Your dogs are smarter than you think
Having a hard time training your dogs? Maybe yours is just a tad bit less smarter than other dogs, right? You’re wrong! Your dogs are smarter than you think! We’ve listed 9 facts that prove your dog’s intelligence.
Your dogs are smarter than you think
Here are 9 facts you might not know about your dog:
1. An average dog can learn up to 165 words, while those who belong in the top 20% of dog intelligence can understand up to 250 words.
They have an extensive vocabulary. Hence, they probably understand some of your chikas at this point especially if they hear it often and you say it in a certain way that gets their attention.
2. They know when you are sleeping and when you’re not even if they are in the other room.
Dogs’ sense of smell is about 40 times greater than ours. So they can smell chemical changes in your body when you enter your sleeping state. This also means they can smell it when you are about to wake up. And on top of that, their hearing is also better than us so they can hear your breathing patterns and changes.
Knowing that their owner is sleeping, they are more vigilant at night because they know that you are in a vulnerable state when you’re sleeping.
3. They know when you are sick, sad, stressed, and etc.
Wondering why your dogs are always trying to smell your private parts every time you approach them? It is because they are trying to gauge your mood. They know when you are angry or when you are sad and stressed, even when you don’t really try to show any emotions.
This is also the same reason why there are service dogs. Though dogs would have to undergo training to be a certified service dog, it is just basically enhancing their skill already. They know when you are sick. They know when you are having a drop in your blood sugars, or if you are about to have a seizure.
Some dogs were even able to determine if a person has cancer or lung problems and many other diseases just by smelling them.
Dogs’ sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than that of humans.
4. They know the concept of time.
Well, they can’t really tell time, but they are able to determine what time of the day it is through daily routines or patterns. Dogs thrive in routines. This is also why when you are teaching your dog a new trick, you don’t have to keep repeating a command the whole day, instead you can just practice with them a few times a day but make sure that you do it atleast once everyday.
They know what time it is through patterns in their surroundings. If they hear your car parking in the garage, then they know that you’re already home and would soon serve dinner. They know time by studying their owners routine, and then they just adjust their routine accordingly.
5. They can predict the weather.
Hours before the rain pours, they already know that it is going to rain. Because dogs can sense changes in the barometric pressures, they can also hear miles away from where they are, and they can smell chemical changes in the air.
Remember when they say dogs can tell when an earthquake is about to hit? And you can notice that something’s wrong because they are suddenly stressed.
6. They can see well in the dark.
Like night vision! They can see in light that’s five times dimmer than what humans need to see clearly.
7. They are a pro with directions.
Because they can follow their scent trails for miles and retrace their steps. If they aren’t even very far from their owners, they can even track them just through smelling the air. Dogs’ sense of smell is superb and hence, they even probably know where you keep their treats and food. So they are more trained than you think they are!
8. They can understand your facial expressions and voice intonation.
Ever experienced trying to talk to them and they look like they are intently listening? It’s because they probably are, and your facial expressions and voice are probably keeping their attention. This is also why they seem to listen more when you use baby talk and high-pitched voice when talking to them.
9. They are smarter than cats!
Some cat people don’t like dogs because they are way more clingy and playful. But it’s because they are smarter than cats! Dogs possess significantly more neurons in their cerebral cortex than cats—530 million vs 250 million. While humans have 16 billion cortical neurons. Having more neurons means they can express more emotions and can’t think of more complex things than cats.
All dogs are smart—sure! Some breeds are smarter. But no dog is stupid as long as their owners are very willing to spend time with them and test their skills and intelligence from time to time. Again, dogs thrive in routine. So the best way to keep a well-trained dog is to be consistent with whatever you are trying to teach them—whether it is how to stay still, or how to be the goodest boy in the house.
