We humans are generally good at assessing our environment and fellow humans, but when we take a look at the extraordinary abilities of our four-legged companions, we quickly seem like inattentive daydreamers. Dogs literally have superhuman senses and a whole bunch of “superpowers” from which we can benefit. Let’s take a closer look at seven of them.

1. Dogs Can Smell Diseases

Although dogs are smart, one wouldn’t typically attribute medical expertise to them. Nevertheless, they can be a great help in medical diagnoses. Our favorite four-legged companions seem to have a keen and very reliable sense for when a person is suffering from an illness, even when the person hasn’t noticed it yet. This remarkable talent has nothing to do with the supernatural but is based on very sensory abilities.

The dog’s excellent sense of smell allows it to perceive the specific odors of sweat, breath, blood, and excretions associated with many diseases. Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of this ability. Dogs were able to correctly identify 88 percent of women with breast cancer and even identified 99 percent of all lung cancer patients. They also showed high success rates in detecting colon and ovarian cancers.

Not only cancer patients but also diabetics and epileptics can benefit from the keen senses of specially trained assistance dogs, which can detect hypoglycemia or impending seizures early and initiate countermeasures quickly.

2. Dogs Warn You About Storms…

The idea that animals, including dogs, are sensitive to changes in weather is more than just a folk belief. Scientific experiments have shown that they can perceive approaching storms and oncoming thunderstorms long before humans.

They can do this primarily by sensing changes in air pressure. They also “measure” humidity and ozone concentration, effortlessly hear thunder from a distance before we would notice it, thanks to their powerful hearing.

So, if your furry friend becomes restless and “trembly” without any other explanation, you should be prepared for unpleasant weather.

3. … and Earthquakes

But dogs have something like a “sixth sense,” not only when it comes to the weather. As scientists from the Max Planck Institute found in a study involving dogs and other animals, they can actually sense an earthquake coming long before humans do.

This “earthquake sniffer” can manifest itself as much as twenty hours before the ground shakes and occurs earlier the closer the animal is to the epicenter. Researchers attribute this ability to the fact that the dog (or the animal) senses the ionization of the air through its fur, which can occur not only before storms but also before earthquakes.

Interestingly, this ability works much better in a social setting than with individual animals. So, if you have two or more dogs, your furry early warning system should work even better. Speaking of an “early warning system,” researchers even believe that this animal talent could contribute to the development of an earthquake early warning system.

4. Dogs Sense Emotions

You already know that dogs can detect diseases through your blood and sweat. However, they can also assess your moods and emotions in the same way. Hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, or dopamine serve as a good indicator for your four-legged friend to gauge your mood.

If you’re happy, your dog will likely seek your company. If you’re scared, their heart rate may increase, and they’ll intensify eye contact. If you’re angry, they might prefer to keep their distance. Especially during training with your dog, you should keep an eye on your own mood. Your furry friend cannot be fooled. Speaking of emotions, dogs also have a very complex emotional life. You can learn more about it in our article on the emotional life of dogs.

5. Dogs Recognize Untrustworthy People

Dogs notice when someone is unreliable. In a Japanese study, researchers found that dogs no longer obeyed commands from people who lied about the location of a supposed food source. These individuals were then considered unreliable and not trustworthy leaders. However, this ability to assess people is not limited to personal experiences.

In another experiment, dogs actively refused to help dog owners who had previously denied assistance with a specific problem. These dogs remembered the incident and refused treats from these “traitors.” So, if your dog doesn’t seem to like someone, pay attention – it might be a false friend.

6. Dogs Can Detect Explosives

Our four-legged friends are exceptional when it comes to explosive hormone mixtures and interpersonal dynamics, but they can also detect life-threatening bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance, saving many lives.

Notably, dogs have long been trained as bomb detection dogs and serve in roles such as police, military, and airport security. Their nose, which can be trained to recognize explosive chemicals, is instrumental in this.

Bomb detection dog training typically lasts 70 days and can theoretically be undertaken by almost any dog. Labrador Retrievers, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherds are among the most popular and effective breeds for this purpose.

7. Dogs Can Find Corpses

It may sound morbid, but our furry friends can also locate the bodies of deceased individuals. This includes not only under leaves, soil, and in the thickets of forests but also in water depths of more than fifteen meters. While this talent may seem grim, it is a great help for relatives and the police. Cadaver dogs are deployed in the United States and worldwide to assist in missing persons and homicide investigations.

This work is strenuous for the dogs, so the job is typically shared among several dogs. Medium-sized dogs with long snouts, such as German Shepherds, are usually selected for this task as they have a better sense of smell than their short-snouted counterparts.

Wow! It makes you want to put a fancy cape on your pet to thank them for their heroic efforts. You can express your gratitude by providing your dog with proper pet insurance, safeguarding both their health and your wallet. Additionally, with pet liability insurance, you won’t be stuck with the costs if your dog’s heroics get a bit messy or result in some breakage.