Most dog owners would bet their lives that their dogs can read their minds – that their furry friends can understand what they are thinking and feeling.  Further, it has long been accepted that a dog can read and respond to human body language and facial expressions.

When it comes to science, some experts claim dogs can actually read our minds, while others are skeptical and believe canines rely on their senses.

There is a lot of evidence that can support the second theory.  For instance, a dog’s sense of smell is 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more sensitive than a human’s.  Their incredible sense of smell allows them to detect a change in blood sugar or to smell cancer and chemical changes that precede an epileptic seizure.  Your dog can tell when you are nervous, because the scent of your perspiration changes.  They also hear a wider range of frequencies than humans and detect sounds at greater distances.  Some experts say dogs know we are coming home long before we enter our house because of their excellent sense of hearing.

Dog behavior expert Dr. Emily Blackwell conducted an experiment with Lily, a cocker spaniel that gets anxious when her owner is preparing to leave the house, but is calm when the owner is getting ready to take her for a walk.  Blackwell concluded that the dog becomes nervous when her owner is using an expensive lipstick because that means the owner is leaving the house without her.  On the other hand, when the owner puts on cheap lipstick, Lily is fine because she knows she’s going for a walk.

Whatever your opinion may be, it is certain that dogs are keen observers that notice things our senses aren’t capable of detecting.  The debate continues, but dog owners remain certain that their pets understand their emotions and actions.

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