Did you know that the term "dog days" has more to do with astrology and the constellation Sirius than with our canine companions here on Earth. These and many more fun dog facts could be discovered from a new book  "BowWOW! Curiously Compelling Facts, True Tales and Trivia Even Your Dog Won't Know" (HCI, $14.95, 224 pages). Enjoy!

• The problem with panting: Dogs have very few sweat glands. There are some in the paw pads, so dogs do sweat from their feet and from other relatively less-furry regions of their bodies. But the primary way dogs cool off is by panting.
Panting is very rapid, shallow breathing that enhances the evaporation of water from the tongue, mouth and upper respiratory tract. Evaporation dissipates heat as water vapor. Panting can reach frequencies of 300 to 400 breaths per minute (the normal canine breathing rate is 30 to 40 breaths per minute). Yet it requires surprisingly little effort. Because of the natural elasticity of the lungs and airways, panting does not expend much energy or create additional heat.

• Drink up: The average daily water intake for a dog is about 3 ounces for every 5 pounds of body weight, so a 25-pound dog would drink about a pint of water per day under average conditions. The amount goes up if the weather is hot, the dog is exercising or both. Depending on whether a pet eats canned or dry food, up to half of a pet's daily water consumption can come from food. Dogs drink a lot of water, not only because they need it for normal bodily functioning, but also to create moist nasal mucous to help them with their keen sense of smell.

• Computing "dog years": The idea that one year of a dog's life equals seven human ones isn't accurate – but the formulas to replace that easy-to- remember computation are too complicated to ever really catch on. The first eight months of a dog's life equal 13 years in human terms – birth to puberty, in other words. At a year, a dog is a teenager, equivalent to a 16-year-old human, with a little filling out still to do. After the age of 2, when a dog is about 21 in human terms, every dog year equals approximately five human ones. But then you have to adjust for the fact that small dogs live longer than big ones.


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If you’ve ever wondered exactly what your dog is thinking, a spunky Papillon named Genevieve will let you know. In the new book “Small Dog, Big Life: Memoirs of a Furry Genius” by Dr. Dennis Fried, the clever canine lets us humans in on the secrets of dogdom.

Though she’s only seven pounds, Genevieve’s personality is much larger. Told from her point of view, the book is part memoir and part education for canine-kind. She recounts her youth, learning to live with her humans and their peculiar habits, her exploits as a “juvenile paplinquent,” the joy of pizza, and the many lessons she’s learned along the way.

Genevieve is a strong-willed dog with a few ideas of her own. She shares her version – the real version – of the history of dogs and people as well as a few insider tips for her fellow dogs: beware of cats, how to properly ride in a car, dog park etiquette and more. She even offers a few suggestions for her own version of agility training with obstacles like The Blanket Tunnel and The Bed Vault and exercises like The Supersonic Crawl. With wit and creativity, the tales and philosophies of this playful Papillon will keep you entertained from start to finish. And who knows? You might even understand your own dog a little more.


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