Our Dogs World 101

Do Dogs Have A Sixth Sense?

Dog owners know that there’s more to those cute puppy dog eyes than just thinking about the next biscuit. Dogs are able to sense many things that humans cannot.

They seem to sense our moods, a storm approaching, or when we are coming home. Is there a sixth sense in dogs?

Many people believe that dogs have a sixth sense which humans don’t have. Is it possible?

In this post, you will discover some amazing things that your dogs can accomplish with these “superpowers”.

Dogs can’t see the future, even though they seem to have supernatural abilities.

Dog lovers should ensure that they have the best insurance to protect their dogs from the unexpected.

Sixth Sense Poster

Comparing Dog’s Senses to Ours

You are probably right in thinking that dogs are better than humans in many aspects.

It’s no wonder that police and rescue teams around the globe use dogs to find bombs, drugs and survivors of earthquakes.

Dogs use their extraordinary sense of smell to find their way. We rely on our sight for direction, but they can sense the difference. Do you know that dogs have more than 220 million scent receptors compared to our 5 million?

Our brains are 10x larger than dogs’, but the portion that is dedicated to analyzing smells is 40x smaller.

Champion sniffers like Bloodhounds have 300,000,000 scent receptors!

Face of the bloodhound while laying on the grass

Dogs have a four-fold advantage in hearing, which means that they can hear sounds from four times as far away as people.

Dogs can hear sounds at a higher frequency than we can, detecting noises up to 45,000 Hertz but we struggle with anything over 23,000 Hertz.

They are also able to sense the direction of sounds. They have up to 18 muscles in their ear which gives them incredible flexibility.

Our color perception, both near and far, is superior to that of dogs, but they see better in dim lighting.

Canines, who are naturally hunters, also see moving objects more clearly than we do.

Dogs have remarkable vision because their eyes are on the sides of the head. They have a visual field of around 240 degrees, compared to humans’ pitiful 180.

A brown and white dog with one blue eye and one brown eye staring.

However, these amazing senses can sometimes cause dogs to forget our commands while out walking.

Dog insurance is a great way to protect your dog from injuries and illnesses that may occur while out and about.

Since thousands of years ago when humans domesticated wolves, we have been aware of their amazing abilities.

Here are some amazing predictions they make and scientific explanations for them.

1. They Can Tell When A Storm Is Coming

Some of the cleverest ways dogs know when a storm is approaching are:

It’s nothing to our loyal friend. Their sensitive noses can detect rain and lightning, which they can smell.

Barometric pressure is also more important to dogs. Dogs can sense changes in the weather even while you are still wearing your boots! You should be aware that they may know more about walking than you realize.

2. They Are Capable of Detecting Earthquakes

People have believed since ancient times that animals can predict earthquakes.

Thucydides, a Greek historian, recorded descriptions of animals abandoning Helices in 373BC, just days before a devastating earthquake.

It is amazing to realize that no scientist can predict an earthquake with modern technology.

Although there are no clear explanations for this phenomenon, Psychology Today has a fascinating study that could help.

This suggests that they are able to hear underground geological movements before the earthquake.

3. They Will Know When You Are Going to Have a Child

It has been proven that dogs can detect when a woman is about to give birth. This is believed to be due to subtle changes in the scent and behavior of the human.

Cute white fluffy dog with a baby

4. They Can Alert You Before a Seizure Occurs

According to the BBC and some recent reports, dogs can detect Coronavirus infections as well. To test if this is true, trials are conducted at Durham University and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Medical Detection Dogs, a charity dedicated to detecting and preventing diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s, and malaria, has trained dogs to detect the smell of these infections.

They also hope to train dogs to recognize the Coronavirus.

These findings are based on charity research that showed dogs can detect small amounts (around 1 part per trillion – roughly the equivalent of one teaspoon sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools) of different smells.

If the trial goes well, the dogs can be used to quickly and effectively screen everyone, even those who don’t have symptoms.

It’s hard enough to worry about your pet’s health without worrying about the financial consequences. Purely Pets Dog Insurance takes out that worry so you can concentrate on your recovery.

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6. They Are a Great Judge For Character

Many of us have learned to trust our four-legged friends’ instincts about other people. There’s usually a reason they don’t like someone.

Why are they so adept at this? They are able to detect subtle hormonal changes and they spend a lot of time watching our attitude, behavior, and moods.

Even as puppies, they can pick up on a lot of non-verbal communication we may not be aware of. Scientists have found that dogs can read the body language of humans better than chimpanzees.

7. They Will Know When You Are Coming Home

Do you find your dog at the door every time you come home? Are you wondering if your dog has been at the door all day? They probably haven’t. Despite their extraordinary abilities, they don’t know how a clock works!

North Carolina State University says that dogs can recognize the sounds of your automobile engine and know when to go to your door.

Even if they don’t drive, their brain will recognize other triggers such as hearing the bus pass at the same time as your return.

Black & White picture of a dog looking out of a window

8. They Can Tell if You Had a Good or Bad Day.

They spend so much time with us that they are able to understand our moods, expressions and habits better than we do.

Now they can tell the difference between their owners’ facial expressions. If you greet your dog after a long day at work with a smile and a positive tone when you return home, it will be interpreted as a positive behavior.

If you are upset, your tone, facial expressions, and even smell will be a sign that something is wrong. These signals are picked up by your dog and he will react accordingly.

9. They Might See Ghosts

Although we would love to believe that dogs can sense the paranormal, we know that science is not able to prove it. It is possible, however, that dogs may pick up on things we don’t know.

German researchers have discovered that dogs are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic field in a similar manner as birds. But, it is still unclear how and why they do this.

These super sensory perceptions may be responsible for our dog’s unusual behavior. If the behavior continues, it is worth consulting a veterinarian.

Conclusion

According to Dr. Mary Burch, who is the director of the AKC Family Dog Program and also a certified animal behaviorist, while a lot can be confusing about a dog’s behavior, there are plenty of examples that may leave you wondering if the impossible is possible.

This could be a dog that stops and stands still at certain points in the house. The owner may later find out that the dog sensed something.

I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I did writing it.

Please feel free to leave your comments below and I will get back to you as soon as possible, you can also subscribe to Our Dogs World 101 so as you never miss another post and are kept up to date with everything we are doing.

As always, “May Your Home Be Filled With Love And Dog Hair”

Mark

Founder of Our Dogs World 101

6 thoughts on “Do Dogs Have A Sixth Sense?”

  1. I have also asked myself this question. And your post has been a very nice read. I didn’t know that the portion in our brain that is dedicated to analyzing smells is 40 times smaller the corresponding area in dogs. And I have always been impressed with their ability to listen to higher frequency. As a kid I always wondered how those whistles for dogs worked.

    Reply
  2. Mark, 

    I truly believe dogs have superpowers. After halfway through this article, I had to take a break and reflect, how do we humans even deserve dogs. Superheroes don’t even compare. Dogs are so unique and they truly are a blessing. They hac tell your emotions and are aways there to protect you. 

    I love your posts! Keep it up

    Reply
  3. Bro, I can attest to them recognizing a seizure incoming. There was one woman who I mingled with at a meet up. I swear to goodness, 20 seconds before the woman seized, the dog was barking at her and tugging at her. She knew to immediately make space and lay down to minimize the damage of the episode. I swear it was amazing how this dog was practically psychic with it! Is it due to chemicals or subtle sounds, I dunno. but Wow, i swear dogs have made some pact with wizards in antiquity for magic powers or something!

    Reply

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