Dogs have incredibly sensitive senses and can pick up on subtle changes in the environment and in their owners’ behavior. Many dog owners have stories of their pets seeming to predict or detect serious illnesses like cancer or seizures. This has led to speculation that dogs may also be able to sense when someone is nearing death. But is there any scientific evidence to back this up? Let’s take a closer look at what we know so far.
Do dogs have a “sixth sense”?
Dogs definitely have capabilities that seem almost supernatural or psychic. With their powerful noses, they can detect diseases, drugs, bombs, bedbugs, termites, and even COVID-19. Some service dogs can sense and alert their owners to oncoming seizures or low blood sugar levels. Dogs also seem to pick up on human emotions and moods.
But whether dogs can actually perceive or predict human death remains a mystery. There are plenty of anecdotes of dogs howling, whining, or hiding just before their elderly owners pass away. But these are individual cases often relying on the memories of grieving pet owners. Controlled scientific studies are needed to determine if dogs can truly detect death before it happens.
Possible explanations for dogs sensing impending death
So how might dogs be able to detect when a person is approaching death? Here are some possible explanations:
Change in odor
Dogs have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell. Their noses have up to 300 million scent receptors, while humans only have about 6 million. Dogs can smell minute chemical changes in the human body that we are unaware of. Terminal diseases like cancer can produce signature odors that dogs might pick up on. The same could be true of the changes the body goes through at the end of life.
Behavioral changes
Dogs are highly attuned to their owners and sensitive to changes in behavior. When a dog notices differences like reduced activity, changes in routine, slower breathing or speech, or more time spent sleeping or in bed, they may pick up that something serious is going on.
Sensing stress or mood
Dogs can perceive human stress, anxiety, and depression through cues like scent, body language, and tone of voice. The anticipation and grief surrounding death often causes increased stress for loved ones. Dogs may react to this change in the family dynamics.
Environmental changes
When someone is nearing death, there are often more people and activity in the home, changes to routine, and new smells from medical equipment or visiting family members. These environmental shifts could put dogs on high alert.
What does the research say?
There have been a few scientific studies investigating whether dogs can detect human death or dying:
Dogs smelling cancer
Dogs have been trained to detect certain cancers through smell with a high degree of accuracy. Some studies found trained dogs could identify lung or breast cancer smells in blood, urine, or breath samples with more than 90% accuracy. This supports the idea that dogs can smell subtle chemical changes in the body that may signal disease or imminent death.
Nursing home studies
Some preliminary research has been done recording the behavior of dogs living in nursing homes. One small study in Japan found a dog reacted with restlessness and vocalizations around patients who died within several hours. The sample size was very small, so more research is needed.
Hospice dogs
In one study, five therapy dogs who worked in hospices had longer resting times when they were in rooms with hospice patients who would die within four hours compared to other rooms. However, the sample size was very small so it’s difficult to draw conclusions.
| Study | Results |
|---|---|
| Dogs smelling cancer | Dogs can accurately detect cancer through scent changes in samples |
| Nursing home studies | Mixed results on dogs predicting patient deaths |
| Hospice dogs | Inconclusive results on dogs sensing impending death |
Overall the research is limited, but initial studies suggest dogs may be able to detect medical issues like cancer through their sense of smell. It’s plausible they could also detect the scent of approaching death, but more controlled research is needed.
Anecdotes about dogs sensing approaching death
While the scientific evidence is still minimal, there are countless anecdotes of pets seeming to sense their owner’s approaching death:
- Dogs howling or whimpering outside bedroom or hospice doors where owners later died
- Dogs barking or agitated in the hours leading up to an owner’s death
- Dogs refusing to leave their owner’s side in the days before death
- Dogs not eating in the days surrounding an owner’s death
- Cats curling up beside owners who later passed away
Of course these could be coincidences, or the pets reacting to other changes in the household. But the sheer number of accounts suggests there could be something to dogs sensing impending death.
Expert opinions on whether dogs sense death
Here’s what some animal behavior specialists say about whether dogs can sense death:
Veterinarians
Many vets believe dogs likely can sense impending death, especially for their owners. They say dogs notice subtle clues, smell hormonal changes, and seem to grieve prior to death. Dr. Jessica Vogelsang notes how “dogs know us inside and out.”
Animal behaviorists
Animal behaviorists like Marc Bekoff speculate dogs can pick up on physiological changes and pheromones released near death. But concrete scientific evidence has been lacking. Still, they don’t rule out dogs sensing a “smell of death.”
Dog trainers
Renowned dog trainer Cesar Millan wrote about how “[dogs] can detect subtle changes we don’t notice.” He describes dogs’ “extrasensory perception” when a wife sensed her husband’s fatal heart attack through loud barking.
Pet psychics
Pet psychic Danielle MacKinnon believes some highly sensitive dogs perceive “a change in the person’s energy field” at end of life. They may also pick up on chronic pain, less mobility, or confusion. She cites accounts of dogs refusing to take treats in the days before an owner dies.
| Expert | Opinion |
|---|---|
| Veterinarians | Dogs likely can sense impending death |
| Animal behaviorists | Some evidence dogs detect “smell of death” |
| Dog trainers | Dogs notice subtle changes not obvious to humans |
| Pet psychics | Dogs sense energy fields and behavior changes |
While pet psychics take the spiritual perspective, most experts agree dogs can sense changes we can’t see, like smelling disease compounds or noticing slight behavioral shifts.
How dogs may react to the death of an owner
When a beloved owner dies, this can be very traumatic and confusing for dogs. Here are some reactions you may see:
- Searching for the owner
- Excessive barking or howling
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety behaviors like pacing
- More clingy, following remaining family members
- Depression or lethargy
- Aggression due to grief
Dogs are very attached to their people. Disruption in care, routine, and the loss of their bonded human can cause significant distress. Make sure to give your dog extra comfort, attention, and support when going through the grieving process.
Should you alert your vet if your dog seems to sense death?
If your dog is displaying any unusual behavior like hiding, whining, or loss of appetite for an extended period, it’s a good idea to contact your vet. While they may be reacting to impending death, unusual behavior could also indicate your dog is sick or in pain themselves. It’s always best to rule out health issues first.
Pay attention if your dog insists on staying close to one family member. Let your vet know if this person is showing symptoms or there are any concerns about their health. Your dog may be trying to alert you to an underlying medical issue.
Conclusion
Many intriguing signs and stories suggest dogs do have the capability to sense when someone is nearing death. Their incredibly sensitive noses, ability to detect changes in odor, body language, and behavior all give them tools to perceive what humans cannot. Yet more controlled research is still needed to truly determine the validity of dogs predicting death. For now, it remains an intriguing possibility.
If your dog does seem distressed around a family member’s death, be sure to respond with patience, comfort, and plenty of affection to help them cope with the loss. And if they start showing any unusual behavior with a living family member, don’t ignore it – consult your vet right away. Dogs may be trying to use their unique abilities to alert us to health problems we’d otherwise miss. By understanding our dogs better, they can help us take better care of each other.