The Truth Behind the Four Most Common Dog Myths

We’ve cracked the case on the top four myths about dogs! These are the most prevalent and widely believed pieces of information about dogs that most people, if asked, will claim to be 100% factual. However, we’ve discovered that noneof them are factual. Some pet owners might know one of two of them, but we’re betting very few of our readers know all four. And so, without further ado, noted online veterinarian Barbara Royal is going to help us review the four most commonly believed things about dogs that are not true:  

#4: Dogs sometimes limp to get attention  

Don't dismiss it when your animal limps, Dr. Royal says. "They are limping because there probably is something wrong," she points out. "You do need to find out what that is about." In other words, while some dogs might have been taught to limp to receive rewards, in the same way you might teach them to sit up and roll over, this doesn’t mean that pretending to limp is something dogs inherently do.  

#3: Dogs can eat cooked bones  

"You should definitely be careful if they eat any kind of cooked bones -- they splinter in very sharp ways inside of the intestines," Dr. Royal says. In a previous SafetyPUP blog we discussed the risks of eating bones, and cooking or boiling those bones does not reduce the likelihood of injury to your dog’s digestive system. Instead, it turns out cooking or boiling bones might actually increase the risk of injury.  

#2: Dry kibble chips off tartar  

Actually, the opposite is true, says Dr. Royal. "That sticks to your teeth," she explains. "It's actually making your teeth more likely to have tartar and problems." If your dog has a tartar control issue, the best thing to do is talk to your vet. Solving this problem is rarely as simple as changing what brand of dog food you buy.  

#1: Dogs see in black-and-white  

We've all heard this age-old adage, but it isn't accurate. "They don't see all of the colors that we see, but they can actually distinguish between colors," Dr. Royal says. So, while we might be able to see a deeper and richer shade of blue or red than our dogs, they can still quite clearly tell the difference between the red toy and the blue toy.   Sources: Barbara Royal, Huffington Post