Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about dogs, along comes a book packed with fascinating tidbits of insight and information.

    Do we need this? 

    Well, let me turn this around:  Who among us can resist dipping into some very cool trivia, data, and history about the pets we're so nuts about?

    There are many little goodies here.

    Read on for 10 irresistible takeaways from the new book, Spott's Canine Miscellany by Mike Darton (Abrams Image, April 2009) (and yes, this little tome is modeled after the Schott's Miscellany books):

                                                      Photo Courtesy: Abrams Books

    1.  About 70% of dog owners in the United States, when sending birthday or Christmas cards to friends and relatives, also sign the name of their dog.

    2.  In 2007, the average overall cost of owning a dog in the United States (living for an average of 11 years) was $13,350. [Knowing how much I shell out for my little pooch, this actually sounds low to me...]

    3.  About one million dogs in the U.S. are the primary beneficiaries of their owner's will.

    4.  About 21% of dogs snore. (Cats do so far less--only about 7% of them snore.)

    5.  Dogs can normally hear and pinpoint the source of a sound at about 4 times the maximum distance that an adult human can. (On the other hand, absolute silence makes a dog nervous.)

    6.  One third of all U.S. dog owners admit to leaving phone messages for their pet on their answering machines—or to actually talking to their dog over the phone.

    7.  Two dogs—a Pekingese and a Pomeranian—survived the sinking of the Titanic because they were lucky enough to find places with their owners in the very few lifeboats that left the ship early. (A third dog, a big Newfoundland, is rumored to have survived by swimming alongside another lifeboat.) [and see next item...]

    8.  The Newfoundland has webbed feet and a highly water-resistant coat, which is why it can swim extremely well. The basset hound has short, stumpy legs and very heavy bones:  It can't swim at all.

    9.  The 20 most popular names for female dogs in the U.S. in 2006:  Maggie, Molly, Lady, Sadie, Lucy, Daisy, Ginger, Abby, Sasha, Sandy, Dakota, Katie, Annie, Chelsea, Princess, Missy, Sophie, Bo [sound familiar?], Coco, and Tasha. 

  10.  The 20 most popular names for male dogs in the U.S. in 2006:  Max, Jake, Buddy, Bailey, Sam, Rocky, Buster, Casey, Cody, Duke, Charlie, Jack, Harley, Rusty, Toby, Murphy, Shelby, Sparky, Barney, and Winston.