October 2025

• According to Forbes Advisor, 42% of American dog owners got their furry friends from a pet store and 38% got them from a shelter or animal rescue. Currently, the most popular breed is mixed breed, followed by Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers.

• There are 29 dogs for every 100 people in Hungary, 27 dogs for every 100 people in Portugal, and 21 dogs for every 100 people in Poland.

• If your dog licks its paws excessively, it could be a sign of an underlying health condition, according to Harry Chapman of DoDotPet.com. With the seasonal changes to the weather, chilly wet conditions can cause painful skin, inflamed paws, and digestive problems in dogs. Heated indoor environments can also dehydrate your dog's skin, causing their paws to become itchy. Chapman suggests using plasma supplements, washing and drying your dog’s paws, applying a protective paw balm to their pads, and trimming paw hair.

• Jimmy and Molly Kimmel have a dog named Todd Birkenstock Kimmel, a rescue dog they adopted from the Los Angeles branch of Wags & Walks. Todd is a Poodle mix, most likely a Cockapoo, Shih-poo, or Maltipoo.

• Researchers at Hungary's Eötvös Loránd University were able to train dogs to not only recognize toys by name, but also by their function. For example, if a toy was meant to be tugged, it was considered a Pull type, and if it was meant to be retrieved when thrown, it was considered a Fetch type.