• They are very sensitive to fearful emotions, so if you are left afraid after hearing a noise in the night, the dog will cringe next to you. This does not apply to dogs that have been trained as guard dogs, obviously.
• Dogs are very conscious of inequality. Never play favourites if you have more than one dog. The one/s being treated unequally can become reserved and non cooperative.
• Our canine children are very savvy. They know full well when you are out, and not around to reprimand them for some misdeed. Even the goody two shoes dogs will get up to mischief when the family is not at home.
• It is common knowledge that they are sensitive to illness. This is primarily due to their highly developed sense of smell. They can pick up the scents our ailing bodies are giving off. Many are trained to enhance this skill, especially to warn a sufferer of seizures about to occur.
• It is not your imagination when you sense that your dog has picked up the fact that you are miserable. Tests have been conducted where two people are put in a room, one quietly crying and the other not. The dogs will automatically go to the sad person, stranger or not.