The bonds we have with our canine companions are unlike any other, and knowing what's going
on inside their precious heads can only make that bond stronger.
So let's explore some fascinating dog facts.
Some people actually like it when their dogs lick their face, gross people who have no
fear of bacteria.
And a lot of those people probably think their dogs are licking them out of love.
Well, we hate to burst that big, slobbery bubble, but that licking behavior is actually
part of an ancient instinct.
Puppies are known to lick their mothers' faces as a way of asking them to offer up food they've
already eaten.
This is a survival tool of wild canids.
Wolves don't have reusable shopping bags, so if they want to bring food home for their
kids there's really only one way to do it.
They carry the food back in their stomachs and then...bring it back up.
And as a bonus, it's already partially digested for the pups.
It's not always about that tasty vomit, though.
Dogs also lick other dogs, and sometimes people, to show submission or because they enjoy the
taste of salty human sweat.
Even if you just fed them five minutes ago, dogs will probably give you those begging
eyes when you're trying to eat your lunch.
It's as if they're one stagger away from collapsing from sheer starvation.
It's believed that this behavior is a holdover from when humans first started inviting wild
dogs to share our campfires and our table scraps.
No one knew when the next meal was coming, so it was better to chow down on food when
it was there, and it's likely that the focus on food is still biologically hardwired into
dogs today.
For some dogs, there's always the possibility that they've experienced a life of real starvation.
Even after being rescued, they can remember what an empty belly is like.
Vets will often differentiate between begging dogs that act hungry and dogs whose behavior
suddenly changes to become more demanding of food.
Thus, it's important to keep an eye on puppies in case they go from begging to ravenous.
"He's trying to tell us that there's four clowns stuck somewhere and they're car broke
down.
Where, boy, where?!"
"Ed!"
"What?"
"There are no clowns.
Man, that dog is just hungry."
Dogs are emotionally manipulative creatures, with a knack for nailing the most effective
sad expressions.
One reason for this trait is that humans have gravitated toward those sad eyes for generations,
so we've bred dogs with features that accent that pitiful look.
Also, dogs aren't dumb.
They probably know if they lie down with their heads on their paws and look up, they're going
to get attention.
But sad-looking dogs might also actually be sad.
According to some canine experts, dogs could be struggling with the changing roles of their
species.
Herding and hunting dogs now have different lifestyles, and people suddenly don't need
all the traits that have been bred into them for generations.
Canine sadness can manifest as a lack of appetite, sleeping all day, and a disinterest in playing
or walks.
Happy dogs wag their tails.
At least that's what we've been led to believe.
But it turns out that tail wagging is actually a lot more complicated than that.
Dogs do indeed wag their tails when they're happy, like when they greet their owners after
a long absence, or when they see the leash right before a walk.
But this appendage-swinging can also mean other things.
According to PetMD, the tail is only one part of a complex system of communication, which
may also include body postures and facial expressions.
Dogs that have stiff tails or are wagging their tails high above their backs may be
exhibiting signs of aggression.
Meanwhile, dogs that hold their tails lower as they wag them are showing signs of fear
or relative timidness.
Happy dogs, on the other hand, tend to wag their whole butts.
When dogs stick their heads out car windows, they look like they're enjoying the speed
and the rush of air, and humans can surely relate to that.
Those are the reasons why people love roller coasters, after all.
So it makes sense to assume that dogs also want to experience that same adrenaline rush.
But according to Reader's Digest, dogs stick their heads out of cars mostly just because
they're short.
Dogs have a strong sense of visual curiosity, so they want to take in as much as they can.
But from inside the car they may have a hard time seeing all the action.
So if they want to solve that problem, sticking their heads out the window makes a lot of
sense.
Also, the breeze is nice and cool.
And let's face it, if you could stick your head out your car window without getting dirty
looks from civilized humans, you'd probably do it, too.
"Frank!
Bring your head in this window before I roll it up in there."
"Got it."
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Grunge videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.