Myths, legends, and folklore will always be present in any society or culture. Today, there are myths about almost anything. A popular myth subject that reoccurs often are those that has to do with dogs. As with any medium, there are misconceptions and blanket generalizations or beliefs that may not actually be founded on truth. Here is a compilation of some of the most common doggie myths. Are they fact, or fiction?
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks: fiction. It may take more time and effort, but older dogs are not so set in their ways that they cannot be taught new things. When a dog is still a puppy, it is the best time train them and teach them fun tricks because they are growing and their brains are still developing. But once they reach maturity, like human adults, they are still capable of learning, though it may simply take them longer. With patience, feel free to teach away!
The game of tug-of-war should be avoided because it causes aggression: fiction. Many people believe that the game encourages the dog to be overly aggressive. In actuality, it is not the game itself that encourages aggression. It is the manner in which the game is played and the dog’s temperament. A simple game of tug-of-war is fine and fun with your dog, as long as you set proper boundaries and rules. Think about an aggressive sport such as football. Without rules and guidelines, how many people would get hurt? Simply playing tug-of-war will not cause your dog to be aggressive.
Zigzagging, doubling back, or climbing a tree throws off a bloodhound from pursuit: fiction. Bloodhounds are amazing dogs and their sense of smell is almost 1,000 times more acute than that of humans! Simply climbing up a tree, zigzagging or doubling back will not get a bloodhound off your back!
Running or swimming through a creek or river will throw off your scent and confuse a bloodhound: fiction. Again, bloodhounds have such a keen sense of smell that they can still follow someone through water without missing a beat. In fact, scientists say that the creek or river water holds the scent, so it actually helps the bloodhound instead of hindering it.
Washing or changing your clothes can thwart a bloodhound: fiction. A bloodhound tracks a person’s bodily scent, not necessarily the scent of their clothes.
Running through an extremely urban environment confuse a
bloodhound: fact…it can confuse a bloodhound. For a bloodhound to successfully track someone in a city, they must undergo extensive training. Though running through a large city by no means guarantees escape, it may slow the hunting process down; there are literally thousands of scents the bloodhound must work through to get to their goal. Bloodhounds can even track people escaping in automobiles! Now that’s amazing. The list of dog myths seems endless. If you are curious, do your own research; you just might be surprised as what you find!
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