A dog’s five senses are better than ours

We sometimes take dogs for granted and forget what complex creatures they are.   In many ways they are better developed than humans and well adapted to the natural world in which they used to live.  Understanding dogs is the key to living in harmony with them and caring for them in the best possible way.

Their five senses are:   Vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

Vision – the cells in a dog’s eyes are better at concentrating incoming light so they work especially well in dim light conditions – this is why they can see in the dark and are able to hunt at night.    Different breeds have their eyes positioned to give them the maximum peripheral vision, it’s an all round view.  Again this is a survival thing and necessary to catch prey.    Dogs also perceive motion well, even at a great distance.   They can’t always recognise objects that are motionless.   This is why rabbits  ‘freeze’ when a dog is on their trail – they are spotted as soon as they run.

Conclusion:   Dogs have better sight

Hearing – dogs can hear a pin drop – well not quite, but they do have hearing that is twice as good as ours.    They can distinguish frequencies up to two and a half times higher.    Telling one sound from another comes easily to a dog and they can even hear ultrasound, which is why dog whistles work.   A dog has a great many nerves in his ears and the cropping of ears, which is a barbaric thing to do and should be banned worldwide, also has serious health effects.   The alteration of the nerves can cause the heart  to slow when the dog is anaesthetised.   Problems in the ears can cause loss of balance and co-ordination.

Conclusion:   Dogs have better hearing

Smell – It’s a dog’s primary sense and it’s vastly superior to our limited olfactory powers.   They use their keen smell in hunting, communicating and feeding.   It’s a million more times sensitive than ours – the nasal receptor organ occupies 9.2ins in dogs compared to 0.2in in humans.    A dog can sense where a human or another animal has walked and have a mass of additional information.  It’s why they are so good at tracking and finding people or things that are lost.

Conclusion:   Dogs have a better sense of smell

Touch – Dogs have a very dense networks of nerve endings throughout their body.   These are directly connected to the spinal cord and brain and are more concentrated at the base of the hair.   Their whiskers and long hairs on the eyebrows and chin are very rich in nerve endings and particularly sensitive.  Make sure you never cut them!   Dogs feel cold through their hairs more sensitively than they do heat – this is why their hairs stand on end when they are chilled.

Conclusion:   50-50 – we are pretty sensitive creatures too.

Overall the senses of our dogs are infinitely superior to ours.

Who’s a clever dog then?

The scent glands in a dog contain vital information about its strength and status and these olfactory signals are far more revealing than any visual details.   So it is both polite and necessary for dogs to make their introductions through a mutual sniffing process.