Most people are aware of the incredible detection abilities of dogs. They can sniff out bombs, drugs, and even bed bugs. But dogs can do even more with their super sniffers! They can actually detect specific diseases like cancer, migraines, seizures, low blood sugar, and narcolepsy. Even if you don’t have one of these conditions, your dog can still provide comfort and companionship when you’re feeling unwell.
Signs Your Dog Knows You are Sick
Communication between humans and dogs is mostly nonverbal. We use body language to convey our feelings and reactions. Dogs send signals through body language that other dogs and humans can understand. As responsible owners, it’s important to learn their signs to anticipate their needs, keep them safe, and teach others in your home how to interact appropriately with your dog. Understanding the importance of scent to your dog is crucial. Dogs greet each other and humans by sniffing, showing affection through play bows and licking, and communicating their social nature through avoiding direct eye contact and giving sideways glances. Dogs can also detect changes in your body that may occur when you’re not at your best, and they will comfort you by staying close and showing affection.
Body Language
Some signs that your dog knows you’re sick include being alert, sniffing, licking, blinking, and having their ears up. Other signs may include staying by your side, obsessively focusing on a specific body part, or acting differently around you.
The History and Science of Dogs Detecting Illness
Dogs have been our companions for thousands of years, and our relationship with them has had a profound impact on our brains, physiology, and relational capacities. Dogs can understand abstract signals, distinguish between important and unimportant words, and even understand hand signals. Owning a dog can improve our health, as studies have shown that they can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart rates. They also make us more empathetic and help us make friends more easily. Dogs have an exceptional sense of smell and can detect changes in our bodies that we are unable to detect ourselves. Scientific studies have shown that dogs can detect changes in our scent that range from hormonal shifts to volatile organic compounds released by cancer cells.
Training Your Dog to Notice When You are Sick
You can train your dog to be a good companion by understanding their breed’s disposition, socializing them, and using positive reinforcement and praise during training. It’s important to establish regular routines and provide structure for your dog. If you want your dog to become a comfort dog, you can consider enrolling them in the American Kennel Club Good Citizen Certification program, which teaches them skills to interact with others and ignore distractions. However, simply appreciating the love and bond you share with your dog is also enough. Make sure to never turn them away when you’re not feeling well and offer them plenty of extra pets, praise, and treats to reward their comforting attention.
“Your attentive dog can be a loving support to you while you recover.”
Tips & Things to Know
1️⃣ Pay attention to your dog’s body language: Dogs communicate through nonverbal cues, so it’s important to understand their signs and signals. Watch for behaviors such as sniffing, licking, blinking, ears up, and staying by your side, as these may indicate that your dog recognizes that you’re sick and is offering comfort.
2️⃣ Dogs have a heightened sense of smell: Dogs can detect changes in our scent that we may not even be aware of. They can pick up on hormonal shifts, changes in breath, and volatile organic compounds released by cancer cells. Understanding this can help you appreciate the incredible abilities of your dog’s sense of smell.
3️⃣ Train your dog to be a good companion: Socialize your dog from a young age and teach them basic commands using positive reinforcement. Take good care of your dog’s health, provide structure in the home, and consider additional training if you want to turn your dog into a comfort dog. Appreciate the love and bond you share with your dog by offering them extra love, pets, and treats when they provide comforting attention when you’re sick.
Frequently Asked Questions, Answered ✅
1. Can dogs really detect specific diseases in humans?
– Yes, dogs have been trained to detect diseases such as cancer, migraines, seizures, low blood sugar, and narcolepsy.
2. How do dogs communicate that they sense illness in their owners?
– Dogs may show signs of alertness, sniffing, licking, blinking, and having their ears up. They may also stay by their owner’s side, pay obsessive attention to a specific body part, or act differently around their owner.
3. How did dogs develop the ability to detect when humans are sick?
– Dogs and humans have had a special bond for centuries, and dogs evolved alongside humans, making them more similar to us. Dogs can understand abstract signals and are good for our health, with studies showing that they can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and slow heart rates.
4. How do dogs detect changes in our bodies when we are sick?
– Dogs have a powerful sense of smell and can detect scents in parts per trillion. They can smell changes in our hormones and the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by cancer cells or changes in blood sugar levels.
5. Can dogs be trained to offer assistance to individuals with medical conditions?
– Yes, dogs can be trained to detect changes in the status of individuals with medical conditions and offer assistance during their episodes. For example, dogs can be trained to stand over someone with narcolepsy to offer protection or recognize changes in blood sugar levels and alert their owner.
