14 May Can Dogs Predict Earthquakes?

Dogs are amazing creatures, and some of their skills seem almost supernatural. They can understand things beyond human comprehension. For example, they can smell and hear sounds beyond our voice. So lots of people use dogs as a way to distinguish earthquake time. Around 373 BC, records of pre-earthquake animal behaviour were recorded. Here we will understand the scientific reason for dogs feeling earthquake and their reaction at this specific time.

The scientific cause of earthquake prediction by dogs

 You’ve probably heard the story that dogs behave in unusual ways a few days before an earthquake. One of the signs of an earthquake is changes in electrical charges in the atmosphere. Many positive ions are produced when rocks are severely pressed in the final stages of an earthquake; The presence of these ions in the air isn’t pleasant for living things and even humans. So they lead to the development of “serotonin syndrome” in living things. Serotonin is a hormone that controls mood, and changes in it can lead to restlessness and behavioural disorders. Animal turmoil before an earthquake is attributed to changes in this hormone; These ions can also cause headaches and nausea in humans. Animals appear to be more sensitive to changes in the level of this hormone and try to stay away from the accumulation of positive ions.

Another sign that can be understood by living things before an earthquake is the movement of the earth’s crust. These movements produce low-frequency sounds that are inaudible to the human ear. But because animals can hear very low-frequency sounds, they can listen to them before earthquakes strikes, although they may not find the reasons. However, they exhibit nervous behaviours. Making noise among animals that live in groups is a natural reaction to annoying noises.

Training dogs to feel earthquakes

Although there’s no way to train your dog to feel an earthquake before it happens, there’re ways to train your dog to respond appropriately to unpredictable situations. Be sure to train your dog so that if you call him, he will come to you; So, if you break up during an actual earthquake, he will come back to you after the situation is safe. Therefore, you need to know your dog’s behaviour and know how he behaves in a sensitive and dangerous situation and where he hides. That way, when your dog is scared during an earthquake, you don’t have to worry, and you can easily find him later.

Dogs’ reactions

Dogs behave strangely in the hours and minutes before an earthquake occurs. Dogs’ fears can include running aimlessly around the room, panicking, barking, crying for no apparent reason, and other anxious behaviours. They may grumble, hide and cower in a safe and comfortable place, or they may cling and not leave you.

They may also show signs of fear. Fear characteristics in dogs can be grunting, crying and anxiety. If your dog is scared, he may roll over on his stomach, tuck his tail between his legs, wrap his tail, press his ears over his head, widen his eyes, and may even tremble. Many dogs also “raise their hackles“. Sometimes frightened dogs can attack others if they can’t vent their anger. This type of aggressive behaviour may include stretching of the lips and showing teeth or a wrinkled nose. Because all dogs and animals, in general, react differently to earthquakes, there’s no way to tell if they’re responding specifically to a natural disaster.

However, you should pay attention to your dog’s natural patterns of behaviour to notice differences in their performance. If these symptoms occur for no immediate or apparent reason, you need to find the cause quickly. For example, your dog may be walking around, and you don’t know why. These actions may be due to the initial tremors of an earthquake that you aren’t yet aware of, But your dog will feel and hear it.

Dogs’ symptoms

Some of the symptoms your dog may have during earthquakes include the following:

• Shaking
• Walking
• Sweaty claws
• The lips are pushed forward
• Cowering
• Ears back
• The pupil of the eye is dilated
• Obedient or scary behaviour
• Rolling on their bellies
• Crying or whispering
• Tail tucking
• Running to hide in a safe place
• Aggressive or slippery behaviour
• Barking at nothing
• Cling to you

Dogs ‘hearing is three times stronger than humans’. Many dogs make thunderous noises to communicate, which we don’t hear due to the high frequency. Because of this, they hear higher frequencies than humans. Thus, the hearing range of dogs is much broader than humans. They also get help from their ear muscles; Dogs have more than two muscles inside the ear and can hear sounds better. Therefore they are a great assist in earthquake’s time. Our specialised groomers’ team in Mishka Grooming accompany you in training, grooming and cleaning your dear dogs to guarantee their health.