The dog’s abilities cause him to seem an entity from a civilisation far more advanced than ours. And there are many things about him yet to be understood that scientific studies are ongoing.
From my observation, the dog also has a finely-tuned sixth sense. He can, as you will see shortly, receive and process information without employing any of his five senses – hearing, smell, sight, taste and touch. In other words, he has the ability of extrasensory perception (ESP).
Scientists are divided on this matter of ESP whether in humans or in the dog. While they debate among themselves and probe further, I invite you to examine the four cases below and decide for yourself.
Case 1 Two years before I moved away from my last place of domicile and when my knowledge of the dog was practically zero, I used to observe the dog of my neighbour’s across the road.
About 15 or 20 minutes before his owner came home, he would come out and sit outside the front door. Less than 5 minutes before his owner’s car came into sight, he would run to the front gate and wait.
How did he know? Another thing: It was not a matter of habit, because on the occasions when his owner came home late, he would also come out and sit outside the front door later than usual.
Case 2 I used to take my late Karlo for his exercise in the rugged outdoors daily. I varied our routes so as to let him experience different things on each outing. And we usually took a short rest after some 70 or 80 minutes.
Now, to continue, there would be an almost infinite directions of the compass we could take. A split-second after I said “Let’s go,” Karlo would bound off in the exact direction I had previously had in mind to take.
This sounds like he was able to read my mind, an ability no scientist seems to have confirmed yet. We can conclude, therefore, that dogs can tell when there are those humans around them who detest their species.
Case 3 I live in the mountains. The evening air can be rather chilly after a rain or around year end. One evening when I was taking a (hot) shower, I suddenly shivered uncontrollably. A moment later, Karlo, who was previously playing with his toys in the sitting area, had appeared at the door and looked at me quizically.
How did he know what had transpired?
Case 4 In the wall of my house which faces a valley below and overlooks the road leading up to my place, I had a special window made below the main picture window for my dogs to use to observe the happenings outside as well as to exit in emergencies.
In the morning one day when my grandniece Chwiit came to visit after their academic year had ended, my dog Astra rushed out of the bedroom to that window, sat down and looked out intently. I was very curious – because she did not bark. I went to the picture window to see what had excited her, but saw nothing unusual. Astra (left in the picture) and Hlodyn.
A few moments later, Chwiit texted me to say she would arrive soon and that she was at a location some 8 km away. I then understood why Astra was so excited. She and Chwiit had been close with each other when she was a puppy.
How did Astra know her long-time-no-see best friend was coming?
In a later article, we’ll find the Rottweiler Jake rushing off to the distance to rescue a young lady about to be raped. How could he tell the lady was in danger?
Of moral progress and greatness
I admire, respect and hold dogs in awe.
And I wept inside myself from frustration, anger and sadness when I read news reports published in a Southeast Asian country where I was once based of how dogs there had been cruelly treated. Below are a few examples. Warning: The imagery seen in the mind’s eye may be upsetting to some people.
Example 1: A stray dog was tied to a fence and a metre-long piece of stick shoved down his throat.
Example 2: A sickly, half-blind, old female Rottweiler who had got lost late one evening walked up to a front gate and waited. Doubtless, she thought the humans behind the gate would, like her owner, let her in and lead her to a comfortable place, food and drink. Instead, she was shot with a bow and arrow. She was rescued and treated, but died 2(?) days later from her wound and trauma.
The incident was video-recorded by a neighbour. Nothing has been done to punish the shooter.
Example 3: Now and then, some of the local councils in the same particular country send out a team of dog catchers to trap and take away stray dogs. One of those strays was dragged by the neck, howling in pain and bleeding, one of his eyeballs dangling from its socket.
Nothing has been done to punish the dog catchers and their employer.
Example 4: A dog-catching team sent out by one of the local councils dragged a dog by the neck, and kicked at and stomped on the poor thing repeatedly. They then finally jabbed the dog with what was reported to look like a pitchfork till he went silent.
Nothing has been done to punish the dog catchers and their employer.
I wept inside myself from frustration, anger and sadness at several other instances that were reported. But how many have not been reported?
If those responsible had at least one brain cell functioning normally, they would have realised that the strays did not appear from nowhere all by themselves but their existence had been brought about by heartless humans.
We don’t have to be a genius to tell that strays don’t enjoy their way of life, that they would much rather live with humans when security, comfort and food are always available.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress,” said the Mahatma, “can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
