Decoding Your Dog’s Thoughts: Understanding How Dogs Think

Vignesh P A
5 min readOct 16, 2023

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Ever wondered what goes on inside a dog’s head? Dogs are more than just our fluffy friends; they’re fascinating creatures with unique ways of thinking. In this article, we’ll embark on an exciting adventure to understand how dogs think. We’ll explore their incredible senses, their emotions, and the special bond between dogs and humans.

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1. Super Senses: Seeing and Smelling

Dogs have superhero-like senses that make them extraordinary. Their noses are thousands of times more powerful than ours, allowing them to detect scents we can’t even imagine. It’s like having a superpower! But that’s not all — they’re also fantastic observers. Dogs pay close attention to how things look and how other dogs and humans move. It’s like they’re skilled detectives, using their eyes and noses to understand the world around them.

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2. Feelings Matter

Just like us, dogs have feelings too! They can feel happy, scared, excited, and understand our emotions as well. It’s like they have a secret way of understanding how we feel. Even if they don’t show their feelings in the same way we do, they definitely experience them.

3. Dogs and Human Friends

Dogs are excellent at understanding us, even though we’re not exactly like them. They know we’re different, and they adjust how they communicate with us. For example, if they want to go outside, they might bark near the door, and when they’re hungry, they’ll sit by their food cupboard and paw at it.

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Dogs understand that we can do things they can’t, like opening doors or getting their food ready, and they let us know what they want in ways we can understand.

4. The Dog Language

Dogs have a unique way of talking to us, and they’re excellent teachers. They learn our language, which is different from theirs, to communicate with us. It’s like learning a new language that only dogs and people can understand.

5. What’s on a Dog’s Mind

Dogs don’t think in words like we do because they can’t read or write, but they can learn to understand some words and signs through training. They have their goals and needs, just like we do. They need food, shelter, and they love to learn new things and play. Dogs also have a strong instinct for hunting, even though they don’t have to hunt for food like their wolf ancestors did.

6. The Deep Connection

Our friendship with dogs goes way back, and we’ve helped each other in many ways. Dogs have been our helpers, protectors, and friends for thousands of years. They’ve learned to understand us and fit into our lives, and we’ve become very close because of it.

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7. The Science Behind Dogs

Scientists have studied how dogs think and found out some amazing things. They’ve looked at dog brains and found that they’re a bit like ours, especially in the parts that deal with feelings, understanding others, and solving problems. This means dogs are pretty smart!

8. How Dogs Talk to Us

Dogs don’t just bark and wag their tails; they communicate with their whole bodies. They use their tails, ears, and eyes to show us what they feel. They can even understand the things we do and learn from them. For example, they can learn a hand gesture — like a wave — much faster than they can learn a word. Once they know what the hand gesture means, they figure out the word that goes with it.

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9. Our Special Connection

Our friendship with dogs is truly amazing. Understanding how dogs think makes our bond even stronger. They might not think exactly like us, but they have feelings, needs, and a way of communicating that’s all their own. This makes them incredible friends who enrich our lives in countless ways.

10. Fun Adventures with Dogs

Now that we know a bit more about how dogs think, we can have even more fun with them. We can teach them new tricks and games, like fetch or hide-and-seek. Dogs love these games because it keeps their brains busy and makes them happy. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time together.

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So, there you have it! Dogs may not think in words, but they have their unique ways of understanding the world and communicating with us. They’re our loyal friends with special superpowers, and by understanding a bit about how they think, we can appreciate the incredible connection we share with them. Dogs are truly special creatures and learning about them can be loads of fun! So, go ahead, share this exciting world of canine cognition with your 10-year-old, and enjoy your furry friends even more.

PS: Hey, Do you want to 10 x your dog’s intelligence , then check out this program on how to increase your dog’s intelligence and make him more obedient

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Vignesh P A

I write about making money online , fitness, self improvement and our lovely friends(dogs). Join with me so we can learn together ✨