Let’s establish something here. We. Love. Dogs. Those of you who say you don’t, it’s only a matter of time. God has truly blessed us with the best companion, and it fills us with awe to think that they come in so many shapes and sizes and… furs! And yet, there are some hidden gems that we don’t even know about. In this episode of I wish I could get a dog but my mom always refuses, let’s talk about some dogs with weird but very handy abilities!
Norwegian Lundehund
This foxy mama is real nimble on its feet. Or not. Point is, there’s something about their paws you need to know. God gave them an extra helping of toes and lo and behold! You get a dog with six toes on each paw. It also has some additional joints in its neck that can make it rotate about 180 degrees! Now, before you go on rejecting their toes as useless and unnecessary, hear me out. The Norwegian Lundehund was bred to hunt puffins (yes, birds), and its unique paws allow it to climb and maintain footing on very steep and slippery surfaces. So, the next time you have a puffin-hunting quest, take one of these bad boys along.
Double-Nosed Andean Tiger
Some people might think that this baby looks weird, but in this era of body-acceptance, we accept its split nose whole-heartedly. It almost escaped our notice at first glance, but this dog gets its name from its ‘broken’ nose, which is said to enhance its sense of smell by a long shot. Humans of course found a use for its ability by employing it to track jaguars, which is unsurprising, because this breed tends to be highly motivated to and very skilled at sniffing out and tracking down prey. Sounds pretty cool, huh?
Catahoula Leopard Dog
Now while this breed has no connection whatsoever to ducks, they are known for their webbed feet. Webbed feet?! ON A DOG?! Yep. These evolutionarily lucky boys are granted the superpower to climb a tree, or even traverse a swamp with ease, due to their peculiar paws. And most surprising of all, this ability developed naturally, without any human attempts at breeding them this way! They are known to be intelligent animals who also have the advantage of having camouflage for their coat, allowing them to blend into their surroundings. Triple-threat of powers, much?
Otterhound
These beautiful curly haired beasts have a very interesting story of origin. Long ago, in medieval England, the townsfolk relied on fish caught from the stream as a food staple. Naturally, they were at odds with the carnivorous river otters. Ta da! In comes the Otterhound with its webbed feet and powerful rudder-like tails, and hunts down the stealers of fish! Its great amphibian hunting abilities were also supplemented by a keen sense of smell. It became the hero we didn’t ask for, but the hero we all needed.
Shar-pei
Contrary to its name, the Shar-pei actually looks really soft and cuddly! But being just cute would be boring, right? Well, we have news for you. This dog of Chinese origin has a valiant history of serving as an aide in wars and hunts. It uses a unique defense mechanism- its heap of prickly fur. An iconic story is that of a clash between this dog and the wild boar that it was trained to hunt. Wild boars are huge and vicious, but if it ever held onto a Shar-pei’s coat with its mouth, the sheer amount of loosely hanging skin would enable the dog to swing around and bite its attacker in return. It further protects any internal organs from getting damaged. Talk about being thick-skinned.
Basset Hound
This will definitely sound weird, but these dogs smell with their ears. No no, no need to clear your ears for a second time, because you heard us right the first. This adorably droopy-eyed breed is known for having the longest ears among the dog community, and they aren’t just for show. Combined with the power of their short legs, their ears scoop up the scent of their target by brushing against the ground, right into their noses. Their brains are very sharp at identifying and focussing on a single scent. They are also preferred as hunting companions because hunters can keep up with their somewhat slower pace. And I’m not a hunter, but I would totally pretend to be one if it meant that I could see their floppy ears in detective mode!
What superpower does your dog have, aside from making your life blissful? Tell us below.
If you liked reading this you will love: Let Your Pet Sleep Over An Instant Ramen Bowl Bed
0 Comments