Dogs aren’t called man’s best friend for nothing. With their penchant for cuddling and cheerful dispositions, dogs make amazing companions. As canines are studied more and more, people have begun to unearth other hidden dog talents from the cool to the bizarre. Check out our list of amazing things dogs can do:
Dogs Understand You Better Than You Think
While intelligence varies by breed, don’t be fooled: Your pooch is capable of understanding around 165 words and gestures. According to a study at the University of British Columbia in 2009, some dogs in the upper 20th percentile were able to understand as many 250 words and gestures.
Dogs Can Smell Your Illness
A dog’s sense of smell is much more powerful than a human’s, and this ability enables them to detect when certain compounds in your body are off kilter. Dogs have been known to detect several different ailments due to this ability, including cancer!
Dogs Can Sense Your Intentions & Emotions
When you have a rough day and your dog snuggles up to you, it’s not by coincidence. Dogs have an innate ability to sense human emotions including sadness, fear, happiness and anger. They are also able to tell your intentions. Many dogs have been known to endure situations that may be scary for them (like bathtime or getting their nails clipped) when they sense that their owners are doing what’s best for them.
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| Rescue dogs help a team searching for earthquake victims in Van, Turkey |
Dogs Can Rescue People & Other Animals
Between their natural disposition and heightened senses, dogs make excellent rescuers. Some dogs are specifically trained to aid in rescue missions after natural disasters because of their ability to sniff out humans in need. Dogs have also been known to save their owners from tragedy. When disabled or elderly dog owners are in trouble, dogs intuitively know to run and get help. There have even been documented cases of dogs dragging their owners to safety during fires or other instances where their owners are incapacitated.
Dogs Can Hear Amazingly Well
When they are born, puppies are actually deaf and can’t hear until they are 21 days old. However, a full grown dog’s sense of hearing is extremely powerful. They can hear frequencies that are undetectable to the human ear, due to their hearing range being twice that of a human. When dogs cock their head to the side, they’re actually triangulating the location of a sound.
Dogs Can Speak on Command
“Speak” is a common command that many dog owners use to make their dogs bark, but some dogs have shown an ability to mimic human sounds. Siberian huskies in particular have been documented saying shorter phrases like “I love you” and “how are you.” Still, they say them with their unmistakable dog accent. That might actually make it even cuter than it already is!
Dogs Navigate the World Through Smell
A dog’s sense of smell is the most developed of all of their senses, which is one of the most commonly known dog facts out there. But did you ever wonder why your pooch’s nose is damp? It’s actually helping them pick up scent particles. The part of their brain that controls smell is 40 times larger than in humans, and they generally have anywhere from 125 million to 300 million scent glands depending on the breed. Because of this extremely powerful sense of smell, they can often tell where you’ve been, what you ate recently and even detect your active pheromones.
