A friend recently told me that dogs are more psychic than cats.
Why? She told me it’s because dogs can sniff out a ghost because of their keen sense of smell, something that cats don’t have. Which brings me to the book Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz, who writes about her experience with her dog, a mutt called Pumpernickel, or Pump.
In the book, Horowitz delves into how a dog’s nose always seems to know, based on her scientific research. Although I must admit the book is a little too technical for me, it is interesting how the author points to the fact that dogs have their own “umwelt,” or self-world.
Here’s Horowitz’s take on how a dog might view a rose as different from the way a human would: we humans might look at a rose as a beautiful flower that smells wonderful and comes in many attractive colors that speak of love.
For a dog? A rose might not be the same at all. Horowitz suggests a dog might only be interested in the rose if, perhaps, another dog has peed on its stem. The flower’s appearance doesn’t interest the dog, she asserts, but its smell — though not as sweet — may perk up his nostrils.
My three-year-old Bichon Vodka is a sniffer. Or perhaps I have just become more aware of her tendency to sniff the air more than my other five doggy companions since reading this book.
Vodka sneezes and walks away when I open the bottle of my favorite cologne — a sign to me that the scent is a bit too strong for her.
But just the other day Yuri, my male Schnoodle, made his way into the room and, as is his style, left a tiny mark of his pee in the room, even a little bit on my bottle of cologne.
I was angry, but I also noticed the bottle suddenly became of interest to Vodka. Perhaps it was the scent of Yuri’s pee that had caught Vodka’s attention?
Experiment one: positive.
GO AHEAD, SNIFF
Horowitz describes dogs as “creatures of the nose.” She writes that people have to exhale before they can inhale new air. Dogs breathe in, and then their nostrils quiver as they pull the air deeper inside the nose as well as out through side slits. In this way, dogs not only hold more scent than humans can, but also continuously refresh what they smell.
There have been many reports in the recent past about dogs being able to smell if a person is sick or even sad. As for sickness, I think it is possible, but I am not too sure about sniffing out sadness.
Yet scientists and people who study dog behavior agree that humans let out a certain scent when they are happy, sick or even sad that only the keen nose of a dog can pick up.
SMELL THE TIME
What I found new in Horowitz’s book is her theory that a dog’s sense of time differs from ours. For dogs, “smell tells time,” she writes. “Perspective, scale and distance are, after a fashion, in olfaction — but olfaction is fleeting…. Odors are less strong over time, so strength indicates newness; weakness, age. The future is smelled on the breeze that brings air from the place you’re headed.”
Unlike we humans who look at time in terms of past, present or future, Horowitz asserts that a dog’s “olfactory window” of present smells also brings with it smells from the past, and maybe even the near future.
I guess this might explain why dogs tend to behave in an excited manner when they can sense their human is on his or her way home, a few minutes before they actually arrive.
Horowitz writes that dogs can sense, through their olfactory functions, “not just the scene currently happening, but also a snatch of the just-happened and the up-ahead. The present has a shadow of the past and a ring of the future about it.”
And that eerie sixth sense would be the dog’s umwelt.
Inside of a Dog also looks into the similarities and differences between dogs and wolves.
“Dogs do not form true packs,” she writes. “They scavenge or hunt small prey individually or in parallel,” rather than cooperatively, as wolves do. Countering the currently fashionable alpha dog “pack theories” of dog training, Horowitz notes that “in the wild, wolf packs consist almost entirely of related or mated animals. They are families, not groups of peers vying for the top spot.”
The idea that a dog owner must become the dominant member by using jerks or harsh words or other kinds of punishment, she writes, “is farther from what we know of the reality of wolf packs and closer to the timeworn fiction of the animal kingdom with humans at the pinnacle, exerting dominion over the rest. Wolves seem to learn from each other not by punishing each other but by observing each other. Dogs, too, are keen observers — of our reactions.”
But if there is one thing that makes dogs different from wolves, it is eye contact. “Though they have inherited some aversion to staring too long at eyes, dogs seem to be predisposed to inspect our faces for information, for reassurance, for guidance.”
I guess, then, that Horowitz in a sense confirms what any dog-loving human already knows when he or she looks into the puppy-dog eyes of a beloved pet — that their fave dog is staring, soulfully, into our umwelts and trying to grasp what we are really all about.
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know by Alexandra Horowitz is available at National Book Store.
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I recently got a copy of Your Perfect Dog by David Alderton. I will admit that I was drawn to the book because of its lovely dog photos (over 200).
The dog owner that I am, I scanned through the book looking for Bichon, just like Vodka, my three year-old Bichon Frise.
I did check out what the book had to say about life with Bichons — and it was quite accurate, actually.
“The Bichon Frise is a popular, playful breed. The Bichon is an ideal companion breed, well-suited for urban living. These little dogs respond well to training and thrive on positive encouragement, as they are very sensitive by nature.”
The book is spot-on when it comes to Bichons, so I wondered if it equally as accurate on Miniature Schnauzers (I have two) and Poodles (I also have two).
It’s the perfect book for dog lovers who like to check out just how compatible they are with their doggy companions. Or perhaps a big help to would-be first-time dog owners as to which breed might be best for the kind of lives they live.
It’s somewhat like the popular dating websites, which I am told use profiling to help people find their ideal matches.
In Your Perfect Dog, a similar approach is used to help prospective dog owners find the best canine for their homes and lifestyles. After all, a pet is a long-term companion that will essentially become a member of the family. It makes sense to ensure that owner and pet personalities are compatible.
Renowned canine expert David Alderton uses 20 simple human profiles that analyze potential owners by age, work situation, housing, family size, hobbies, fitness and more. He then profiles 175 dog breeds — from sporting dogs and terriers to herders and hunting dogs — with plenty of details on each dog’s physical attributes, likes and dislikes, specific requirements, and more. For each dog, the 20 human profiles are graded on a scale from 1 to 10. A perfect 10 indicates a perfect match — a fun and straightforward way to select a beloved new pet. Includes a glossary of terms and more than 200 color photos.
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LETTUCE GO VEGETARIAN
Appearing in a spectacular full-length gown made of fresh lettuce leaves and holding a sign that reads, “Turn Over a New Leaf. Go Vegan,” a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia supporter handed out copies of PETA’s vegan/vegetarian starter kit to passersby last Feb. 24.
Filled with helpful tips for making the transition to a cruelty-free lifestyle, delicious vegan recipes, and a list of the best vegetarian restaurants, PETA’s free vegan/vegetarian starter kit is a good go-to resource for anyone who is looking to explore vegan foods.
The kit details the suffering of billions of animals that are raised and killed for food. In addition, the consumption of meat, eggs and dairy products is a leading contributor to climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and even world hunger.
More than 800 million farmed animals are slaughtered for food in the Philippines every year. Most animals raised for food are confined to filthy, crowded enclosures and denied everything that is natural and important to them. On factory farms and in slaughterhouses, chickens have their throats cut while they’re still conscious, piglets are castrated and have their tails cut off without being given painkillers, and cows are hung upside down and often skinned while they’re still alive and able to feel pain.
“We’re asking people to turn over a new leaf and go vegetarian,” says “Lettuce Lady” Marie Gonzalez. “With so many delicious alternatives to meat readily available, it’s easier than ever to enjoy great food without causing animal suffering.”
For information, visit PETAAsiaPacific.com.