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Can Dogs Really Sense Our Pain?

August 6, 2018 By Ben Ro Leave a Comment

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Can dogs sense pain?

One amazing thing about dogs is their ability always to be there when we’re feeling a little down.

When you’re sick, you can always count on them for comfort.

It’s like they know you need a little bit of happiness.

But does this come from them sensing your pain? Or is it something else?

Read on to find the answer!

Can Dogs Sense Pain?

A dogs nose is incredible they can pin point where objects are at and even understand what direction its going. They can also smell your hormones so they know if your scared or a threat or having fun!😁🐺 #yakul #wolfie #dogsences #dogsnose #wolfpack #gtree #dogsmells #smellgood

A post shared by yakul (@yakulwolf) on Jul 18, 2018 at 6:58pm PDT

The simple answer is yes. See, dogs have an incredible sense of smell that allows them to sense things like their owner in pain. In fact, certain breeds can have up to 40 or 50 times the smell receptors than humans. Crazy, right?

With these smell receptors, a dog’s sense of smell is 100,000 times stronger than a human’s. And they use this to detect little changes in their owner’s body chemistry. So, when you’re feeling low, don’t be surprised by your dog’s need to cuddle.

And pain isn’t the only thing a dog’s intuitive nature allows them to detect about their owners! Read on for other changes our dogs sense within us!

1. Mood

Mondays got me like …. . . . . . #monday #mondaymood #mondayblues #mondaysbelike #mood #dogmood #dogsofinsta #dogtongue #dorothy #doggo #dogsofinstagram

A post shared by Dorothy J (@dailydoseofdorothy) on Aug 6, 2018 at 5:20am PDT

Ever notice your dog’s mood often will mimic your own? Well, their keen sense of intuition allows them to understand what you’re feeling. So, when you’re stressed, they’re stressed. If you’re happy, they’ll be happy.

Honestly, this is what makes a dog the best friend you could ever have; they’re always going to know exactly how you’re feeling, and how to make you feel better.

According to a 2016 study, dogs can understand human emotions by, “extract[ing] and integrat[ing] bimodal sensory emotional information, and discriminat[ing] between positive and negative emotions from both humans and dogs.”

In other words, dogs use their multitude of senses to compile information about your mood. By doing so, it allows them to understand what you’re feeling. This ability also lends itself useful in interactions with other dogs.

 

Related: 10 Effective Ways to Treat Dog Depression

 

2. Your Focus

So so close…. just like this weekend! Hang in there dog lovers. One more day. #doglover #onemoreday #theweekend #doglife #dogtheif

A post shared by MuttsMatter (@ourcaninecapacity) on Apr 5, 2018 at 6:10am PDT

Dogs can use this intuition for other good things, but sometimes they’ll use it for their own gain. They can tell when you’re not paying attention to them. In doing so, they’ll strategically plan on doing bad behaviors when you’re looking away.

For example, let’s say you leave a sandwich on the table and walk away for a minute. Your dog will notice your focus is elsewhere and try to steal your lunch. You know, get a quick extra snack from right under your nose.

Dogs aren’t stupid. They know what they’re doing. So, make sure you keep your next sandwich in a high enough place where they can’t reach. If you don’t, the moment your focus shifts to something else, it will be snack time for your pup.

In the end, don’t underestimate your pup’s ability to use their great intuition for their own means.

 

Related: Do Dogs Do Things to Get Back at You?

 

3. Cancer and Other Diseases 

Good morning and happy Monday! I hope you all had an amazing weekend and that your week is even better! Mom is having a hard time waking up this morning, but we have stuff to do so she needs to get up! What are your Monday plans? #thefoxihound #foxy #fox #monday (Gear: @thefoxihound)

A post shared by Banner:Cosplay Service Dog (@bannerthesuperdog) on Aug 6, 2018 at 6:16am PDT

I know, we already discussed your dog’s ability to sense when you’re in pain. But, they also have a unique capability to determine if a person is sick. I mean, they can be trained to identify a person who has cancer.

In fact, there have been several studies dedicated to observing a dog’s cancer identifying capabilities. For example, this 2014 study determined that a trained dog could detect cancer cells in a prostate cancer patient’s urine sample 98% of the time.

And it’s not just cancer dogs can detect. This study from 2013 concluded dogs could identify 11 of 12 narcolepsy patients from sweat samples. I wonder, what diseases your pup could sniff out given the proper training?

 

Related: Food Therapy and Cancer – Give Your Dog an Edge

 

4. Low Blood Sugar 

When dogs sniff people, the results are often embarrassing. But a highly-trained service dog’s nose can save a life! #servicedogs #type1diabetes #canine #diabetes #hyperinsulinism #diabetes #diabetesservicedog #ewabeach #hawaii #madisonvirginia #wheretofindadiabetesservicedog #howtogetadiabetesservicedog #americandiabetesassocation #abilitycorps #abilityjobs

A post shared by ABILITY Magazine (@abilitymagazine) on Mar 27, 2018 at 5:43pm PDT

For obvious reasons, a dog being able to detect low blood sugar would be extremely helpful for a diabetic owner. And they’ve been put to use in this capacity around the world.

See, a study in 2016 found that dogs can identify low blood sugar by detecting a chemical called isoprene; this chemical is found in human breath and increases when you have low blood sugar.

Due to this, service dogs have been trained to signal their owners by licking their hands or whining when blood sugar is low. Honestly, it’s a beneficial skill for a dog to have, especially, if their owner is sometimes forgetful.

 

5. Pregnancy 

Due to the various amounts of changes women go through during pregnancy, it’s no surprise your dog might start acting differently. They might become more protective or more seeking of your attention. Check out this neat video that explains how dogs sense pregnancy!

Realistically, the reaction is different for each dog. It will depend on the environment and the temperament of your particular dog. However, there are things you can do to make this transition smoother: pay more attention to them or invest in some training classes.

Overall, it’s about making them feel comfortable about these changes. After all, the changes pregnancy provide are very significant and aren’t the easiest for them to handle. So, it’s essential you make an effort to keep them from feeling uneasy.

 

6. Trustworthiness 

Your dog ever growl at another person for absolutely no reason? Well, it ’s because they don’t trust them. In fact, dogs are notorious for being great judges of character.

For example, a study done in Japan tested 34 dogs by having people point to containers where food was hidden. They did this through three rounds of pointing.

In round 1, the pointer would point to the container with the food effectively gaining the dog’s trust. For round 2, a person would point to an empty container. Then, with round 3, they would return to the food container.

Well, the results concluded the dogs didn’t react to the pointing in round 3. They quickly decided the person pointing was deemed untrustworthy. It’s good to know your furry friend got a handle on who’s worth trusting.

Related: How to Earn a Dog’s Trust (Even If They Were Abused or Neglected)

 

Your Next Move 

Dogs pick up on patterns remarkably quick. Their intuition allows them to know when vet visits, baths, or nail clippings are coming. This intuition alerts them and enables them to hide from you.

In these times of high stress, encouragement can go a long way in retrieving them from under the bed. Let’s be honest; you wouldn’t like being shuttled into the car and driving to a place where the poke/proud you with needles either.

So, don’t blame them for hiding under the bed. If your instincts hinted toward something bad happening, you’d avoid it at all costs too.

With all these incredible abilities, it’s no wonder dogs embody the ideal best friend for any person.

What do you think? Can your dogs sense pain and other changes in your body? Share your experiences below!

 

Author

  • Ben Ro
    Ben Ro

    My name is Ben Roberts, and I’ve been writing about animals for many years. Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a much better job, considering I’ve been around animals all my life. I can’t remember a time when there wasn’t at least one cat or dog inside my home. Currently, I’m a proud owner of a Beagle and a Pitbull who make sure my life is never dull.

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