29 Apr5 Superpowers That You Didn’t Know Your Dog Has

We all know that every dog is his own special snowflake, but they're pretty special as an entire species as well.  In fact, compared to human abilities, some of their skills seem like superpowers. Below are just a few areas where dogs are particularly incredible.

5. Predicting the Weather

We often hear of animals who warn us of oncoming storms, earthquakes and tsunamis.  Dogs are no exception to this phenomenon, with their ability to sense changes in atmospheric pressure.  They may also detect static buildup prior to lightning, and can smell the formation of ozone that precedes rain.

You may notice your dog’s weather-predicting ability particularly if he or she has a phobia of thunder, since the pressure of the atmosphere can drop several hours or even days before an impending storm.  If your storm-phobic pooch starts acting up or showing typical signs of anxiety for no clear reason (this could include drooling, pacing, whining, cowering, and hiding), check the weather forecast. It may be that your dog has sensed a thunderstorm coming in the near future.
 

4.  Eyes in the Back of their Head

While vision is our primary sense, to dogs seeing is far less important than hearing and smelling.  Our sight is more accurate and colorful than that of dogs, but our four-legged counterparts do have a couple advantages over us.  First of all, they can see in the dark—about five times better than we can.

Perhaps even more surprising is that dogs have a much larger field of vision.  While humans can see just beyond the 180 degree view in front of us, dogs can see up to 270 degrees around themselves.  This is one reason why your bird-crazy dog notices that curbside pigeon before you do, or why an aggressive dog might react to another dog coming up from behind before his walker even has the chance to prepare herself—yet another reason why it’s always a good idea to take high-value treats on your walks to help regain your dog’s attention in surprising situations.
 

3.  Built-in GPS

Many a tale has been told of lost dogs traveling tens, hundreds, even thousands of miles to find their way home.  Though in reality most of these dogs are exceptions rather than the rule, it is possible that canids are gifted with a natural sense of direction.

While dogs use navigational techniques similar to humans such as paying attention to landmarks, new research suggests that they may have a built-in magnetic compass.  In an unusual study observing the behaviors of pooping dogs (!) scientists found that they were sensitive to variations in magnetic fields and preferred to follow a north-south pattern when…emptying.  That’s right—your pooping or peeing pooch can substitute for a compass when you’re lost; all you need to do is teach them how to eliminate on cue!  This built-in compass may explain why dogs are able to navigate long distances in varied terrain without even the help of a smart phone.  And perhaps it also explains how these sophisticated city dogs of Russia have taught themselves to use the subway.
 

2.  Superior Hearing

Ever notice how your dog cocks her head at the door before you’re even aware that there’s someone outside?  That’s because dogs’ hearing is about five times better than ours.  While the structure of humans’ and dogs' inner ears are somewhat similar, what distinguishes dogs’ hearing is their characteristic earflap, which contains 18 additional muscles. These muscles allow the dog to position their ears in order to hear sounds more accurately and from farther away. Dogs with upright ears generally have better hearing than dogs with longer, floppy ears.

Because a dog's sense of hearing is so much more acute and sensitive than ours, loud sounds (vacuum cleaners, anyone?) can be scary and even painful for them.  If you live in or near a noisy environment like a bustling city, or regularly use loud appliances in home, help your dog adjust by exposing her early on to these environments and noises as a puppy in a gradual, controlled manner.  Pair the experience with something positive like a tasty treat so that your pup can develop a positive association with these otherwise startling sounds.  For adult dogs, you may choose to avoid noisy blocks like construction sites and crowded streets to help minimize your dog’s stress.
 

1.  Noses that ‘See’

Photo via: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonbacon/2314750128/

It’s pretty common knowledge that dogs have an exceptional sense of smell—they have up to 300 million olfactory sensors compared to humans’ measly 6 million.  This amazing gift is why so many dogs are more employable than certain millennials you know, taking up jobs as drug and bomb sniffers and even IED detectors in war zones.  Nearly half of a dog’s brain is wired to process scent.

Here’s another way to understand this amazing talent, according to researcher James Walker of the Sensory Research Institute at Florida State University: “If you make an analogy to vision, what you and I can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away and still see as well.”  Pretty darn impressive. Indeed, it is almost as if dogs can ‘see’ through their noses. When they pick up another creature’s scent, they have the ability to determine its size, age, how long ago it was there, where it came from, where it went, and much more.  When your dog wants to stop and sniff on her walk, let her!  They might not be able to use the Internet, but they sure are addicted to pee-mail.