What Do Dogs Know?

[Ulysses G.]

One of the neighborhood dogs stays in our shop all day and eats all she wants, but has to stay out at night as we have a bunch of cats.

She is very quiet most of the time, but will bark at what seem to be strange or crazy Thai people as they pass outside. She ignores the rest and almost never bothers with farangs.

Tonight she went crazy as a real hippy type farang with dreadlocks and such came into the shop, but we get backpackers all the time and she usually does not react.

Any ideas of why (some) dogs choose only certain people to freak out about?

[ukrules]

Maybe it's the smell. Hippies have something of a reputation for being soap dodgers. From what I've heard people with some mental illnesses often don't look after themselves as well as they should if they receive no help.

Edited May 25, 2010 by ukrules

[Geekfreaklover]

Dogs have extremley sensitive noses. Most of their reactions to other animals (including humans) are based on smells.

[anothertorres]

good question, for sure. my 9 year old labrador is absolutely terrified of a friend of mine. and this guy is a wonderful guy, very kind, laid back. but for some reason, she is absolutely scared of him. we can't figure it out because she's a bold girl and he's a good guy...

[TexasRanger]

good question, for sure. my 9 year old labrador is absolutely terrified of a friend of mine. and this guy is a wonderful guy, very kind, laid back. but for some reason, she is absolutely scared of him. we can't figure it out because she's a bold girl and he's a good guy...

Cut your friend with a straight razor, you will probably be pleasantly surprised to find that he is in fact a Terminator.

[simon43]

Have you asked her?

[buddy]

Superstitious Thais believe that Dogs can see Ghosts at night and that is why they bark when it is dark...they are barking at Ghosts!

Humans cant see them of coarse.

[BLUEEYEDTHAI]

I bark at guys with dreads too.

[somtampet]

Dogs in general hate hippie type people,and many soi dogs dont like farang dam neither.

Not sure why but some poster mentioned smell,not me

[Chunky1]

i can just picture you sitting in the shop sweating while the mangy dog licks various products and harasses customers. yuck!

[KunMatt]

Apparently dog's sharp sense of smell can pick up on people who have eaten dog meat. I saw a couple of dogs go ballistic at this guy in Philippines and the other locals said it's because he eats dog and they can smell it. Also my Korean diving instructor said the same thing.

I'm not saying this is why they are barking at your customers but it's probably some scent coming from them, especially that dirty hippy.

[tigerfish]

back in the u.k. while i was growing up, we had three dalmations. they are mainly regarded as hunting gun dogs, but originally they where first used as guard dogs back in their country of orgin(croatia). our three dogs were extremely protective and territorial. it is often said that they have a sixth sence, that us humans do not pocess.

anyway could never understand why in particular they didnt like one of our family friends when he came to visit. they would bark, growl, etc....

turns out they had good reason too dislike him, seeing as he had been beating on his wife of ten years plus.

[F1fanatic]

Dogs are not only keenly sensitive to smell (and actually LIKE it, they do not react to someone just because they haven't bathed for a while ), they are also v aware of the emotional state of any person or dog. We may not 'sense' it, but our dogs are v aware of it....

Does your dog know when you are sad, angry etc.? - They can also 'read' a strangers emotions.

They will also react badly to anyone with a similar smell/look (?) to anyone that has treated them badly in the past.

My adopted soi dogs bark at most Thais that come near my house - the dog I brought from England doesn't.

Personally, I'm v wary of anyone my dogs instinctively dislike.

Having said that, dogs can be bullies too - so if someone is frightened of them, a dominant dog will behave aggressively towards them.

Edited May 25, 2010 by F1fanatic

[Richb2004v2]

Maybe a dog uses it's eyes to look at things and can differentiate the look of different people. This way it decides who it doesn't like and who it does, much like we do. Like when we see certain dogs we have an innate idea of if it's to be trusted or if it is about to bite. Alternately it is using some sort of mysterious sixth sense, like you see on the movie and stuff which can also be used to see ghosts and pixies and the like.

[neverdie]

Yeah, I'd like to know too but what is even more strange is I often find dogs trying to HUMP my leg. Its true, everywhere I go dogs hump my leg.

Pity I don't have the same effect on the ladies

[BigWheelMan]

Dogs can sense if people don’t like them and even which people like their owners or not.

They’re very good at judging character and which people are sincere.

My theory is that we emit different smells caused by chemical reactions within the body that gives away how we feel and what we are really thinking, such a fear, joy, stress, sadness, sexual attraction and our true feelings about people.

So if you are putting on a façade, dogs will know it.

[F1fanatic]

Maybe a dog uses it's eyes to look at things and can differentiate the look of different people. This way it decides who it doesn't like and who it does, much like we do. Like when we see certain dogs we have an innate idea of if it's to be trusted or if it is about to bite. Alternately it is using some sort of mysterious sixth sense, like you see on the movie and stuff which can also be used to see ghosts and pixies and the like.

Not quite. We generally misread dogs entirely.

(Most) dogs use the nose far more than they use their eyes and, can read human emotions incredibly well. Far better than we can.

Yes, we recognise when a dog is showing aggression (or at least we read it that way) towards us, but then again that dog is normally not close to attacking us, its just telling us to keep away - I'm worried about you/unsure etc.

Its not a sixth sense - just reading emotions in a way we lost centuries ago.

[tutsiwarrior]

I attach a photo taken of dogs in cages that are 'going to market' on the back of a truck in a SE Asian country that shall remain un-named...the dogs by the road barked wildly as the truck passed; maybe the scent of so many dogs or maybe they just knew that the dogs on the truck were already dead, in distress or otherwise doomed...

a distressing photo...and I don't like dogs that much...

[sbk]

I would think a dog preferred a human that smelled human rather than one that smelled artificially of soap, deodorant, hair gels etc etc.

That said, if the guy had serious dreads, the dog was probably reacting to the unknown. My dog used to bark at people wearing hats or carrying backpacks, as he was old and his eyesight wasn't good it was difficult for him to determine what the heck was making them look so strange.

[centrico]

I have read many reports of dog behaviour from knowing when their master or mistress is due home at odd times and being there to greet them to seemingly understand an incident shortly before it happens amongst other weird animal behaviour. Allegedly dogs can sense a "presence" in a house like a ghost and refuse to enter. Tales of cats, dogs and other animals dumped or lost hundreds of miles from home and being able to find their way back again. Their senses seem to be attuned better than humans who seem to have lost a great deal of use of their senses. So I would say that a dog can have a sense of something untoward regarding some people who walk by. In many cases I would trust the dogs instincts and be wary of the person being barked or growled at. In saying that a lot of people do not like dogs and the dog may be sensing that!

[MAJIC]

Maybe a dog uses it's eyes to look at things and can differentiate the look of different people. This way it decides who it doesn't like and who it does, much like we do. Like when we see certain dogs we have an innate idea of if it's to be trusted or if it is about to bite. Alternately it is using some sort of mysterious sixth sense, like you see on the movie and stuff which can also be used to see ghosts and pixies and the like.

Yes Dogs are very observant.

My FIL always got barked at by our Dog until I realised why,FIL has teeth missing in the front and when he smiled two

fang like side teeth appeared,so our Dog thought he was being aggessive.Same as when we dont like a particular look from someone aimed at us.

[JohanV]

Dogs do not care if someone has taken a shower or not. They don't consider body odours 'bad' as we do.

I reckon they rather find it very informative. Just like when they smell-check each others asses.

What they possibly smell are e.g. hormones and other body chemicals that can actually give away someones

mental state in amazing detail. They can also smell if a woman is on her period for example.

Fear smells, and so does aggression. Anyone who has worked with beehives knows that bees tend to sting if you smell of adrenaline.

Also, alcohol and possibly other drugs smell, and if a dog has been mistreated by i.e. a drunk guy or someone with a bad hangover

it is very possible they will react negatively to similar smells from people they meet after that.

Actually, kindness smells too - so if someone is in a kind and cuddly mode dogs can probably sense that easily.

They can possibly also smell where you have been and who you have met during the day.

Thus - you might be okay but you could bring smell trails from a 'bad' place or another 'bad' person.

I use to buy a can of sardines for the street dogs every time I make a nightly visit to seven eleven.

I just can't stand that poor, sad look on their faces. And, I have noticed that they remember me

Edited May 25, 2010 by JohanV

[MAJIC]

Yeah, I'd like to know too but what is even more strange is I often find dogs trying to HUMP my leg. Its true, everywhere I go dogs hump my leg.

Pity I don't have the same effect on the ladies

Thats not too bad, ever since I was a kid Dogs spot me a mile off and dash from across the street just to rub their snotty noses over my nice clean and pressed trousers,or failing that, creep up behind and do the same between the cheeks of my ***!

[Jimi007]

My Thai dog looks like a dingo! She doesn't like most Thai men. They have probably hit her or thrown stones at her. I saw some kids on their way home from school today throwing stones at a small well kept dog. I yelled at them in Thai. I felt like taking my dogs out to scare the sh.t out of them, but figured that wouldn't do anything but make the kids behave worse towards dogs. My dog can smell fear. Muslims are afraid of and don't like dogs. So, they run away. My dog thinks that's an invite to attack! Plus she can run 40 KPH, kills cobras and is very protective of our land and us. But I've had dogs chase me on my motorbike here too. I just stop and they run away. Once they smell the scent of my dog they are very friendly most places I go. As far as all the Thai superstitions about ghosts etc. I dismiss as illogical! She likes the Burmese coconut milk ice cream man, but has bitten a so called police volunteer soliciting money while trying to look in my house. Kamoey? She's a good judge of people, but a bit over protective at times!

[Forethat]

The alfa male in my soi has ignored me ever since we moved there. It's not that he doesn't like me, he simply ignores me. One time I tried to gain his trust by buying him some food. 100 baht worth of chicken in an attempt to make friends. The bastard never touched the chicken, he just looked at me and then walked away. Cople of rats ran off with the chicken.

The motorbike taxi drivers kicks him all the time. He loves them.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Forethat

[garyh]

Dogs have poor eyesight, there have been quite times dogs have detected cancer in there owner and kept sniffing and licking where it was. This is before the people are aware it is there, they also pickup on fear. Saw a Mythbusters episode where they tried to get away from a blood hound but no matter what they did with pepper crossing water etc the dog found them in no time at all. The dog handler said they can actually track someone far easier if the have gone across water as the dead skin cells we shed all the time float on the water and the dogs use this to smell your trail. This does not work on very fast flowing water but any other is no problem for the dog. The friend who is the good guy may be scared of the lab and she picks up on that.

[rvsp]

Dogs love stinky cheesy armpit odor of European elderly women. That's why the dogs in my neighborhood always

are licking feet of 80-year-old Caucasian woman.

Edited May 25, 2010 by rvsp

[sarahsbloke]

Dogs can sense if people don’t like them

I hate dogs but they love me. Bloody things always rubbing against me, wagging tails and licking ...... yuck.

Even now the daughters puppy is insisting on fooling around my feet. If I kick it away, it thinks I'm playing.

Cats are even worse ... they insist on sitting on me, even cats that hate everyone else.

[anothertorres]

Cats are even worse ... they insist on sitting on me, even cats that hate everyone else.

a cat will walk into a room full of people and go straight to the person who hates cats. the more you know!

[bkkjames]

Thai Dogs don't like uniforms or suits and ties.