You probably already know this, but your dog is a remarkable creature with some pretty unbelievable gifts and talents. Yes, dogs are super intelligent and absolutely gifted at manipulating humans into playing, petting, and providing snacks with just one deep, soulful look. But those aren’t the fantastic wonderous talents we mean.
But, along with their intelligence and other talents, dogs also do have a mysterious side – unexplained abilities that lead us to believe they have access to realms that we don’t.
Content:
- Do Dogs See Ghosts?
- Dog Sixth Sense
- Can Dogs See What We Can’t?
- Other Mysterious And Extraordinary Dog Powers
- Conclusion
Do Dogs See Ghosts?
Ever walked into a room and found your dog staring wide-eyed at…well, nothing? Or maybe there’s a specific area in your house that your dog simply refuses to set foot in? Has your dog ever started barking for apparently no reason?
Read more: How to Understand Dog's Body Language
Any of these things could make you believe your dog can see things you can’t. Ghost, perhaps?
You’re certainly not the first person ever to wonder if your dog has a connection to the paranormal. Throughout history, there have been beliefs that there is, in fact, a link between dogs and the spirit world.
Some ancient peoples would even bury dogs with their dead to ensure that the souls of the deceased would be protected from evil spirits and guided safely into the afterlife.
But whether dogs can see ghosts around us, there’s simply no scientific evidence. While dogs’ behavior would undoubtedly point to this, there isn’t any accurate scientific way to prove it.
Dog Sixth Sense
A sixth sense? Cue eerie music and a dramatic drop in temperature, making breath visible
…No, dogs can’t see dead people. But they do have some kind of sixth sense in addition to their sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. This other sense possibly refers to their gut or intuition.
Dogs trust their instinct – if something doesn’t feel right, they don’t do it. If someplace feels a little off, they don’t go there. Humans also have instincts, but we tend to overthink ours, flat ignore them, or rationalize them away. Dogs trust themselves and their instincts implicitly.
There is also a theory that believes that dogs can detect magnetic fields. Paranormal specialists will say that this is how dogs can see ghosts – they supposedly feel the changes or disturbances in the magnetic fields. Again, there’s no scientific way to prove this conclusively.
But perhaps the sixth sense is not so much an additional sense isn’t an extra sense but a combination of the five main ones.
Can Dogs See What We Can’t?
So, we can’t prove that dogs can see ghosts, but can we prove that they can sense something that we can’t? The short answer? Yes. But it’s probably not in the way you’d think.
According to research, a dog’s hearing is hundreds of times better than our own. Dogs can hear higher-pitched noises from a great distance. Dog whistles are almost soundless to humans, but your dog hears that loud and clear – it’s simply at a range that our ears can’t detect. Humans cannot hear sounds above 20 000 Hertz, while dogs, on the other hand, can hear sounds as high as 64 000 Hertz.
When it comes to seeing, dogs can see much better than we can in low-light conditions. Think dusk, twilight, and dawn. Dogs are also better equipped at spotting movement and motion.
The most powerful sense a dog has is arguably its sense of smell. A dog’s nose has up to 300 million olfactory receptors. Compare that to our own measly 6 million, and you can see why dogs are always pointing that thing in all sorts of places. Dogs even have a portion of their brain dedicated to analyzing smells that is 40 times the size of our own.
Where are we going with this? Well, when you combine superior hearing, sharper eyesight, and a nose like a…well…. bloodhound, that’s a bunch of sensory information about the world around you that your human simply knows nothing about.
So, yes. Your dog can see things that you can’t. They can also hear and smell them. And when they put all that data together, they have a clearer view of their immediate surroundings than you or I could even fathom.
Other Mysterious And Extraordinary Dog Powers
Your dog is fantastic. But you knew that already, right?! Can your dog see ghosts? Maybe. We can’t say for sure. But we can tell you that your dog has other incredible abilities that will blow your mind.
Dogs have been known to detect diseases in humans
A dog’s nose is so sensitive it can even detect illness in humans. Some dogs may need a little training to hone those skills, but the ability is there.
Seizure-alert dogs are specially trained to alert their owners to an impending epileptic seizure. This gives the person enough time to find a get somewhere safe and alert family and friends to help.
These amazing doggos are also trained to retrieve medication, help brace and balance their handler for stability after a seizure, and even provide deep pressure therapy.
Dogs can also alert their diabetic owner to changes in their blood sugar. These dogs are specially trained to ensure their human knows when their sugar is reaching dangerous levels so they can take the necessary measures quickly.
Dogs can also sense biological changes within the body that can result in cancer and have been known to alert their humans or draw their attention to a limb or body part that needs attention.
First response? Your dog
Dogs have been known to sense when a woman is pregnant. It’s a little blurry as to how far the pregnancy needs to be before a dog knows, but it’s not uncommon for dogs to be the first to know (even before the mother) that a baby is on the way.
Dogs can also sense a woman who is in labor and about to have a baby.
They can detect natural disasters like earthquakes
After any natural disaster, it doesn’t take long before the stories begin to surface of people who were forewarned of the impending danger of their dog’s unusual behavior.
It’s not quite Lassie guiding folks to Timmy in the well, but dogs tend to behave a little strangely before something big happens. The theories are varied. Some believe dogs can sense chemical changes in the groundwater before an earthquake; others think it’s the low-frequency rumbles that the dogs can hear.
Whatever the exact reason is, if your dog starts behaving suspiciously, maybe turn on the news to be sure.
Mystical stress-busting powers
Feeling stressed? Pet your dog! Doggie cuddles can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and help your body to release relaxation hormones. Having a dog is literally good for your health.
Studies have shown that pet owners are generally happier and more trusting.
The emotional support that canines can offer humans is also evident in their role as emotional support companions for the aged, aids to psychiatric therapy, and even supporting their handlers with autism.
Conclusion
We know we didn’t need to work too hard to convince you that dogs are incredible creatures with unique characteristics and abilities. If you’re a dog parent, you know already how special your canine companion is.
Can dogs see ghosts? Who knows. But, frankly, with all the other exceptional qualities they have and cool things they can do for the living, whether or not they can see the dead is maybe less important.