You might think you know a lot about dogs being a loving dog owner and all. There is actually quite a bit more than meets the eye when it comes to facts about your dog.

Here is a countdown of 25 top facts you may or may not know already:

25. His wild side: Even if dogs have been domesticated since approximately 33,000 years ago, their primal instincts remain active to this day. Some of these instincts include howling at the moon, pack dependency and even territory marking.

24. Dogs can read your face: Research shows that Dogs are the only animals in the animal kingdom that can read the emotions on your face much like humans. In other words dogs can tell at a glance if we are happy, angry or sad just by looking at our faces.

23. Dogs see in color: It’s a common misconception that dogs are completely color blind and can only see in black and white. The truth however is that a dog can see colors, just not as vivid or rich as we can.

22. Dogs are hotter than people..literally: Dogs have a higher body temperature than humans. The average body temperature of a dog is 101 to 103 degrees F. for this reason, fleas are attracted to your dog instead of you.

21. Your mutt and cancer: Cancer isn’t just a life threatening reality for humans; dogs can get cancer as well. Fifty percent of dogs over the age of 10 develop cancer at some point in their lives such as lymphoma, which is a tumor of the lymph nodes, mast cell tumors, which is a form of skin cancer, mammary gland tumors or breast cancer, and soft tissue sarcomas just to name a few.

20. Dr. Spot M.D.: A recent study conducted at the Schillerhöhe Hospital in Germany concluded that dogs have the incredible ability to recognize the scent of certain organic compounds in the human body, which are linked to the presence of lung cancer. This scientific breakthrough proves that canine companions may be instrumental in early detection of an otherwise traditionally hard to detect disease.

19. Dogs don’t like second hand smoke either: A number of studies have indicated that dogs face health risks when exposed to the toxins in secondhand smoke which include respiratory problems, allergies and even nasal and lung cancer.

18. It may not be Arthritis: Limping from a dog can be due to a host of things from a thorn stuck in their paw to arthritis. However, in some occasions, limping can also be a sign of bone cancer. So take any sign of limping seriously and visit your vet as soon as possible.

17. No chocolate please: It turns out that a chemical in chocolate called theobromine is toxic and can seriously, even fatally affect your dog if it ingests between 100 and 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

16. Show me that cute face: One study suggests that the longer and more pronounced a dog’s features are the longer he’ll be around. Conversely, dogs with flatter faces like bulldogs will have shorter lives.

15. Pain inducing thunderstorms: Thunderstorms have particular sound frequencies that can hurt dogs’ ears. The fear that your dog shows at the start of a thunderstorm may actually be a reaction to pain.

14. Sweaty paws: Unlike humans who sweat through theirs skin, dogs sweat through their paws. Check it out next time your dog seems to be hot.

13. Noseprint identity:Just as humans can be identified by their fingerprints, dogs can be identified by their nose prints because like human fingerprints a dogs nose print is unique to that dog.

12. Power sniff: Dogs have a powerful sense of smell. So powerful that it has been estimated to be one thousand times more sensitive than that of a human.

11. Dogs in a pack: Dogs are pack animals and view their human/owner as the leader.

10. Heirs and heiresses: In the United States, around 1 million dogs are primary beneficiaries of their owner’s will.

9. Insecurity: A frightened dog will put its tail between his legs because it cuts off the scent glands in its anal region which carry personal scents that identify the individual dogs. It’s almost as if the dog is hiding his Id card.

8. Jealousy: Studies show that indeed dogs can express jealousy. Dogs have the same hormone, oxytocin, which has been shown to be involved in both expressions of love and jealousy in experiments involving humans.

7. Sit, lie down, roll over and play dead. 150-250 words seem a lot for dogs to remember and respond to but studies show that their cognitive skills can be that sharp, in fact, as sharp as a 2 year old child. The smarter breeds can absorb as many as 250 words while the average mutts can understand around 150 words.

6. The olympic runner: Having the ability to reach speeds of up to 45 mph, the greyhound is the fastest dog in the world.

5. The mystery of the chase-the-tail madness:Ever wonder why your pup chases his tail? There’s actually a good reason to that seemingly pointless habit. The circular motion flattens tall grass in the wild and turns it into a cozy bed for them.

4. Biblical dog: The Greyhound is the only dog named by name in the Bible. The reference is found in Prov. 30:31.

3. Hiccups: Dogs, like humans, can get hiccups from eating or drinking too fast as they may swallow extra air. Sometimes feelings of anxiety, fear, stress and even excitement can also trigger hiccups for dogs.

2. Guiltless: Regardless of how it appears, your dog does not feel guilt. According to Barnard College researcher Alexandra Horowitz, the “guilty look” your dog gives you has more to do with your perception than his intention.

1. Blood pressure lowering affection:Research shows that by petting a dog you help lower your blood pressure.