5 Strange Things Your Dog Can Predict—And Science Backs It Up
You likely recognize that look: your dog's wide-eyed stare 10 minutes before you grab the car keys. Or maybe it's the way your dog slinks under the bed right before that sudden rumble of thunder.Coincidence? No, it happens over and over with a certain frequency. Your dog's predictive behavior may cause you to stop and wonder whether your dog is psychic, but can that be truly the case?Dogs have evolved alongside humans for tens of thousands of years, and in that time, we must factor in that they've become astonishing readers of our behaviors and emotions. This can make them appear as if they have a sixth sense.Combine that with their keen sensory awareness, finely tuned pattern recognition and a profound attunement to your habits and dogs appear to have a canine crystal ball that allows them to predict several strange things.Here are several of the many strange things that dogs can predict—and that are actually backed up by science.As unusual as it may sound, dogs can predict illnesses in humans. In better terms, dogs can sniff out diseases because they change the body's chemical composition.Beyond smell, dogs are able to detect physiological changes associated with illness, such as changes in body temperature, fluctuations in blood sugar levels and shifts in emotional states.Here are some of the medical conditions that dogs can predict:
Dogs predict blood sugar changes before a glucose monitor can. They can 'detect scents associated with hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia as well as behavioral changes associated with blood sugar abnormalities,' according to a 2024 study.
In a 2015 Italian study, German Shepherds were able to detect prostate cancer in urine samples. In 2024, a novel study showed a Belgian Malinois capable of smelling breast cancer from body secretions.
Studies show that dogs can alert owners of upcoming seizure episodes 'within time periods varying from 15 to 45 minutes prior to a seizure occurring.' Dogs are now even trained to be seizure alert service dogs.
A 2018 study conducted in London concluded that 'dogs can detect malaria by sniffing people's socks' before symptoms start. A Labrador Retriever was used as the sniffer dog in the study.
'Dogs can be trained to reliably detect the odour of PD,' reports a 2023 study. Scientists believe that when properly trained, dogs can predict Parkinson's disease years before symptoms emerge.
Dogs are able to 'discriminate between sweat samples from symptomatic COVID-19 individuals and those from asymptomatic COVID-19 negative individuals,' says a 2020 study.
Dogs can predict both pregnancy and labor. More accurately, they can sense the scent of many hormones and pheromones associated with pregnancy and impending childbirth.'There are many stories of dogs changing their behavior when pet parent(s) become human parents,' according to PetMD. These stories have scientific backup.Some of the hormones that surge during pregnancy and prior to childbirth include progesterone, estrogen, relaxin, human placental lactogen and oxytocin.The hormones alter the person's natural scent, and the dog's nose detects the change. Studies show that dogs have '220 million olfactory receptors in their nasal cavity,' whereas humans only have 5 million.It's also likely that dogs sense cues beyond what their noses catch, including changes in behavior like going to the toilet more frequently and throwing up in the morning.Finally, 'dogs have an extremely acute sense of hearing, so it's possible that they can hear a fetal heartbeat as early as the 28th week of pregnancy,' says Rachel Barrack, DVM, in an article for The Bump.
Old records from ancient Greece show that dogs fled the city of Helice before an earthquake hit. Similar stories of dogs leaving before natural disasters strike circulate in China.Today, we know that dogs can sense natural disasters, thanks to their heightened senses. Dogs recognize changes in barometric pressure (the amount of air pressure in the atmosphere) and electrostatic charge (static electricity).Additionally, when the air pressure drops, scent particles move downward and collect at ground level, making them easier for dogs to pick up. At the same time, static electricity builds up in the dog's fur, creating small shocks, while the dog's nose detects electrical currents in the air.Hearing also plays a role in predicting natural occurrences. Dogs can hear rocks crumbling under the ground's surface and thunder rumbling from several miles away.According to the American Kennel Club, 'there's no conclusive scientific evidence yet that dogs can predict tremors.' Despite the lack of scientific explanation, 'animals seem to sense the impending danger hours in advance,' says Prof. Dr. Martin Wikelski of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.Based on anecdotal reports and observations, scientists believe that dogs can predict various natural phenomena, like earthquakes, thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions, floods and tsunamis.
Dogs predict human emotions. Relying on subtle changes in a person's chemical makeup, body language and facial expression, dogs are able to sense mood swings and emotions.A 2021 study examined the behavioral responses of dogs after being exposed to sweat samples from individuals who were happy and frightened. The tested dogs were more social toward the 'happy' people and avoided the 'scared' samples.Dogs can also sense the presence of "negative" people. Negative people tend to be emotionally unstable and have unique chemosignals, explains a study.Dogs are so sensitive, intuitive and predictive of human emotions that they seem to catch them as if they were contagious. A 2019 study found that dogs can mirror their owners' emotions.Finally, according to an Evolutionary Human Sciences study, 'Dogs can respond functionally to emotional expressions and can use the emotional information they obtain from others during problem-solving.'
From ancient myths to modern-day folklore, there's a historical link between dogs and the spirit world. In Greek mythology, the three-headed Cerberus guarded the underworld's entrance. In Egyptian belief, Anubis guided souls into the afterlife. In Celtic folklore, dogs were seen as protectors of other worlds.According to Norse legends, Freya, the goddess of death, rode the crest of a storm on a chariot pulled by giant cats. As natural enemies, dogs would bark and howl when she approached.However, despite chilling stories, confessions on social media and hard-to-explain events, there is no scientific evidence that dogs can see ghosts or sense other paranormal activities.Alexandra Horowitz, PhD, a senior research fellow and adjunct associate professor at Barnard College, says, 'What I suspect is happening here is people are looking at dog behavior and wanting an explanation, and being reluctant to look at the more obvious ones,' in an article for Reader's Digest.Yet, research shows that 45% of Americans believe in the paranormal. According to Kinship, 'So much of canine personality and behavior is unexplained that a dog seeing a ghost isn't entirely out of the question.'Up Next:Jenkins DW, Thompson KM, Goeddeke N. How Canines Can Assist Our Patients with Diabetes: Diabetes Alert Dogs: What Are Their Capabilities? J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2024
Belaid, I., Baya, M.F., Ben Ayed, S. et al. Transcutaneous canine breast cancer detection in Tunisia: a pilot study. BMC Cancer 24, 151 (2024)
Grandjean D, Sarkis R, Lecoq-Julien C, et al. Can the detection dog alert on COVID-19 positive persons by sniffing axillary sweat samples? A proof-of-concept study. PLoS One. 2020 Dec
Jenkins EK, DeChant MT, Perry EB. When the Nose Doesn't Know: Canine Olfactory Function Associated With Health, Management, and Potential Links to Microbiota. Front Vet Sci. 2018 Mar
Semin GR, Scandurra A, Baragli P, Lanatà A, D'Aniello B. Inter- and Intra-Species Communication of Emotion: Chemosignals as the Neglected Medium. Animals (Basel). 2019
Albuquerque N, Resende B. Dogs functionally respond to and use emotional information from human expressions. Evol Hum Sci. 2022
5 Strange Things Your Dog Can Predict—And Science Backs It Up first appeared on Parade Pets on Jul 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade Pets on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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