Do pets have a sixth sense?

[chrisinhouston]

Exampale 1: My dog is sleeping at the other end of the house and I quietly start to put on my sneakers while sitting on the side of my bed. She runs in with her tail wagging knowing that those shoes mean a walk is coming up next!

Example 2: I'm in the kitchen and she is sleeping near the back door downstairs. I get out some fruit or vegetables to cut up; no dog. I get out some left over steak or ham and no sooner have I sliced a piece and she is sitting next to me.

What are your pets sixth senses?

[Hoof Hearted]

I think your dog is exhibiting the fine characteristics of her hearing and smelling capabilities.
I used to think my horse knew when I was looking at her, but I have since reasoned that her eyes are picking up on the slight movement of me/curtain at the windows when I peek at her to see what she is doing.

Animals DO have great senses, but they can also learn so much more from us IF we spend the time with them and give them the attention. My cats all know their own names and come when called. They can be directed to do things and they even exhibit behaviors that show me what they want. I also know their different meow's and usually what they mean by them; happy trill, upset meow or an I'm-hungry-for-canned-food cry. Our dog (passed away in 2000) was the same way, she had different 'noises' that meant different things...and she'd "talk back" to us. She was a wolf hybrid, so maybe she was more vocal than usual.

[Trilby]

While I agree with everything HH said, I do think there's an argument for animals having a sixth sense. There are dogs who've been trained to detect seizures before the fact.

[Hoof Hearted]

I would think the dog is trained to pick up on the little precursors that precede the seizures. Behavior tics, a smell from the person's body...some sort of 'trigger' that the dog is able to pick up with their keen senses and is service-trained to respond to, though some pets are able to pick it up and warn their caretaker of the imminent episode without training...I still think it is their keen senses, great powers of observation and attentiveness at work.

I do believe there is a 6th sense, in both people and animals, but that it is harder to detect and prove. I watch the Animal Miracle shows and see evidence of heroism and unnatural sensing of things...most can be explained, but many cannot, and those are probably the ones that fall into the "sixth sense" catagory.

To qualify as a sixth sense perception, I feel it needs to be of a nature of there was no way the animal could know something by using their usual senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. IMO, most things can be explained with those 5 senses...it is hard to eliminate all of those factors to focus on a 6th sense being the cause.

[DanaC]

My Dog has seventh sense.

I used to have a westie that knew, without a shadow of a doubt that i was planning on giving him a bath. I gave no clue.....just stood up with the intention of bathing him and he'd vanish. If on the other hand I got up with the intention of preparing food, he'd be under my feet looking interested.

[Hoof Hearted]

Originally Posted by DanaC

My Dog has seventh sense.

I used to have a westie that knew, without a shadow of a doubt that i was planning on giving him a bath. I gave no clue.
If on the other hand I got up with the intention of preparing food...

Self-preservation!

You know, I have noticed something similar. If I want to medicate the kitties, I cannot think about it beforehand or they "know". Right now I am force-feeding a cat to save her life and if I walk in there thinking about syringing the food into her...she scoots under the bed. If I walk in there and lay the food syringe down and pet her for a bit first, then I've got her and there is no struggle.

I wonder if it is the way we look at them...or if we ARE transfering thoughts or thought-pictures to them.

[xoxoxoBruce]

More likely, body language and eye movement. If they are the first thing you look at upon entering the room, they're wary.

[Aliantha]

My dogs don't have any sense. They're very basic and simple. Just like me.

[limey]

I reckon this appearance of having a sixth sense is always because of things the pet picks up by sight, sound or smell, myself. You may think you are behaving the same way when you stand up to walk or bath the dog (for example), but there is some slight difference in the way you behave that the dog picks up on.