You may have noticed that when you’re feeling a little under the weather, your dog instinctively seems to know you are unwell and curls up next to you or comes and lays at your feet. So, do dogs know when you are sick? And if so, how?
Dogs can certainly know when their owner is sick. Many people have anecdotes of how their dog sensed that something was wrong with their health even when they themselves were unaware. But it’s not because dogs have a sixth sense about human health. The explanation if far simpler. Animal behavior experts say dogs smell or sense something unusual in the routine when you are sick and pick up cues about your emotional state.
Keep in mind that a dog’s sense of smell is far more developed compared to ours. Dogs notice many smells that escape our attention. In fact, based on subtle differences in body odor, dogs can tell identical twins apart even if they live in the same household.
It’s also possible your dog knows you are sick because he or she is picking up clues from changes in routine or your body language. If you spend the day sleeping instead of going to work, you’re too exhausted to play, or you keep running to the bathroom, your dog will realize something’s not right.
Just like you have learned to read your dog’s body language and emotions, your dog too can learn to read your emotions. When you’re stressed, they notice your high-pitched voice and impatience. When you’re excited and happy, they pick up on that too. In fact, dogs can pick up clues about your emotional state and even predict your behavior. So, when you’re sick or feeling blue, dogs detect this change in your emotional state.
It’s very possible that dogs can smell infection or illness in their owners. This is because certain diseases cause signs and symptoms like bad breath or excessive sweating, which a dog can pick up. Vaginal infections can make vaginal secretions smell different. Certain skin infections are caused by odor-causing bacteria which a dog might pick up. Some cancers can lead to a rotting smell in the affected area, which dogs can detect. In fact, dogs have been known to detect cancer by sniffing breath, urine, or tissue samples.
Yes, dogs can act differently when the owner is sick. While a dog does not really know what’s going on, they use a variety of signals (smell, changes in routine, and cues about your emotional state) to react to the situation.
For example, if you are sick and lying on the couch, and you give your dog a treat every time she gives you a cuddle or snuggle, this can reinforce the behavior. The next time you are sick, you might think your dog instinctively knew you’re unwell and came to give you a snuggle. But your dog has simply put two and two together – you didn’t go to work and you’re resting on the cough, so a snuggle could mean a tasty treat.
Your dog might act weird when you’re sick because of changes in your body chemistry. Studies have shown that dogs can pick up the odors of volatile organic compounds released from the human body during illness. In other words, dogs can pick up smells that you are unaware of and act weird because of them.
As mentioned above, dogs are very good at picking up clues about their owner’s emotional state. Loving and affectionate creatures as they are, if your dog senses that you’re sick or depressed, they will come and lick your hands to comfort you and make you feel better.
Dogs may lick you, put their paw on you, lay at your feet, or curl up next to you to comfort you if they sense illness.
19 January, 2023