans have almost five times as many taste buds as dogs, so it's no surprise that dog food doesn't appeal to us.

- Dogs drink by turning the underside of their tongues to touch the surface of the water to obtain fluid.

- Dogs are one of the most diverse mammals on Earth. These dogs come in all shapes and sizes, from basset hounds to golden jackals. The differences between the skulls of certain breeds are as profound as those among certain mammals, a study has found.

- The Beatle's song "A Day in the Life" has a loud whistle the music that only dogs can hear. Paul McCartney inserted whistles into the music as a tribute and let his pet dog Shetland enjoy it.