Contrary to popular belief, the Canary Islands were not named for the canary bird but rather for the large dogs that lived on the islands. In Latin, the name of the island group was Canariae Insulae, which translates to Island of Dogs.

The most pet dogs -- being owned by almost one in three families -- are located in the U.S. and France.

The least amount of pet dogs -- just one for every ten families -- are located in Switzerland and Germany.

The Hawaiian island of Kauai has a beach called Barking Sands Beach. The name derives from the unusual sand that emits an eerie sound when rubbed against bare feet, sort of like a bark or, really, more like a squeak.