2016 most commonly-asked dog questions, according to Google

Was Goofy a dog?

Words by Alex Heigl 

Are you a dog? Do you own a dog? Is it 2016? If the answer to any of those questions is 'yes,' then we have a pertinent list for you.

Google has provided us with the top 10 dog questions people searched for in 2016, and the results may surprise you. (Much like the most popular dog names of the year.) 

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1. How long are dogs pregnant?

Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days, or sightly over two months. Each trimester is about 21 days long.

2. Was Goofy a dog?

Goofy debuted in Disney cartoons in 1932, making his first appearance as Dippy Dawg. So, clever misspelling aside, it appears as though, yes, Goofy is a dog. Or at least was intended to be an anthropomorphic dog. Strangely enough, in one short, Goofy Gymnastics, Goofy signs his name 'James Boyd,' apparently a reference to an animator working on the show.

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3. Why does my dog lick me?

Any number of reasons, really: It might be sensory-related (you smell good or you’re wet or sweaty), or your dog wants to show affection. The former is typically the reason a dog is going to lick anything, but in some cases, fixating their licking on a certain spot — or if the behaviour is tied to another stimulus, like say, the doorbell ringing — means a dog is anxious or worried.

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4. How can you tell how old a dog is?

Oh, this is a simple one: You just flip them over and count the rings on their — no? Oh, I was wrong. Also, the whole 'seven dog years equals one human year' isn’t quite accurate: By the time a dog of any size has been around for one human year, it’s the equivalent of about 15 in people years. A dog’s size will typically determine its lifespan, but the differences don’t really begin to make themselves apparent until six or seven years. At 6 years old, a small dog will be the equivalent of 40 human years, while a larger breed will be 45 human years young.

5. What happens when a dog eats chocolate?

Well, the actively dangerous compound in chocolate for your pet is theobromine, which is kind of like caffeine: It’s used medicinally as a diuretic, heart stimulant, blood vessel dilator and a muscle relaxant. The amount of theobromine in a given type of chocolate differs by dark and roast: White chocolate contains very little theobromine (but would likely make your dog sick from all the milk and sugar anyway), while cooking and baking chocolate or high faulty dark chocolate is the worst. For a medium-size dog of about 50 pounds, one ounce of baker’s chocolate or eight ounces of milk chocolate is enough to show signs of chocolate poisoning.

6. How to get rid of skunk smell on dog?

How to, indeed? For something made in a skunk’s butt, the chemical composition of skunk spray is shockingly complex. It contains up to seven volatile compounds called thiols or thioacetates, which means they bind hard and fast to skin. Also thioacetates revert back to thiols when they’re introduced to water, which, in effect, is why water makes skunk stink worse — by wetting it, you’re making more of the stink molecules. So buy a commercial de-skunking spray, or if worse comes to worst, combine 3-4 parts hydrogen peroxide to one part of baking soda with a teaspoon of dish detergent, and apply that to the affected area, bing especially careful near the eyes or mouth.

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7. How to stop a dog from barking?

There are so many ways. This is a basic tenet of dog training. The Humane Society of the United States has outlined a few methods: Remove the motivation; ignore the barking; desensitise the dog to the stimulus; teach your dog the 'quiet' command; teach your dog an incompatible behaviour, such as lying down on his bed; keep your dog tired.

8. Can you put Neosporin on a dog?

Some sources say yes, others say no — your dog may end up licking and consuming the ointment more so than allowing it to help heal the wound. Here are some other recommendations, just to play it safe. That said, if the cut is on the top of the dog’s head (out of reach) and only a superficial abrasion, Neosporin may be fine. Consult your veterinarian.

9. How to get rid of fleas on my dog? 

Again, there are a lot of ways to get rid of fleas, ranging from natural to less natural.

10. How much benadryl can I give my dog?

Benadryl is fine to give your dog — 1 mg per pound of body weight, 2-3 times a day — though it can complicate the health of a pet with glaucoma, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease. (Also do not use the kind of liquid product that contains xylitol, which is toxic for dogs.)

 From the editors of People