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I have read in multiple threads how dogs seem to know when their people are getting home ... ie ~ 5 pm after work. Some short time before the people show up, the dog starts some action letting everyone else know the time is near.
For the past several months I have taken Pooch out for a run (while I bike with her) after the evening news. However, she starts her, I want to run dance earlier each day. I was looking at the Weather Channel on line and they had a graph showing sunrise, sunset, ... when it occurred to me that Pooch was wanting to run based upon what seems to be sun position in the sky.
I am curious if my rescue Fox Terrier is the only dog that does this.
I don't think they know time as so much as they know a routine. Bodies get used to feedings at certain times, and dogs know when we are going to feed them. My dogs know the sound of my cars, so they are eager to greet me. It's first light in the a.m.- I gotta pee..
One thing they do know- when it's time for some play or loving.. They always know that time.
I think BBC did a short study on this... they conclude that the dog was able to tell 'time' based on smell. They obviously can't read time or understand it the way we do. According to their experiment, the dog always wait at 4 p.m. every day for his owner to return from work. The scientists theorize people leaves a special scent that dogs can detect. So to test this, the owmer left his jacket in the room with the dog. By 4 p.m., the owner returns as usual but the dog was sleeping and didn't even notice anything.
Of course that could also mean the cue (the jacket) wasn't triggered to the dog who might be used to seeing his owner put on his jacket before departing. Time based on time definitely should be something worth looking into. I mean, people do it too. We know it's morning when we smell breakfast, or pass by our favorite bakery and smell bread that we guessed were freshly baked, etc.
My one cat starts in an hour before it is time to eat.....like he is letting you know not to forget. Then on the dot of feeding time he is right there letting you know it's time, up and at 'em!
I read an article a few months back that purported to show that dogs don't tell time, it appears to be some combination of reacting to changing scent levels, circadian clock, and routine.
I read an article a few months back that purported to show that dogs don't tell time, it appears to be some combination of reacting to changing scent levels, circadian clock, and routine.
Very interesting article. Even though it did not give a definitive answer, it sure pointed in the direction of Pooch's running time.
Thank you,
El Nox
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