Curious About Dogs

PODCAST 129: CURIOUS ABOUT DOGS
RELEASE DATE:  MARCH 21ST, 2021

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT AND YOU WANT US TO COVER IT IN THE PODCAST, THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO LET US KNOW.  WE RECEIVED 3 DIFFERENT REQUESTS FOR THIS WEEK’S TOPIC, AND EACH OF THEM WAS SENT TO US A DIFFERENT WAY.  

O:  TRIPLE MAILBAG!

D:  TRIPLE MAILBAG!

“WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO YOUR HOW ALMOST EVERYDAY OF THE CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE.  WE LOVE YOUR SHOW.  PLEASE GET CURIOUS ABOUT DOGS.  

FROM RIAN (AGE 5) AND HIS MOM.”

O:  THANKS FOR THE E-MAIL, RIAN.  ANYONE CAN LEAVE AN E-MAIL FOR US BY SENDING IT TO CURIOUSKIDPODCAST@GMAIL.COM.

D:

“HI OLIVIA,
I HAVE 2 DAUGHTERS WHO BOTH LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  THEY ARE BOTH CURIOUS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS.  NIYAH, AGE 4, WANTS TO KNOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOGS ARE IN THE WORLD AND WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE MOST DOGS.  HER FAVORITE PODCAST SO FAR IS CURIOUS ABOUT DINOSAURS.  LAYLA, WHO IS 8, SAYS SHE IS A HUGE FAN OF YOUR PODCAST.  SHE WAS HOPING YOU COULD DO AN EPISODE ON CODING.  HER BIGGEST QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CODING AND PROGRAMMING.  WE LIVE IN WARRANDYTE, IN AUSTRALIA.  THANKS FOR YOUR PODCASTS.  WE LISTEN TO THEM EVERY TIME WE ARE IN THE CAR!”

O:  THANKS FOR THE FACEBOOK MESSAGE, NIYAH AND LAYLA.  WE LOVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS.

D:  

“HELLOOOOOO.  I AM SAM AND I AM 7 YEARS OLD!  I LIVE IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.  I AM CURIOUS ABOUT DOGS.”

O:  THANKS FOR THE REVIEW, SAM.

D:  AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN SUGGEST A TOPIC VIA E-MAIL, SOCIAL MEDIA, A REVIEW, OR EVEN BY LEAVING US A VOICEMAIL AT 856-425-2324.  THIS WEEK, WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT DOGS FOR ALL OF THE AWESOME LISTENERS THAT SUGGESTED THE WONDERFUL TOPIC.  DOGS MAKE ME AND OLIVIA SO HAPPY, SO WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.  WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR DOG BREED IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE?

D:  JUST TO GIVE YOU A HINT, THEY ARE 2 SEPARATE ANSWERS.  THE MOST POPULAR BREED IN THE UNITED STATES IS NOT THE SAME AS THE MOST POPULAR BREED IN THE WORLD.

O:  DOGS WERE PROBABLY THE FIRST ANIMAL TO BE DOMESTICATED.

D:  WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY DOMESTICATED ANIMALS, IS THAT THE ANIMAL HAS BEEN TRAINED TO LIVE ALONGSIDE HUMANS OVER THE YEARS.  HUMANS AND DOGS HAVE HAD A CLOSE BOND FOR AT LEAST 15,000 YEARS.  

O:  ACCORDING TO THE STUDY OF DNA, DOGS DESCENDED FROM WOLVES. 

D:  IF YOU LISTENED TO EPISODE 38, CURIOUS ABOUT EVOLUTION, YOU KNOW THAT SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT HUMANS CAME FROM APES.  SCIENTISTS ALSO BELIEVE THAT DOGS CAME FROM WOLVES.       

O:  THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOGS OUT THERE THAT LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY.

D:  ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, THERE ARE 190 DOG BREEDS IN THE UNITED STATES.  IF YOU THINK THAT’S A LOT, ACCORDING TO THE FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE, THERE ARE 360 DOG BREEDS IN THE WORLD.

O:  SO GOOD LUCK ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

D:  THAT’S TRUE… THERE ARE TONS OF OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM.         

O:  IF YOU KNOW WHAT A CHIHUAHUA AND A GREAT DANE LOOK LIKE, IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT THEY ARE EVEN THE SAME ANIMAL.

D:  CHIHUAHUAS CAN WEIGH AS LITTLE AS 3 POUNDS.  GREAT DANES, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAN WEIGH 200 POUNDS.   

O:  IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ALL DOGS HAVE IN COMMON?

D:  THERE ARE A FEW THINGS, LIKE TEETH.  JUST LIKE HUMANS, DOGS HAVE BABY TEETH AND ADULT TEETH.  THEY HAVE 28 BABY TEETH THAT ARE DEVELOPED BY ABOUT 2 MONTHS OF AGE.  AROUND THE TIME THEY ARE JUST A HALF YEAR OLD, THOSE BABY TEETH ARE REPLACED BY 42 ADULT TEETH.  

O:  DOGS DON’T USUALLY CHEW THEIR FOOD.  THEY USUALLY SWALLOW THEIR FOOD WHOLE.

D:  AND THEN THEIR BODIES DIGEST THE FOOD.  THE LIVER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGAN IN DOGS.  IT HAS SO MANY IMPORTANT ROLES, LIKE DIGESTION, GETTING RID OF TOXINS FROM THE BLOOD, AND HELPING WITH BLOOD CLOTTING.  FOR THAT REASON, LIVER DISEASE IN A DOG CAN BE VERY SERIOUS.  

O:  DOGS HAVE 319 BONES.  THAT’S SO MANY BONES!  

D:  THAT’S EVEN MORE THAN CATS, WHO HAVE 230 BONES, AND WAY MORE THAN HUMANS, WHO ONLY HAVE 206 BONES.  THE NUMBER OF BONES IN A DOG CAN DIFFER SLIGHTLY BASED ON HOW LONG THE TAIL IS.  

O:  MOST DOGS ARE GREAT RUNNERS AND CAN RUN FAST AND FOR A LONG TIME.

D:  THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS THOUGH.  BULLDOGS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE NOT STRONG RUNNERS.  GREYHOUNDS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE THE FASTEST DOG BREED, AND THEY CAN REACH SPEEDS OF 45 MILES PER HOUR.  THAT’S SUPER-FAST.  

O:  DOGS HAVE THE SAME EXACT SENSES THAT HUMANS HAVE.  THEY CAN SMELL, HEAR, SEE, TASTE, AND TOUCH.

D:  A DOG’S SENSE OF SMELL IS INCREDIBLE.  IT CAN BE UP TO 10 MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN A HUMAN’S.  THEY ARE SUCH GOOD SMELLERS THAT THEY CAN USE THEIR SENSE OF SMELL TO HELP FIND MISSING PEOPLE AND TO DETECT THINGS THAT HUMANS CAN’T SMELL VERY WELL, LIKE HARMFUL GASSES OR EXPLOSIVES.  

O:  A DOG’S SENSE OF TASTE IS NOT AS GOOD AS A HUMAN’S.

D:  THAT MAKES DOGS LESS SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT THEY EAT THAN HUMANS.  OLIVIA, FOR EXAMPLE, WON’T EAT A CHICKEN NUGGET IF IT ISN’T THE RIGHT SHAPE, BUT WE HAVE A DOG KHLOE, AND BACK WHEN KHLOE WAS A PUPPY, SHE USED TO OCCASIONALLY EAT HER OWN POOP.  

O:  DOGS CAN HEAR MUCH BETTER THAN HUMANS, BUT THEY ARE BORN DEAF.

D:  NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF HEARING SOUNDS THAT HUMANS CAN’T DETECT.  THERE IS EVEN A WHISTLE, CALLED A DOG WHISTLE, THAT IS USED FOR TRAINING DOGS.  IT IS ABLE TO GET A DOGS ATTENTION, BUT HUMANS ARE NOT EVEN CAPABLE OF HEARING IT.  

O:  A DOG’S EYESIGHT CAN BE BETTER THAN A HUMAN’S AT TIMES, AND WORSE AT OTHERS.

D:  THAT’S TRUE.  DOGS ARE NOT ABLE TO DISTINGUISH COLORS AS WELL AS HUMANS.  DOGS ARE ABLE TO SEE BETTER THAN HUMANS IN THE DARK, BUT NOT AS WELL AS HUMANS IN THE LIGHT.  THAT’S PRETTY INTERESTING.  

O:  DOGS CAN SEE MORE THINGS AT ONCE THAN WE CAN, BECAUSE THEIR EYES ARE SET FURTHER BACK, AT THE SIDES OF THEIR HEADS.   

D:  DOGS ALSO HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF TOUCH, AND USE THAT SENSE TO BOND WITH HUMANS.  OUR DOG, KHLOE, HAS TRAINED US TO SCRATCH HER FAVORITE SPOTS, INCLUDING BEHIND HER EARS AND HER BELLY.  

O:  DOGS ARE VERY SOCIAL ANIMALS AND THEY LOVE THE COMPANY OF HUMANS AND OTHER DOGS.  

D:  DOGS BARK FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.  A DOG’S OWNERS USUALLY HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE THE DOG IS TRYING TO SEND WHEN THEY BARK.  DOG’S ALSO GROWL IF THEY ARE NOT HAPPY.  

O:  EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SO MANY DOG BREEDS, THEY CAN BE SEPARATED INTO 7 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

D:  THERE IS THE SPORTING GROUP.  DOGS IN THE SPORTING GROUP CAN HELP HUNT AND COLLECT BIRDS.  COCKER SPANIELS BELONG TO THE SPORTING GROUP.  

O:  THERE IS THE HOUND GROUP.  DOGS IN THE HOUND GROUP ARE VERY FAST AND VERY GOOD AT HUNTING.  BLOODHOUNDS BELONG TO THE HOUND GROUP.  

D:  THERE IS THE WORKING GROUP.  THESE DOGS ARE HARD WORKERS AND ARE CAPABLE OF PULLING SLEDS.  THEY ARE VERY STRONG.  BOXERS, LIKE OUR SWEET KHLOE, BELONG TO THE WORKING GROUP.  

O:  THERE IS THE TERRIER GROUP.  TERRIERS LOVE HUNTING RODENTS AND THEY ARE USUALLY SMALL.  THE BULL TERRIER BELONGS TO THE TERRIER GROUP.

D:  THERE IS THE TOY GROUP.  AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, THESE DOGS ARE SMALL AND MAKE GOOD COMPANIONS FOR HUMANS.  THEY DON’T GENERALLY DO HARD WORK.  THEY JUST LOVE BEING CUTE AND CUDDLY.  A SHIH TZU BELONGS TO THE TOY GROUP.  

O:  THERE IS THE HERDING GROUP.  DOGS IN THIS GROUP ARE GREAT AT HERDING OTHER ANIMALS, LIKE SHEEP.  THEY ARE VERY SMART DOGGIES.  A BORDER COLLIE BELONGS TO THE HERDING GROUP.

D:  FINALLY, THERE IS THE NON-SPORTING GROUP, WHICH IS JUST A COLLECTION OF DOGS THAT DON’T REALLY FIT IN ANY OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES.  THE DALMATIAN BELONGS TO THE NON-SPORTING GROUP.  HERE ARE SOME OTHER INTERESTING DOG FACTS BEFORE WE ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  DOGS ARE SO SMART.  THEY CAN UNDERSTAND 250 WORDS AND ARE AS SMART AS THE AVERAGE 2 YEAR OLD HUMAN.  

D:  DOGS PANT WHEN THEY ARE HOT, BECAUSE THEY DON’T SWEAT A LOT LIKE HUMANS DO.  THEY CAN ONLY SWEAT FROM VERY SMALL AREAS OF THIER BODIES LIKE THEIR PAW PADS AND NOSE.  

O:  THE MOST COMMON DOGS NAME FOR A MALE IS MAX, AND FOR A FEMALE IS BELLA.  THOSE ARE ADORABLE NAMES.  

D:  THERE ARE SOME PLACES WHERE THEY HAVE VERY STRANGE LAWS REGARDING DOGS.  THE STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS SOME OF THE STRANGEST DOG LAWS YOU’LL FIND.  IN ZION, ILLINOIS, YOU CAN’T GIVE YOUR DOG A LIT CIGAR.  IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, IT IS ILLEGAL TO BRING YOUR FRENCH POODLE WITH YOU TO THE OPERA.  IN GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, YOU AREN’T ALLOWED TO KEEP A SMELLY DOG.  I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO MAKE ZION, CHICAGO, AND GALESBURG CONSIDER THESE SILLY LAWS.    

O:  ILLINOIS IS NOT THE ONLY STATE THAT HAS SILLY DOG LAWS.  IN OKLAHOMA, YOU CAN GET A FINE FOR MAKING UGLY FACES AT DOGS.

D:  THAT STUFF IS TOO HARD TO BELIEVE.  MORE THAN HALF OF THE U.S. PRESIDENTS HAVE OWNED DOGS.  THE AWARD FOR STRANGEST DOG NAMES GOES TO CALVIN COOLIDGE, WHO HAD DOGS NAMES PETER PAN, PAUL PRY, ROB ROY, CALAMITY JANE, TINY TIM, BLACKBERRY, RUBY ROUGH, BOSTON BEANS, KING KOLE, BESSIE, AND PALO ALTO.  

O:  THE AWARD FOR LEAST CREATIVE DOG NAMES GOES TO LYNDON B. JOHNSON.  

D:  HE HAD 4 BEAGLES.  THERE NAMES WERE BEAGLE, LITTLE BEAGLE, HIM, AND HER.  THAT’S JUST RIDICULOUS.    

O:  NIYAH WANTED TO KNOW WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE MOST DOGS.

D:  THE UNITED STATES HAS THE MOST DOGS IN THE WORLD, WITH 77 MILLION.  THAT’S MORE THAN THE NEXT 3 COUNTRIES, WHICH ARE BRAZIL, CHINA, AND RUSSIA, COMBINED.  IT’S TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR DOG BREEDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE?  

O:  THE MOST POPULAR DOG BREED IN THE UNITED STATES IS THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER.  THE MOST POPULAR DOG BREED IN THE WORLD IS THE ROTTWEILER.  

D:  VERY INTERESTING STUFF.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  129 - DOGS.   

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB TO RIAN, NIYAH, LAYLA, AND SAM FOR SUGGESTING THAT WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT DOGS.  IF YOU HAVE A DOG AT HOME, SHARE A PICTURE WITH US.  WE ARE GOING TO PUT PICTURES OF OUR PRECIOUS PAL KHLOE ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER, SO CHECK IT OUT.  NEXT WEEK IS OUR SEASON 5 FINALE EPISODE.  I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ALREADY BEEN 5 SEASONS OF CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  COME BACK FOR THE FINALE EPISODE FOR SOME SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND A RECAP OF OUR FAVORITE EPISODES AND FACTS FROM SEASON FIVE.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.