Do Dogs Have a Sixth Sense?

According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, Oscar, the resident cat in a nursing home in Rhode Island, USA, could predict the deaths of patients. The report (which inspired an episode of the popular medical drama House) reveals that Oscar would sit down by the beds of certain patients, who would die within a few hours. The nursing home staff were so impressed by Oscar’s ability that they would immediately alert the family of whichever patient Oscar settled alongside.

Oscar’s particular story may be new, but it is far from unique. Animals have long been thought to possess a sixth sense, with dogs receiving particular attention. Owners report that dogs ‘know’ when a walk is in the offing, even before their owner has said the word. They are also said to be able to tell when a family member is about to come home. And as reported recently in Dog Diaries, dogs can certainly detect cancer, the imminence of epileptic seizures and other medical conditions.

More remarkable, perhaps, is a dog’s ability to predict earthquakes and other natural disasters. In fact, rescuers commented on how few dogs (and other animals) were killed during the 2004 Asian tsunami, with witnesses reporting seeing many animals fleeing the scene in the minutes before the killer waves struck.

But is this really evidence of supernatural ability, or is there a more rational explanation?

Scientists divided

Some scientists, including Dr Rupert Sheldrake of England’s world-renowned and respected Cambridge University, believe that dog are clairvoyant and telepathic. For other boffins, though, the reasons for dogs’ remarkable behaviour can be explained by their regular five senses rather than a sixth one.

In the medical-detection field, for example, credit should certainly be given to the dog’s remarkable sense of smell. In the case of epilepsy, dogs can be trained to detect subtle smells and changes (such as dilated pupils) in their owners that enable them to warn that a seizure is imminent. Scientists believe that this stems from the dog’s evolutionary descent from the wolf, the archetypal pack animal which, for the sake of survival, has to be able to know whether a member of the pack is sick or injured…

As for ‘predicting’ natural disasters, scientists believe animals’ acute sense of hearing give them early warning, and also add the possibility that they may be able to detect subtle vibrations or even changes in the air or in electromagnetic fields.

What is less easy to explain, however, is the dog’s innate sense of empathy. And it is that that makes dogs such special companions.

•    Has your dog ever shown signs of having a sixth sense? Let us know…

Images by bird tweets, Jillivanilli and anxiousdog