Lessons in Dog Abilities

My six year old grandson is with me for two weeks over the holidays. He and Guinness are best buddies. He is learning information on the unusual abilities of dogs. I made a wrong turn on a busy street and had to find a place to turn around. As I pulled into an unknown parking lot, Guinness went crazy, jumping around and barking. Kevin asked why he was doing that. I said, "He knows I made a wrong turn. He knows I should not be here." Then I explained to him, when I drive to his house 600 miles away, Guinness knows when we are close! Any of my relatives whom I visit, he knows within ten miles or so, we are almost there. I also related stories of dogs who are given to a new home many miles from their original home. It sometimes happens the dog escapes and finds his way home. It may take days, weeks, or months, but they know how to go home using a sense which humans do not have.

The sense of smell is also beyond human ability and is their supreme sense. They can live without sight easier than without smell. A friend sent a forwarded email, with YouTube link, illustrating the incredible ability of a dog's nose -- http://www.petplace.com/dog-videos.aspx?p=362&utm_source=dogcrazynews001et&utm_medium=email&utm_content=petplace_article&utm_campaign=dailynewsletter
The friend, a PhD biologist, says "The longer the dog's nose, the better the sense of smell because there is more space for the cells lining the dog's snout that detect odors."