The Mysterious Carpal Pad
Unlike the other paw pads, the carpal pad sits higher up on your dog’s front legs, around the wrist, and normally doesn’t even touch the ground while walking.
So what is it doing there?
It comes into play when your dog needs extra grip — like when running downhill, moving across a slippery surface, or suddenly slowing down.
The pad can press against the ground, providing extra traction and helping your dog maintain balance. That’s why it’s sometimes called the “stopper pad” — basically, a small built-in brake.
It can even provide extra support when a dog crouches or crawls close to the ground.

Is Your Dog Left-Pawed or Right-Pawed?
And paws can reveal something else about your dog too — whether they prefer their left side or their right.
Just like humans can be left-handed or right-handed, many dogs show a preference for one paw. Research suggests that around two-thirds of dogs show either a left- or right-paw preference, while the rest use both more equally.
There are a few simple ways to test this at home.
One is the Kong Test: just stuff a Kong toy with treats, place it on the floor, and watch which paw your dog uses to hold it steady.
Another is the Food-Reach Test: place a treat just out of reach under something such as a low piece of furniture and see which paw your dog uses to fish it out.
Of course, one attempt doesn’t prove much, so the best way is to repeat the test several times and see whether the same paw keeps winning.

Dogs Walk on Their Toes
And whichever paw your dog prefers, there’s an interesting fact about the way they use all four of them, because dogs actually walk on their toes.
Humans are plantigrade, meaning we walk with our whole foot on the ground. But dogs are digitigrade — their heels stay raised, and their weight is supported mainly by their toes.
It’s basically as if you spent your entire life walking around on the balls of your feet.
This leg structure helps dogs move quickly and efficiently — but it also means that every step, sprint and jump puts a lot of force through a relatively small area.
And that’s where those thick paw pads become extremely important.

Built-In Shock Absorbers
The digital pads under each toe, together with the larger central pad, act like built-in shock absorbers. They cushion the impact every time your dog walks, runs, jumps, or lands, helping protect the bones and joints higher up the leg.
Underneath that tough outer surface is a layer of fatty tissue that helps absorb and distribute some of those forces.
So in a way, your dog is walking around with its own pair of biological running shoes.
But cushioning isn’t the only job these pads have — because they can also do something you probably wouldn’t expect from a dog.

Dogs Sweat Through Their Paws
They can sweat.
Yes, dogs actually sweat — just not quite like we do.
They have sweat glands in their paw pads, which can release moisture when they’re hot or even stressed. That’s why you might occasionally notice damp paw prints on the floor out of nowhere.
And interestingly – paw pads are the only place on the whole dog which can actually sweat!
But sweating through four small paws isn’t nearly enough to cool the whole body, so dogs still rely mainly on panting to get rid of excess heat.
So now you know that dog paws can release moisture – but did you know they can also release scent?

Secret Scent Messages
Dogs have scent-producing glands around their paws, and when they scratch the ground after peeing or pooping, they may be doing more than just kicking up grass.
The scratching can help spread their scent onto the ground while also leaving a visible mark behind.
So when your dog starts furiously scraping the grass after doing their business, they may actually be leaving a kind of signature for other dogs.
And from scent-marking paws, we move to another strange feature almost every dog has — webbing between the toes.

Your Dog Has Webbed Feet
All dogs have some connective skin between their toes, but in certain breeds it’s much more pronounced.
Dogs like Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, and Portuguese Water Dogs have especially noticeable webbing, which helps their paws push against more water with each stroke.
It’s basically the same principle as wearing swim fins.
But webbing isn’t the only way paw shape can help a dog move through difficult terrain.

Built-In Snowshoes
Sometimes, simply having enormous paws can be an advantage.
Cold-climate breeds like the Newfoundland and Saint Bernard have large, broad feet that spread their weight over a bigger surface area.
That makes it easier to move across snow without sinking as deeply — almost like wearing a natural pair of snowshoes.
And paw size isn’t the only thing that varies between breeds.

Cat Feet vs. Hare Feet
Even the basic shape of a dog’s foot can be completely different — so different, in fact, that breeders actually describe them as cat feet and hare feet.
Dogs with cat feet have short, compact, rounded paws with tightly grouped toes. Breeds like the Akita, Doberman, and Giant Schnauzer are known for this type of foot.
Hare feet are almost the opposite. They’re longer and more elongated, with the two middle toes extending farther forward. You can see this shape in breeds like Greyhounds, Borzois, and Samoyeds.
And when you put the compact cat feet of a Doberman next to the long hare feet of a Greyhound, they almost look like they belong to two completely different animals.
But all paw shapes have on thing in common.

The Frito Feet Mystery
They can smell like corn chips.
Dog owners even have a name for it: “Frito feet.”
The smell comes from the normal community of microorganisms living on your dog’s skin. Bacteria — especially types such as Pseudomonas and Proteus — and possibly yeast can produce that distinctive corn-chip-like odor.
And paws are the perfect place for them. They’re warm, they can stay moist between the toes, and as we already learned, dogs even sweat through their paw pads.
A mild Frito smell is usually completely normal. But if the smell suddenly becomes much stronger, especially together with redness, itching, swelling, or constant licking, it can be a sign that something is wrong.
And while those warm paws are a great home for microbes, they also contain a surprisingly clever system for dealing with the exact opposite problem — extreme cold.

The Secret Heating System in Dog Paws
Inside a dog’s paw, small arteries carrying warm blood toward the pads run very close to veins carrying colder blood back toward the body.
This creates what’s called a counter-current heat exchanger. Some of the heat from the outgoing blood is transferred to the colder returning blood before it can be lost through the paws.
In other words, dogs can recycle some of their own body heat.
It doesn’t make their paws immune to frostbite or extreme temperatures, but it helps explain how dogs can spend surprisingly long periods walking and running on snow.
So far, we covered almost every part of the dogs paw - but there’s still one part of the paw we haven’t really talked about — the strange little extra toe sitting off to the side.

Dewclaws Aren’t Useless
The dewclaw.
It’s sometimes described as a useless leftover, but that isn’t really true — especially on the front legs.
Front dewclaws are usually connected by bone, tendons, and muscles, and dogs can use them to help grip objects like bones and toys. They can also provide extra stability and traction during fast turns or when climbing over uneven terrain.
And some breeds take dewclaws even further.
Great Pyrenees, Beaucerons, Briards, and several other breeds can have double dewclaws on their rear legs. In working breeds developed for mountains and rough terrain, these extra toes are thought to have provided additional stability and grip — and in several breeds, they eventually became part of the breed standard.
But even double dewclaws start to look pretty normal when you see the paws of one very unusual dog breed.

​The Six-Toed Dog
The Norwegian Lundehund – which was developed to climb steep Norwegian cliffs while hunting puffins, and its paws are unlike those of almost any other dog.
Instead of the usual four weight-bearing toes, Lundehunds have at least six toes on each foot — and several of those extra toes are fully functional, with their own joints, muscles, and tendons.
Together with their unusually flexible body, those extra toes helped them grip narrow ledges and climb across rough, rocky terrain.
And believe it or not, the paws aren’t even the strangest thing about this breed. But this goes far beyond our todays topic – the paws.

 When a dog licks your face, you probably read it the same way everyone does.
A kiss.
A sign of love.
But what if that interpretation is wrong?
Because licking isn’t a human behavior at all.



Long before dogs lived with humans, licking already existed.
Wolf and wild dog pups lick their mother’s face to stimulate regurgitation.
It’s how food is requested.
It’s how needs are communicated.
Domestic puppies do the same.
They lick their mother’s muzzle when they’re hungry or seeking contact.
That behavior doesn’t disappear.
It changes — and that change explains a lot of what dogs do to us today.
When puppies lick humans and receive attention — laughter, petting, eye contact --
they learn something important:
licking works




 When dogs lick faces — human or canine --
it’s often a non-threatening social signal.
It communicates:

• friendliness
  
• appeasement
  
• reduced tension
  

In dog-to-dog interaction, face licking says:
I mean no harm.
With humans, it plays a similar role --
especially when the dog is excited, unsure, or navigating social closeness.
This is where many people misread what’s happening.
Because labeling licking purely as “love” skips the first step.
Affection may follow — but the signal comes first.




 Dogs don’t separate positive and negative attention the way humans do. Or better to say, most of them will accept almost any attention as a reward in the moment.
So if licking makes you:
• laugh
• talk
• react
• gently push them away
• or simply say their name
it still counts as engagement.
That’s why licking often becomes persistent.
Not because the dog is “obsessed,”
but because the behavior has been reinforced over time.
In simple terms:
attention keeps licking alive.



 Licking isn’t only outward communication.
Sometimes, it’s something else entirely.
For some dogs, licking releases endorphins.
It helps them calm themselves.
That’s why anxious or overstimulated dogs may lick:

• people
  
• themselves
  
• objects
  
• specific textures
  

This kind of licking looks different.
It’s slower.
More focused.
And harder to interrupt.
When you see this, the dog isn’t seeking affection or attention from you.
You’re watching a dog soothe itself.



 This is the part most videos ignore.
Sometimes, licking is not invitation at all --
it’s a request for distance.
When licking becomes forceful — especially alongside:
• head turning
• stiff posture
• dilated pupils
• a tucked tail
it can signal discomfort rather than affection.
Behaviorists call this “kiss to dismiss.”
The dog is trying to resolve tension without escalation.
This is especially important around:

• children
  
• crowded spaces
  
• unfamiliar people
  

Ignoring these signals can lead to stress — or worse, conflict.



 And yes — taste and smell matter as well, because sometimes licking has nothing to do with emotion or affection at all.
Human skin is full of information.
Salt from sweat.
Food particles.
Tears.
Bacteria.
Hormones.
Dogs experience the world through scent and taste far more than sight.
So yes --
sometimes licking is about flavor.
For example my own dog will always lick my hands when they are sweaty. It’s a completely normal response to salt and scent.
But reducing licking only to taste misses the bigger picture.


So let’s come back to the original question.
Are dog licks kisses?
Not in the human sense.
Licking is not symbolic affection.
It’s not emotional translation.
It’s behavior.
Communication.
Regulation.
Sometimes affection is part of it.
Sometimes it isn’t.
And once you understand that difference,
the behavior becomes clearer --
and so does the relationship.

Chinese dog breeds are ancient, mysterious and unique. And a lot of them share one very distinctive appearance trait – and that is the blue-black tongue. The most famous Chinese breeds with blue-black tongue are definitely the Chow Chow and Shar-Pei, but the list does not end here. There is also, for example, the Laizhou Hong, Chongqing Dog, Formosan dog or Chuandog Hound. All these Chinese breeds must have, or at least, they have the chance to have the blue colored tongue.

But what is causing this uniquely colored tongue? Well, even the scientists do not have 100% proof about it, but there are some theories about it.

But before we will talk about the scientific theories, lets mention some old legends explaining this tongue coloration. You know, some of these dogs are extremely old, definitely one of the most ancient breeds we have today. And back than, people created some tales about their dogs tongues.

One of them says that when Buddha was creating the world, Chow Chows were allowed to lick up all the little pieces of blue sky that fell on the earth when the stars were set in their places, so they got their blue tongue from the sky.

Another tale is also linked with Buddhism. On a very cold day, a long time ago, a Buddhist monk became very ill. He was so ill that he was incapacitated and could not go out to get firewood to warm himself. The Chow Chows went out into the cold in search of firewood for the monk, but unfortunately all they could find were charred logs. When they were brought back to their mouths, the charring caused their tongues to turn this bluish-black color.

In reality, the coloration is caused by the presence of pigmented cells, similar to the same types of cells that determine the color of human skin. They share this trait with other animals as well, such as different lizzards, giraffes, several breeds of cattle or bears. And interestingly, the bear similarity might not be coincidental.

Some scientists belive, that all these Chinese dogs share ancestry with some very old and ancient dog type from China, that probably evolved from a so called Hemicyon, also known as dog-bear, an intermediate between bears and their canid ancestors.
​
Of course, it is practically impossible to scientifically support this idea as a fact, but it is not completely unrealistic neither.

BTW, Chinese dog breeds are not the only dog breeds that can have blue-black tongues. Labradors or Newfoundlands can also have blue or black spots on their tongues, but it is rather rare. But the Chinese breeds, notably the Chow Chow and Shar-Pei must have this blue-black tongue as it is part of their breed standard and it is viewed as a fault, if the tongue have different color.

Are dogs colorblind? Many people believe that dogs only see the world in black and white. Well, that is not true and dogs can really see colors, but they see the world differently than us, than humans. Today i will show you how do dogs see colors, what colors they can see, what is the reason for the difference in color vision and how can you use all these information to make your dogs life better.

Dogs are believed to see the world the way, as you can see in this picture (see in video above). So we could say, that they are colorblind from our perspective, but that does not mean they only see black, grey and white.

To understand why do dogs see the world they do, it is important to understand how we see the colors. People have three color receptors, called cones, that perceive the full range of the visible light spectrum. These color receptors enable to recognize blue, green and red color.

If a person is missing one color receptor, than he is called color blind. He still sees colors, but he will have a problem with some colors and shades and he might for example confuse pink with blue or yellow with green. This is exactly, i am colorblind, but i can see colors. But i have a problem to differentiate between similar shades and similar colors.

And just like color blind person, even dogs only have two color receptors, instead of three. This is the reason why they have problems to see red and green color and shades of these colors, such as pink, purple, and orange. Here you can see compared color spectrum of humans and dogs view.

On the other hand, dogs do not have any problems in seeing shades of blue, brown and yellow. And of course, they can also see black, white and grey.

So if you will be buying your dog a new toy, it is always better to choose blue or yellow toy, instead of red toy. It can also explains, why some dogs will go crazy when they see yellow tennis ball, but they are not so enthusiastic when they see red ball. They can also for example loose a red toy in grass more easily than the same toy in blue color. But of course, some dogs will go crazy for any kind of a ball.

But you do not need to be sad, that your dog is not enjoying the world in the same colors as you do. Keep in mind, that they might have slightly worse sight than you do, but they have much much better hearing and sense of smell, which makes up for the seeing. Andi can guarantee you, as a color blind person, the world is still looking great, even with less colors.

And dogs only have worse vision during the day. At night, they actually have much much better vision than we do. It is because dogs developed their senses as nocturnal hunters, to hunt at night. Thanks to that, they have larger lens and corneal surface and a reflective membrane that enhance the night vision.

So now you know how do dogs see the world. They are not completely colorblind, they just see the world in different spectrum of colors.

 One of the reasons why dogs are the most popular companion pets is their incredible loyalty and faithfulness to its owners and family. Some dogs are so loyal that they would protect their families even if it meant giving up their own lives. There are many stories about indivudal dogs who waited for their owners for years even after their human had passed away. There are not many other animals that are like that. 

1) Hachiko
Lets start with the symbol of dogs loyalty, the famous Japanese Akita named Hachiko! Most dog lovers heard about Hachikos loyalty. The popularity of the Hachiko story skyrocketed when his story was filmed. Hachiko used to wait on its owner at the end of each day at the train station. One day, its master died and did not return home. But Hachiko kept his routine and came back every day to the train station to see if his owner come back. He waited on his master for 10 years until his own death.

2) Greyfriars Bobby
Another dog that showed amazing loyalty even after its masters death if Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was a Skye Terrier that belonged to a night watchman John Gray. When John died and was burried, Bobby would go and spent every night at his masters grave. He was doing it for 14 years until his own death. Today, Bobby has a statue at the entrance to the Kirkyard, Scotland, near the graveyard.

3) Salty and Roselle
We all know about the Septbember 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. And as in all the tragedies, there are some heroic stories as well, and this story is about two service dogs who were in the World Trade Centre during the attacks with their blind owners.
Salty was even released by its owner to go and save herself. But she returned and helped its owner to slowly go downstairs from the 71st floor and saved her life. Roselle was on 78th floor when the attack started. She led her owner and 30 other people down 1,463 steps out of the tower. After descending over half the distance, they passed the firemen who were heading up. Both, Salty and Roselle are true heroes who showed incredible loyalty!

4) Kostya
Another incredibly loyal German Shepherd is Kostya from Russia. Kostya was the only survivor of a car crash where her owners sadly died. After some time, people started to notice a stray German Shepherd on the same street and same spot, just where the car accident happened. People tried to adopt Kostya, to rescue her, give her home, but she always refused. She did not want to leave the spot, where she saw her owners for the last time. She was kept going to the same spot for 7 years, until her own death.

5) Bobbie, the Wonder dog
Lets mention one story with happy ending. The story of Bobbie, the Collie mix, also known as the Wonder dog is fairly popular. It is a story of a dog and its family, who went on a road trip from Oregon to Indiana to visit its relatives. In Indiana, Bobbie was attacked by group of other dogs, ran away and get lost. The family tried to find Bobbie for several days before leaving, but they were not succesful.
What a surprise it was, when Bobbie showed six months later in Oregon and returned to its family. He was mangy and dirty and his toenails worn down to nothing. He traveled for more than 4 500 km, which is 2 800 miles to reunite with its family. He traveled over wintry peaks, rivers and vast plains, but he made it!

6) Waghya
Dogs loyalty is famous all around the world and story of Waghya comes from India! Founder of Indias Maratha Empire was a big dog lover and he had a loyal dog by his side. The dog was known as Waghya. The legend say, that when the ruler died, the dog mourned and jumped into his owners funeral pyre. Whether if the story is true, or if it is only a legend, it shows that the dogs loyalty is truly valued all over the world.

7) Delta
The story of Delta is very old. Her body was found in the ashes of Pompeii. We do not know what breed she was, but it was some kind of a very large protection dog, possibly Roman war dog. She was wearing a silver collar with three heroic deeds engraved on the collar. She saved her owner Severinus from drowning in the sea, than she fought off attackers who were trying to rob him and she also protected Severinus from a wolf and saved his life for the third time.

8) Dżok
The story of Dżok is very sad and it is famous in its homeland, Poland. Dżok was a black mixed breed whose owner suffer a heartattack and died in Krakow on a roundabout. Dżok was waiting his master on this exact spot and in the area close to the roundabout for one year. He was fed by locals, who loved him. One year after waiting on his master, Dżok was adopted by older woman, but not long after the adoption, she died as well. Dzok run away loitering around the railway area and tragically died under the wheels of a moving train.

9) Gelert
Gelert is a legendary Welsh dog who has a grave in a city of Beddgelert. Gelerts story is written on the tombstone and it literally reads the following: "In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, ‘The Faithful Hound’, who was unaccountably absent. On Llewelyn’s return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son and saw the infant’s cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound’s side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog’s dying yell was answered by a child’s cry. Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here”.

10) Canelo
This story is from Spain. Canelo accompanied his master wherever he went. He often times went to hopsital with its owner as well. Canelo used to wait outside the hopsital for its masters return. One day his master died in the hospital due to medical complications. Canelo patiently waited for its masters return. Not for days, not for weeks or months but for 12 years. Canelo story has a sad ending, because after 12 years of waiting, Canelo was hit by a car infront the hospital and died as well.

11) Baekgu
Baekgu is a Korean Jindo dog. Jindo dogs are known for their extreme loyalty and homing instict. Baekgu was a dog of 83 years old woman. Baekgu was sold to a new owner to another city located 300 km away. But Baekgu wanted to return to her original owner, escaped and found a way back home. The story is well known in Korea and there are documentaries and cartoon stories about Baekgu.

12) Fido
Adopted dogs are often times the most loyal and Fido is a perfect example. He was adopted as injured puppy by Italian man named Carlo Soriani. He took care of Fido, give him shelter and food and Fido loved him for his kindness. Fido used to accompany his master to a bus station, from where he went to factory where he worked. Fido would wait at the bus stop every day until Carlos return. It is important to say, that this happened during the Second World War and when allies bombed Italy, they also bombed the factory where Carlo worked. Carlo died during this bombing, but Fido did not know that and waited for his masters return. He waited day after day his whole life for 14 years.