Dogs and the Supernatural

Dogs have long been linked with the supernatural, a status which comes from the dog’s acute senses of hearing, smell and taste.

The 1982 classic family sci-fi feature, E.T., directed by Steven Spielberg and starring a younger Drew Barrymore, managed to highlight the dog’s inherent awareness of the strange and alien (literally, in the case of E.T.).

The 2009 “Tails of the Afterlife” book, written by Peggy Schmidt, compiles a number of unexplainable situations where a dog or pets are interacting with someone or something that is not visible.

One of the book’s tales tell of how Del Johnsen, who died leaving behind six cats and seven dogs, allegedly “visits” her pets on a regular basis, with witnesses noting that the pets would, at one point in time, gather around in a circle in one spot, displaying indicators of affection, with cats pleasantly purring and dogs wriggling in excitement and enjoyment.

Even Schmidt, in one entry, confesses that her dog often reacts to venues which are rumored to be haunted.

Though acute senses are oftentimes ascribed to be the cause of a dog’s “misinterpreted” reactions, biologist Rupert Sheldrake, in his book “Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and Other Unexplained Powers of Animals: An Investigation”, explores the dynamics of dogs and other pets for a period of five years, and concludes that "there is a strong connection between humans and animals that lies beyond present-day scientific understanding."

What say you? Think dogs really do have the senses that links them to the afterlife? Or are they just born with too sensitive senses, with humans simply misinterpreting their reactions?