To state the obvious, dogs are some of the most incredible animals on earth.
According to The Atlantic, wild wolves first became domesticated into the types of dogs we know today anywhere from 30,000 to 10,000 years ago.
There is some discrepancy about whether wolves domesticated themselves by scavenging around hunter-gatherer villages for food, or whether people actively bred them to be more tame.
Either way, man's best friend was created and with them came a powerful bond that could not be broken over the centuries.
Today, dogs even have all kinds of important jobs in our communities. Guard dogs, service dogs, guide dogs, and even good ol' lap dogs all play a special role in our lives.
Part of the reason we have this mutually beneficial relationship with "man's best friend" is because they tend to have a sixth sense, or what is known as extrasensory perception (ESP).
Thumbnail Photo: US Air Force / Staff Sgt. Teresa M. Jennings
What Senses Does Your Dog Have?
Like us, dogs technically only have five senses that they use to navigate the world around them: smell, hearing, taste, touch, and sight.
Humans are most reliant on sight to get around, but dogs famously rely more on smell and hearing to know what's going on.
1. He Can Sense An Incoming Earthquake
A Greek historian once recorded dogs fleeing the city of Helice before an earthquake ravaged the city, according to Cesar's Way.
More recent and reliable information hypothesizes that dog's ability to sense an earthquake is due to their acute hearing.
Unlike us, dogs can hear the high-frequency sounds of rocks grinding and moving deep beneath the earth's surface, signaling a quake.
2. He Knows When A Storm Is Coming
Have you ever been able to smell rain before? It sounds weird, but there are times when you can kind of smell a storm coming.
Since dogs have a sense of smell 40 times greater than ours, it makes sense that they'd be able to smell a storm up to 40 times sooner, according to PBS.
They can also hear thunder much earlier than us thanks to their amazing and superior hearing.
3. He Knows When You're Going Into Labor
Usually a human mom will have a pretty good idea of when they're about to go into labor, but they're not the only ones!
The Dogington Post explains that, "Some people believe that dogs have a sixth sense, but in reality, they just have better senses when it comes to body language and emotional changes in a person."
Therefore, your dog might know you're about to go into labor even before you do, or before they can smell your water break.
4. He Can Detect Oncoming Seizures
Dogs are obviously great emotional support for people with medical conditions, but they can also help detect when someone is about to have an episode.
National Geographic News admits that although there is no agreed upon explanation for dogs that can detect seizures, they do exist.
In fact, seizure-detection dogs can alert their owners anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes before they seize.
5. He Can Detect Cancer
Another amazing condition that dogs can detect is cancer.
Cesar's Way explains that people first became aware that dogs might be able to sense cancer by owners reporting their dog displaying strange behavior right before the cancer diagnosis.
Since then, some dogs are trained to be able to sniff out the chemicals present in tumors.
6. He Can Sense Negative Energies
Chances are, you trust your dog's instincts no matter what. If they don't like a certain person, there must be a good reason why.
According do Dogizone, dogs are actually better at reading human body language than our close cousins, the chimpanzees.
Additionally, they can smell things like alcohol, drugs, and other dangerous materials that may be unusual to their environment and make them act up.
7. He Knows When You're Coming Home
Is your dog always by the door when you get home? Do you wonder if he has been there all day?
Luckily, this is probably not the case.
North Carolina State University explains that your dog knows to come to the door even before you're in your driveway because they can recognize the specific sound of your car engine.
If you don't drive, they will likely identify other triggers like hearing the neighbors who always come home right before you.
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