Name That Dog Part Trivia Quiz

A dog's nose has two functions and they are smelling and breathing. You might think the function of smelling is more important to the dog than actually breathing. Their sense of smell can be up to one hundred thousand times more sensitive than that of a human. The dog nose has two nostrils, separated by a septum. The very tip of the nose is called the rhinarium.

The tail of a dog is actually an extension of the spine and has bones. These vertebrae get smaller toward the tip of the tail. There are soft discs in between the vertebrae that allow for flexibility and their are muscles that allow for movement. The tail is used as a communication tool. If you have a dog you know, the happier the dog, the faster that tail wags!

The hindfoot or hind paw of a dog is made up of metatarsal bones. Most dogs have four of these on the back paw and five on the front paw. The fifth on the front is called a dewclaw and is located on the upper and inner part of the front paw.

The dog ear functions in the same way as a human ear in that it is responsible for hearing and for balance. There are three parts to the dog ear - the outer, middle and inner ear. The outer ear is covered by skin and fur and contains the ear canal. The middle ear includes the eardrum and the inner ear includes the actual organ of hearing, called the cochlea.

There are different types of dog ears. Cropped are surgically altered. Dropped ears hang down. Button ears have a little fold in them and pricked ears stand upright.

The back of the dog contains the vertebral column which is responsible for balance and movement, weight bearing, and protection of the spinal cord. The definition of the back starts at the shoulders and runs to the end of the rib cage.

The parts of a dog eye are the retina, lens, cornea, iris, pupil, and sclera. They have eyelids - an upper and lower and a third eyelid, called a nictitating membrane, that helps to protect to the eye. Dogs can have eyebrows as well.

The forearm runs down the front leg of the dog from the elbow and includes the ulna and radius bones. It leads down to the wrist. The front legs of a dog are typically smaller than the back legs.

The abdomen, or belly, of the dog is on the underside of the dog and runs from the end of the ribcage to the tail. Dogs typically produce much more acid than humans, allowing them to break down proteins and foods that might otherwise be tough to digest. They do have a belly button and it is typically small and flat.

The prosternum is the top of the sternum and is located at the top of the chest. The floor of the chest is made up of eight bones and the prosternum is the longest of these bones.

The thigh has two parts - the lower and upper thigh. The upper thigh is located on the hind leg above the knee and the lower thigh is located beneath the knee. The upper thigh is also called the femur while the lower thigh is comprised of the tibia and fibula.