We all like to think of our dogs as little (or big) humans on four legs, however there are many differences between humans and dogs that definitely set us apart. Next time you look at your dog and wonder what your dog is thinking consider these 5 fun facts that differentiate humans from dogs.
Humans have less teeth than dogs.
Dogs have 42 teeth. They are sharp and made for tearing and classified as carnivore teeth. However, dogs are omnivores just like humans. Humans have 32 teeth with molars for crunching and grinding.
Dogs have more bones than humans.
Humans have 206 bones while dogs have approximately 320 depending on the length of the tail. Of the human’s 206 bones, 106 bones are in the hands and feet; 27 in each hand and 26 in each foot). The extra bones of the dog are attributed to the extra teeth and vertebrae. As noted by Canine versus Human: https://www.k9-massageguild.co.uk/canine-versus-human/.
Dogs have a much better sense of smell than humans.
It is estimated that dogs can smell between 10,000 to 100, 000 times better than humans. It is made possible by a larger olfactory bulb in the brain. The olfactory bulb is a collection of different types of nerves that determine your sense of smell. When dogs inhale some of the air they breath is directly diverted to a small membrane of tissue called the olfactory epithelium. When humans breath all the air goes through the trachea into the lungs. Dogs also have an organ just behind their incisors in their mouth called a vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson's organ. This allows dogs to be able to smell pheromones.
Dogs have much better hearing than humans.
The average adult human cannot hear sounds above 20,000 Hertz (Hz), although young children can hear higher. Dogs, on the other hand, can hear sounds as high as 47,000 to 65,000 Hz. These are sounds far too high-pitched for us. Dogs can also hear sounds that are too quiet for humans to hear. For dogs, the higher the pitch sound, the more quiet the sound can be.
Dogs Don’t Have a Sixth Sense, They Just Have Incredible Hearing https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/sounds-only-dogs-can-hear/
Humans can see better than dogs.
According to Psychology Today dogs have 20/75 vision. This means what a human could barely see at 75 feet is what a dog can just about make out at 20 feet. Dogs can only see colors in blue and yellow. Dogs can see movement much more easily than humans, but they cannot see the details of the movement. However, in low lighting situations dogs can actually see better than humans. Humans are far superior at seeing details of stationary objects, while dogs are better at seeing objects in movement.
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