How do dogs know?

1. 92

   habeeposted 11 years ago

   I took Hamlet for a walk this morning, but we took a different route. It took us past my deceased aunt's house, where I spent much of my childhood. My aunt and uncle died years ago, and the house was sold to strangers long before Hamlet was born. When we got to the house, however, Hamlet tried his best to go up the drive. It was strange, as he's usually very well behaved on our walks. There was nothing visible to entice him, either - no dogs, no cats, no kids in the yard.
   
   I took Hammie home and put Grendel on the leash. We went on the same trek. Grendel stopped briefly in front of the house and looked at it, but he didn't react nearly as strongly as Hamlet did. The Basset hound had no reaction at all when I walked him past the house. Today's route took us by 40-50 houses, yet my aunt's was the only one that got a reaction from the Great Danes. How did the canines know? Were they somehow reading my emotions?
   
   Hammie did something similar when he was a pup. My mom was still alive and living in an assisted living facility. The first time I took Hammie there for pet therapy, all the residents were in the day room, sitting in a huge circle. Hammie had never "met" my mother before, but as I was holding him on leash in the center of the circle, he strained to get to her. How did he know she was family? Do members of the same family smell the same to dogs?

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   1. 87

      SimeyCposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I definitely think dogs react to your emotions - they always seem to know when you are down or ill - as the house meant something to you, you probably had a strong emotion to it which your dog sensed...

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      1. 92

         habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         That makes sense. Hamlet has always been very in tune with my feelings. I didn't react outwardly to the house, but maybe I did on the inside.

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   2. 46

      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      How could the presence of someone for over a decade ever be removed from an area? Impossible. Certainly scent would have permeated the house. A healthy dog's sense of smell would have no problem recognizing the distinct scent. Maybe not on a given day but over time, why wouldn't people with similar DNA smell the same?

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   3. 59

      francisassissiposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      My dog barks when he saw our house helper creeping somewhere. They read emotions.
      
      I believe theyy can trace same energy and smell of the same bloodlines, just like tracing female smell to get to make out with them.
      
      - just my personal observation

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2. 82

   moonlakeposted 11 years ago

   Dogs always know family. I have no idea how but they do.

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3. 75

   Reality Bytesposted 11 years ago

   Dogs can absolutely detect emotion.  I have a Chihuahua that does not think it proper for me to be depressed,  if I am, she reacts in a very unique way.  Same thing with anger, though I am not expressing it at the moment.  She gives me the ears back "you mad bro"  look every time.

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4. 84

   rebekahELLEposted 11 years ago

   Dogs are amazing!  They are so tuned in to vibrations and scents.  And they're so loyal. 
   I found an article the other day on my FB feed about a dog in Italy going to his deceased master's church every day.  It was on the Helped by Animals page which has great stories about animals.  Here's a link to the story on MSN. http://now.msn.com/ciccio-the-german-sh … owner-died

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