Have you heard?

Dogs and cats have a remarkable sense of hearing. They're able to hear a wide range of sounds and pitches, some of which are inaudible to the human ear. Dog whistles have a high pitch that is beyond the range of human hearing. So when you blow a dog whistle, you'll hear nothing at all. But watch the dogs come running - it will be quite clear that they've heard it!

Hearing is like an early warning system for dogs and cats. Sounds give information about other animals and what's happening in their surroundings. High-pitched sounds travel a long distance that animals can hear long before they're able to see the cause of it. In effect, a keen sense of hearing is probably more important for dogs and cats than sight.

Cats and dogs with the sharpest hearing have pricked ears high on their head. The shape of the ears act as a cup to receive the sound waves and channels them down to the ear. So, a German Shepherd, with pricked ears is more likely to have a better sense of hearing than a dog with less pronounced ears.

The nose knows

Dogs and cats have a much keener sense of smell than people. They use their noses to gather a lot of information about their surroundings. With a few sniffs, they can recognise their young, other individual animals, and people. Just by using their nose, they can tell the difference between friends and strangers.

When a dog or cat is sniffing the ground, they're collecting information to tell them who has recently been there. From the scent they pick up, they can distinguish between individual people and animals. This special sense has been used by humans to help find people. The dog is given an item, such as a piece of clothing, which belongs to the person to be tracked. The dog will then search the ground for that scent and then follow it for vast distances.

Dogs and cats can also learn a lot by sniffing the air. The air carries scents which tell them what creatures are around - and what trouble might be brewing! They can also locate other creatures in the area. Cats, especially, are very social, and enjoy going out to meet other cats in their own "social club".

Cats and dogs all have their own territory. They mark the boundaries of their territory with urine and by rubbing their bodies on the ground or up against trees, furniture or anything else in their own patch. This lets other animals know the territorial boundaries. When other animals come to visit the "marked" area, their nose will tell them whether or not it's safe to enter. The visitor will also leave behind their own scent, which is like a calling card that lets other animals know they've been there.

Seeing is believing

Very often, cats and dogs will know what is happening by smell and hearing alone. They will use their eyes just to confirm the information they've already picked up. Dogs and cats have a broader vision of sight than humans. Because their eyes are nearer the side of their heads, they can see behind themselves more than people. With a greater angle of vision, dogs and cats can detect movement behind them more easily than we can.

Cats' eyes will shine green at night. There eyes "catch" any light in the dark, which helps them to see better. This feature gives them quite an advantage when they're hunting. With their improved night vision, they can detect small movements and tell which creature is moving around. Because their sight is sharper than those of the creatures they hunt, cats have somewhat of an edge over their prey.

Good tastes

Dogs and cats use their sense of taste very much like we do - to recognise whether something is suitable to eat or not. But by using their nose first, they will usually have figured out if it's good or not already. That's why they sniff at things before taking them into their mouths. Very often, tasting something will only confirm what they already know. But when a food with no smell is unpleasant, their tastes buds will certainly let them know right away!

Some dogs and cats are very finicky about what they eat. Cats, in particular, have a reputation for being fussy eaters. If they don't like the smell or taste or their food, they will refuse to eat it - sometimes even to the point of starvation. A lot of studies have been made on what smells and tastes cats and dogs like the most. Using this information, there are a range of prepared foods available to make even the fussiest cat or dog come running.

The touch of a paw

The paws of cats and dogs are sensitive. They use their paws to feel pain and recognise what they're standing on. Unlike people, though, the shape of the paw makes it unsuitable for feeling things in a detailed way as we can with our fingers. Dogs and cats will paw at an object to try to find out more about it, but they can't discover details like human fingers can. The hands of humans are much more complex than animal paws. We have more joints, which contain a lot more nerves of touch. This helps us to recognise things with our hands, even with our eyes closed. Dogs and cats can't do this. But what they lack in touch, they make up for with their senses of smell and hearing.

Cats have sensitive whiskers which help them to feel things. When cats put their whiskers close to an object, they are confirming the information they have already gathered from their sense of smell. Cats will rub their whiskers against things and people to find out more about them.

It makes sense

Man and domesticated animals have had a special relationship for thousands of years. As pets, dogs and cats are fun, lively, and affectionate. They also make great companions for all kinds of people. But dogs and cats have provided other invaluable services to mankind. With their keen senses of sight, smell, and hearing, dogs have been helping people for as long as they've lived together.

Working dogs have great stamina and thrive on an active live. Trained to help people in a variety of ways, working dogs use their excellent senses to herd, rescue, protect, assist, guard, and track. Working dogs have even served during times of war - to guard, carry secret messages, sniff out mines and find the wounded.

Some working dogs have been specially trained to help herd other animals. While Border Collies are famous for their exploits in rounding up sheep, the Welsh Corgi can expertly herd cattle. And in the frozen wastelands of Siberia, the Samoyed have been trained to help herd reindeer.

Because of their improved sense of smell over humans, St. Bernards, German Shepherds, Labradors and Border Collies have been trained to serve as mountain rescue dogs. It's difficult for humans to find an injured skier or lost hiker by sight alone. But dogs, with their superb sense of smell, can usually find the person much faster.

German Shepherds are especially intelligent, obedient and courageous. Add to the list their excellent sense of smell, and you have an ideal police dog. German Shepherds help the police maintain law and order by tracking down criminals, guarding property, and controlling crowds. German Shepherds can also sniff out illegal drugs and explosives - no matter how carefully concealed these might be.

Throughout the years, dogs have greatly assisted people with sight and hearing disabilities. You've probably seen guide dogs leading their owners safely across busy streets. Guide dogs are specially trained to serve their owners in a number of ways, including protecting their owners from all kinds of unforeseen dangers.

Dogs have also been trained to help deaf people. Originating in the United States, the hearing ears for the deaf scheme is now helping many people all over the world. Dogs, with their acute sense of hearing, listen for specific sounds and then alert their deaf owners to these. Whether it's a knock on the door or the cry of a baby, these dogs provide an invaluable service to people with hearing disabilities.

No matter what duty a working dog is asked to perform, he usually carries it out with great enthusiasm, wit, and care. Dogs are eager to please, and are only too happy to use their special senses to help people. It's no wonder dogs have earned the well-deserved reputation for being "man's best friend".

If you want to see some beautiful dogs and cats then visit the Gallery.