Your Own Perceptions Play a Part
Much of a dog’s behavior can be a mystery to an owner, but there are countless examples that leave us wondering if the unimaginable is actually conceivable. “When someone is inclined to believe in the paranormal, some dogs may exhibit behaviors that make it look like they are perhaps sensing an apparition is nearby,” says Dr. Mary Burch, director of the AKC Family Dog Program and a certified animal behaviorist. “This may be the dog that stops and stands still at a given point in the house, and the owner later finds out someone died there.”
If a dog is standing in a corner, barking at nothing visible, could it be that they sense something out of the ordinary? Or perhaps they stay close to an object that is associated with a deceased family member, whether it be a favorite chair or side of the bed, as if that person is still present.
Dr. Burch points out that when a dog barks at what appears to be nothing, an owner sometimes thinks it’s because the dog is seeing a ghost or picking up on something the owner can’t. “While clairvoyance generally falls outside of what we can prove in terms of science, we do understand and have research on a dog’s basic five senses,” she says.
In addition to the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing), dogs also possess a sixth sense—that “gut” feeling we get when something doesn’t feel right. The difference. though, is that dogs are more open to trusting what they feel and acting on those feelings accordingly, while most people’s minds analyze what’s going on and deny the possibility that auroras or spirits exist. “Dogs are remarkable creatures, with senses that far exceed a human’s,” explains Dr. Burch.
When a dog runs and sits by the door waiting for their owner, Dr. Burch explains this behavior could be a habit simply learned through repetition. But if the owner comes home much earlier than usual, and the dog still sits by the door within minutes of the owner’s arrival, that unexplained behavior could appear to be the result of a sixth sense.
Dogs also have the ability to detect impending disasters before they happen, thanks to their powerful sense of smell. “Barometric pressure and all natural phenomena have odors associated with them,” says Hartstein. “They are beyond the capacity of our noses to recognize, but dogs can sense these changes immediately.”
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Does your dog sometimes seem to be barking at a wall? Are there certain parts of your house or your neighborhood that seem to make them nervous? If so, maybe youve wondered if your dog can see ghosts. Lots of pet parents think theres some connection between dogs and ghosts — that dogs can see or sense something people cant.
Lets take a look at why people think dogs can see ghosts and what might be at the root of dogs mystifying behavior.
They Can Hear Things We Can’t
Dogs can hear higher pitched noises than us and they can also hear at further distances than we do. Ellis explained to Bustle, “Human hearing range is roughly between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz, including much lower frequencies than what dogs can hear. Dogs hear sounds starting at 64 hertz on up, past the human range to the higher registers at 44 kilohertz.”
According to Paw Culture, “this could be what makes dogs more likely to hear some footprint of a ghost or a parallel universe.” Sure, its possible that dogs are just hearing noises we dont have the ability to hear, but its also possible that theyre hearing paranormal activity.
5 Dogs That Saw Something Their Owners Couldn’t See : Ghosts, ESP, & Paranormal
Have you awoken to the startling sound of your dog insisting hes detected a threat in the middle of the night, and then you discover its … nothing? Or is it?
Wondering if your pup is seeing spirits may say more about your own beliefs than it does about your pet. According to YouGovs 2019 poll, more than four in 10 Americans believe paranormal entities like ghosts, demons, and other supernatural beings exist. Over one-third said they have first-hand experience feeling the presence of a spirit or ghost. Jinkies!
Whether youve personally experienced your dog acting out-of-the-ordinary or have heard tales from fellow pet parents, it can be unsettling to think about potentially living with something you cannot see. (Unless its Casper, of course.) As you speed walk down your dark hallway, you may wonder, can dogs see ghosts? We talked with dog experts, including a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant (CABC) and a veterinarian, to explore this topic.