Why do male dogs lift their legs to urinate?

Urine, like other bodily excretions, contains highly individual scent chemicals called pheromones, and is used by dogs to scent-mark the area in which they live or through which they roam; what might be termed their territory. This is done both to inform other dogs of their presence and to provide reassurance for themselves by giving a familiar odour to the surroundings. The need to emphasize their presence is much stronger in adult males and it is possible that they are able to control, at least partially, the addition of scent secretion to their urine specifically forthis purpose. Also by fully raising one hind leg a male dog is able to direct his urine on to any prominent vertical surface (e.g. a tree, lamp-post, fence etc.) so that it will be distributed more widely and therefore be more obvious to other passing dogs. Most males will raise whichever leg is nearest the ‘target’; others seem to favour one leg and will alter their position accordingly. Adult males, however, may also urinate on the ground, presumably simply to relieve themselves, and when they do this a hind leg is only partially elevated.

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How do dogs communicate using sounds?

In addition to body posture, vocalization is another means of canine communication, with a certain amount of variation between breeds. Some breeds, for instance the Dachshund, tend to be very vocal, whereas others such as the Greyhound and Saluki bark much less frequently.

Apart from warning growls and snarls of aggression, dogs will also whimper, whine, bark, howl and yelp. In domesticated dogs barking may occur in any situation where the animal gets excited and wants to draw attention to itself; for example when playing, being fed, greeting its owners and generally responding to other sights or noises. The typical canine bark consists of a single syllable lasting no longer than one second. While barking is obviously valuable in drawing attention to intruders, if allowed to go unchecked the behavior can be extremely tiresome for owners, neighbors, and in fact anyone who comes within earshot. Some small dogs are such frequent and persistent barkers that they suffer from permanent tonsillitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis because of the continual damage which they inflict upon their throats. In most breeds barking begins at around three weeks of age. There is some evidence that the continued administration of female sex hormone gradually reduces the amount of barking by male dogs.

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If my dog should get into a fight, how should I deal with it?

When wild dogs fight they seldom inflict serious injuries on each other. A heavy dog usually has the advantage because it may more easily unbalance its adversary. Eventually the weaker dog has to let go of its grip and adopts the submissive posture, whereupon the winner withdraws. But domestic breeds of dog which have been selected for their aggressive tendencies often continue to fight beyond this point. A terrier, for example, although technically defeated, may sometimes continue to fight almost to the death. Unlike the situation in the wild, the winning dog will sometimes continue to fight although the other dog has already surrendered.

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How does my dog indicate his moods?

A dog is able to communicate its moods to other animals, and to humans, by the posture and movement of its body (in particular the position of its tail and ears), the directness of its gaze and the sounds that it makes. The visual signals, however, are the most important in determining how a dog is feeling and how it is likely to react.

When the interest of a dog is aroused by what it sees or hears it will appear alert; remaining still, with its muscles tense and its ears pricked (i.e. erect, or at least as erect as is possible for certain breeds). If it is listening intently it will move its ears slightly to change the direction of the opening and thereby collect the sound waves most efficiently. When the dog is watching something nearby, particularly the approach of another animal, it will stand with its tail raised and usually with one forefoot lifted, the typical ‘aroused position’. Unless it immediately shows hostility towards the newcomer the dog will usually move forward to investigate.

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Do dogs chew their food? Can my dog survive without his teeth when he is old?

Dogs do not chew their food as we do. The natural function of their teeth is to serve as a means of killing their prey and of cutting it up into pieces small enough to swallow.

The large canine teeth (’fangs’) are used to kill the prey. Then the premolar and molar teeth along the sides of the jaw are used to cut up the prey into pieces or strips which can be swallowed. Especially important are the largest of these teeth (the carnassials) which have a scissor-like action as the jaws close. The small incisor teeth at the front of the jaws can be used for pulling flesh off bones as well as for carrying objects. And, of course, all the teeth, but especially the canine teeth, are used for attack and defense.

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Is it possible to tell a dog’s age from its teeth?

Like other mammals the dog has two consecutive sets of teeth; first the twenty-eight deciduous or milk teeth, followed by the permanent teeth of which there are forty-two. The number of teeth is almost always the same regardless of the breed, though in dogs with short noses the teeth may be rather crowded. These flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds are the ones most likely to have fewer teeth and if some are absent they are usually molars or premolars of the lower jaw.

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Is it true that one year of a dog’s life equals seven of a human ’s?

This comparison is based on the assumption that on average people live three score years and ten (i.e. seventy years) whereas a dog only live.; for ten. In reality there is considerably more variation.

Most dogs will live for between ten and thirteen years if well looked after, and the small breeds survive longer than the large. Great Danes, Mastiffs, St Bernards and Irish Wolfhounds do not usually reach ten years old, and Boxers will not normally live much beyond that age. Bulldogs usually do not last more than seven or eight years. On the other hand Pekingese, toy breeds and the small terriers often live for between fourteen and seventeen years.

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