The senses are a component of sensibility, but do not comprise the whole picture defining mental responsiveness and awareness. The average degree of sensing ability of a canine instinctually outranks human ability. Dogs, however, are also affected by the same maladies as humans, that can produce deficits in the senses, such as blindness, deafness and smell.
The are many instances where dogs have detected illness in their caretakers, directed by their sense of smell. One man shares life with a companion Golden Retriever, who alerted his "sensible" human, by incessantly licking his ear. A trip to the doctor brought early diagnosis that confirmed the man had a malignant tumor behind his ear. Dogs sense changes in the normal human odors associated with changes in health. Diabetes and lung or digestive diseases will cause a change in human breath that a canine will notice. Cadaver dogs are used by law enforcement and rescue endeavors, as they can pick up scent from an article of clothing, with few limitations related to distance or conditions.
Although, canine senses give healthy dogs great advantage in the realm of detection regarding scent, hearing and sight, they are limited in their ability to communicate what they notice. Interpretation of their awareness is at the discretion of humans that can take appropriate action by understanding what the animal is trying to relay.
The full scope of sensibility, which involves awareness and responsiveness, is a team effort attended by a caring, working,relationship between the man and the dog. Sensibility on a strictly "sensation" level is heightened in a dog, but it requires the sensibility of a human to take action on the instinctual advantages of canines.
