Original photo by Evrymmnt/ iStock
All dogs bark, from the deep bellow of a Great Dane to the shrill yap of a chihuahua. But there's one exception to this rule: The basenji breed is known as the “barkless dog,” though it’s not quite silent, either. Instead of barking, basenjis make a yodel-like noise called a “baroo,” which sounds more like a howl. This inability to bark is due to the unusual shape of a basenji’s larynx, aka voice box. Basenjis have narrower ventricles than other dogs, limiting the movement of their vocal cords and resulting in this sonic oddity.
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It's a factWhile spiked collars are largely used by today’s dog owners as a fashion statement, the ancient Greeks relied on them to keep their pooches safe. Those bygone collars were often made from metal or leather and had protruding spikes to deter wolves from biting a dog’s neck. They were primarily worn by farm dogs who protected flocks from wolves.
Basenjis’ lack of bark makes them useful hunting dogs in their native Central Africa, leading some researchers to theorize basenjis were selectively bred to sound this way. The lack of a loud and less conventional barking noise avoids scaring off prey, and the barooing means they sound more like a jackal or hyena than a hunting dog. While hunting, basenjis also sometimes jump up and down to catch sight of potential prey. In fact, in Swahili, the breed is called m’bwa m’kube m’bwa wamwitu, which translates to “dog that jumps up and down.”
In addition to the unusual vocalizations, basenjis have a few other unique distinctions compared to their fellow dog breeds. They’re known to be quite fastidious, regularly cleaning themselves — much like housecats — so they typically lack a potent doggy odor. Also, female basenjis only go into heat once per year, compared to other breeds that average twice annually.
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The most popular dog breed in the U.S. as of 2024 is the French bulldog.
The Norwegian Lundehund has six toes on each paw.
Dogs typically have 18 toes — five on each front paw and four on their hind paws. But the Norwegian Lundehund averages more than any other breed, with six toes on each paw for 24 in total. Their feet have four toes pointing forward and two that point inward, much like human thumbs.
Those additional toes aren’t just for aesthetics; they help lundehunds when puffin hunting, which is the purpose for which they were originally bred. Puffins — or lunde, as they’re known in the Norwegian language — are a major source of food for Norwegian farmers, who relied on lundehunds to help hunt the birds. Not only do the extra toes provide the dogs with traction when traversing slippery rocks, but they also help them to more efficiently burrow into tight passages in search of puffin nests.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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