Sixth Sense

[dogfan]

First off, forgive me if there has already been another topic about this recently

Reading a book last night had me thinking - do you think dogs have a 'sixth' sense? For an example, say you were walking your dog in a park and you were about to walk under a tree when the dog starts whining, pulling away from you etc and the tree snaps and falls over, right where you were about to walk. Is this a sixth sense, or do you think the dog has used its other senses?

This is my first poll so I hope it works Interested to see your thoughts on this

[tdierikx]

I had a Rotti girl who could tell if someone was seriously sick - even when the person didn't know it.

Example:-

Had an old friend named Jonny. Bloss (dog) loved Jonny like he was the only guy in the universe. One day Jonny came over and Bloss took one look at him and started whining and backing away - every time he came near her. Two days later Jonny had a massive heart attack and required quintuple bypass surgery. Six weeks after Jonny's surgery, Bloss was all over him like a rash again...

She knew...

T.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Do you think dogs have supernatural powers? - no.

There are times I wish I could communicate telepathically with my dog, life could be so much easier for both of us.

Do I think dog can sense things that I can't - yes.

Can I sense things the dog can't - yes.

Dogs have been used to find termintes, cancer, drugs... all these things have a distinctive smell.

And my dog is very good at reading other dogs, but sometimes she chooses to invite play when all I can see is trouble and I'm usually right not her.

I can also see and recognise things from further away than she can, but I don't know if this is because I have a height advantage. I usually spot things like horses, possums, cats, etc before she does. But sometimes she spots them when I haven't. Sometimes she's just getting all excited about where they've been. It can be hard to tell the difference.

She is a crap pick pocket. I always know when she's trying that trick.

[dogfan]

Thanks guys That's really interesting about Bloss, T!

[Christina]

Yes I believe some dogs do have a sixth sense.

I also believe some dogs have no sense

[Dogsrawesome]

Yes I believe some dogs do have a sixth sense.

I also believe some dogs have no sense

sorry that made me laugh

personally i just think they sense certain things by smell etc that we humans cant pick up on.

[Greytmate]

Their sense of smell is very powerful, they can smell and taste things that we cannot, and smell differences in what we cannot distinguish. Their hearing is powerful and has a much higher range than human hearing. Their eye sight lacks colour and range but has better movement detection than humans do. They sometimes cannot distinguish differences in what they feel by touch as much as humans can.

They do not have sonar like bats do. I don't think dogs have a sixth sense, but if anyone can identify a sixth sensory organ in dogs, it would be interesting to know about.

[jacqui835]

I have learned the hard way that I can't lie to my dog. He knows how I'm feeling - whether I mean something or not, whether I'm scared, sad, happy, sick etc and I can't seem to fool him. There are moments when we almost share some sort of telepathy. He just watches me very closely, and he can read me so well so that he knows what I'm about to do. It's cool because it makes me feel like we're a team, but it's also annoying because sometimes, if I'm feeling a bit down, I can't control him as well as usual - he behaves perfectly when I'm in a good mood and feeling confident.

[sandgrubber]

Dogs sense temperature (as, eg., do ticks, many snakes . . . and many many other animals). That brings the count to six. But the impression of sixth sense owes more to extremely keen smell and hearing, and relatively poor sight . . . and a brain that assembles information differently than human brains do.

Edited June 10, 2011 by sandgrubber

[GeckoTree]

Yes. Example, my dog knows where I am at a point of 1.4 km away, she reacts and waits at the door for me, this has been verified by 4 different people.

PS I don't have BO or wear heavy deodorant.

[Oscar (AmBull)]

Oscar seems to have a sixth sense for illness in people, I had a relative who had severe brain cancer and actually died within 6 months of diagnoses and he was only in his 40's. Oscar is a social butterfly who does not ever stick to one person, not even to us. However he stuck to this person like glue, sat with him and generally just let the person do what they wanted to him, which is unlike him. He usually doesn't like to be patted on the head.

I also have an Auntie (my nanna's sister) who has had several strokes and is generally very unwell but they cannot diagnose a specific problem. He is absolutely in love with her, sits up right next to her and generally behaves very different around her for some unknown reason.

I also have a cousin who we often look after, she can't walk, talk, feed herself, he really likes her, I often find him pacing up the hallway just to check on her and have found him to have pushed open the door (which he shouldn't) and be lying on the bed next to her, both sound asleep. I now put a chair at the door so he doesn't get it.

He is a dog that is very set in his ways, what he likes and doesn't like, however he is completely different around people who are ill. He is not a very GENTLE dog, as most staffies aren't, however if someone is ill his behaviour changes and he is the most gentle dog on the earth. I can't put my finger on it and have never seen anything like it before, all I can put it down to is he has a sixth sense.

Bit long winded but I am stumped by his behaviour.

[Law]

My dog always knows when I am going to take her for a walk. As soon as the thought pops into my head, even before I have started getting changed into runners etc its freaky!

ETA I don't think dogs have a sixth sense. I think they have heightened senses compared to us which might sometimes seem like sixth sense but can probably be explained by science

Edited June 11, 2011 by Law

[Greytmate]

Dogs can smell illness and many other physical abnormalities.

It isn't a sixth sense, it is a super-sense of smell. One million times better than humans can detect scent.

They are also extremely adept at reading their owner's body language, but humans would develop that skill as well if they only had the limited vocal range that dogs do, and had to use non-verbal communication like dogs do.

[WoofnHoof]

There are often a million things going on that we aren't aware of, our brains are designed in such a way as to block out much of the 'noise' this is useful because people whose brains don't have this automatic filtering system (such as autistic people and those with sensory perception problems) can have a terrible time trying to function in a world that is assaulting them with sights, sounds, smells etc that the brain is not designed to deal with.

Luckily for dogs their brains are designed to cope with the intensity of input that their senses are capable of perceiving, and many dogs are excellent at interpreting this wealth of information that is too subtle for most humans to perceive. When you make a decision in your mind your behaviour changes even if you don't realize it, and since dogs are very good at observing and interpreting human behaviour they then react accordingly.

Temple Grandin talks about 'animal geniuses' which she refers to as individual animals who have a higher than average ability to interpret the information they have and use it in novel ways, it's a fascinating concept and dogs are the most amazing animals of all when it comes to bridging the communication gaps between them and humans.

It's not extra sensory perception so much as heightened sensory perception and brilliant information processing capabilities that many dogs possess.

[twodoggies2001]

I seriously believe dogs have a 6th sense. My mum, who has since passed away with terminal cancer always loved my dogs and they loved her too. When I went to visit with my younger boy, one day, she wanted to pet him he fiercely resisted and wouldn't go anywhere near her. Soon after she passed away. I always felt he knew.