Dogs can detect subtle changes around them, whether in the environment, other animals, or people. These extraordinary perceptive capabilities greatly surpass humans. Dogs will know these 10 things before you do!
10. Impending Danger or Threats
When wolf-like dogs lived in the wild, they developed an instinct for detecting potential threats and dangers in their environment that dogs today still retain. Whether it’s unusual noises, changes in the atmosphere, or signs from other animals and people, these signals put dogs on high alert. If your dog exhibits signs of alertness or becomes vigilant – pay attention!
9. Approaching Storms or Natural Disasters
Long before it’s obvious, a dog has an innate sensitivity for detecting weather changes, especially storms and natural disasters, long before humans. Their acute hearing perceives the sound of thunder in the distance. Dogs also sense barometric pressure changes and electrostatic charge changes in the atmosphere. A dog may display anxiety, restlessness, or even shelter before a storm arrives.
8. Approaching Visitors
Long before someone approaches, your dog is likely aware. A dog’s acute sense of hearing and smell allows them to detect the presence of other people, animals, and things from a distance. This instinctual behavior developed from wolf-like dogs in the wild protecting their territory and pack. An alert or excited dog could signal the approach of someone or something.
7. The Mood of Other Animals
Dogs possess the ability to sense the emotional state of other animals. Whether it’s another pet in the household or another animal encountered during a walk, dogs detect the subtle clues indicative of aggression, fear, anxiety, joy, and more. This understanding cues dogs on how to interact with different species, and whether to trust or be on alert to defend.
6. Changes in Hormones or Pheromones
A dog’s sense of smell surpasses humans by 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger. Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors compared to around 6 million for humans. They can pick up on changes in hormones and pheromones in both humans and animals. Dogs can connect these biological signals with fear, anxiety, happiness, and even the menstrual cycle — and react accordingly.
5. Fear or Anxiety
Dogs are highly attuned to their owners’ emotions. Two of these are fear and anxiety, which they can also detect in other people. However, with their owners, they can perceive changes in body language, voice fluctuations, as well as the pheromones associated with stress. With this perception, a dog may become more protective, vigilant, or seek attention to offer comfort.
4. Your Emotional State
Dogs possess the extraordinary ability to sense human emotions. They’ll pick up on the subtlest changes in your mood and body language. Dogs can detect the pheromones the human body releases. Research suggests dogs understand and respond to human emotions. That explains why dogs try to cheer us up when they detect us feeling anxious or depressed.
3. Changes in Routine
Dogs are very attuned to and thrive on routine. Therefore, when a dog is accustomed to a regular schedule, it will pick up the slightest deviations in your daily routine. Due to these changes, the dog may exhibit restlessness, seek attention, or vocalize more than usual. All these are attempts by the dog to understand the new pattern.
Read More: 10 Rainy Day Activities for Dogs
2. Pregnancy
Perhaps the most uncanny canine ability of all might be that some dogs can sense pregnancy in their owners. Dogs pick up on the changes in hormones, pheromones, and subtle shifts in behavior. When an owner is pregnant, some dogs have become more protective, increasingly affectionate, and have exhibited unusual behavior around expectant mothers.
Read More: Strange Dog Behaviors and Warning Signs to Watch For
1. Health Issues
The most amazing ability dogs possess is detecting changes in a person’s health they may be unaware of. Studies have shown dogs can identify medical conditions such as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), certain types of cancer, and seizures. They detect metabolic changes through our breath and skin. Countless stories recant dogs alerting their owners to seek medical attention in time.
Read More: How Pets Bring Us Closer to Nature
