You may have heard that dogs can become agitated or frantic before earthquakes or storms. But does this mean they can predict them? According to PetPlace.com, although we may like to think our pets have some extrasensory perception – it’s not the case. But it is true that dogs and cats have exceptionally acute senses and pick up on physical events much better than we do.

For example, dogs that sense an approaching storm probably hear it, smell it or feel it a long time before we even know something’s up. They may start to pace and pant on a perfectly clear day, an hour or more before you notice the sky is darkening. Since they can hear in the ultrasound range, they might pick up on sounds of a storm early. Or they might detect the metallic smell of lightning as it heats the air and forms ozone. They may even feel the vibrations caused by thunder through their feet.

What about earthquakes? It’s been documented that some dogs have detected earthquakes before they occurred. The most likely explanation for this is that dogs feel the ground trembling through their feet and joints.

Also, dogs are sometimes aware of the return of their owner before other members of the household. They might pick up on the sound of their car from blocks away, or feel vibrations of the vehicle. So – your dog doesn’t have ESP. But he IS more sensitive to his environment than you are. You can bet that he smells the dog in the house you just walked by and hears the cat meowing blocks away.

In the season of sometimes volatile weather, here’s some intel for our pet-loving listeners from The John Tesh Radio Show – heard weekdays 10am – 3pm on Majic 107.7.