You know he can find your most expensive Betsy Johnson pumps in a pile of three dollar flip flops. He can jump higher than a leaping jackrabbit at the first site of the neighbor’s cat out for a stroll in their fenced in backyard. He can even catch the wheels of your Suburban, in reverse, at full speed ahead. Yep, that Fido is one sneaky little pooch. While there are a lot of not so great things your dog is highly capable of, a few things that he can do might just surprise you.

He Can Sniff Out Cancer . .

The next time your dog sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong don’t be so quick to yell “bad dog." His wayward nudges and insistent sniffing may be his way of saying “open your mouth and say ah." Dogs have a nose for preventing and detecting cancer. If you notice that your dog pays extra attention to a certain spot on your body for several days, it wouldn’t hurt to schedule that overdue checkup just in case.

And Other Strange Things

Cancer isn’t the only thing your pup can spot with his nose. Among the growing list of trails a pup will pick up with his snout are street drugs, a missing person’s scent and cadavers. While these scent-pickers you may have been aware of this last one may leave you scratching your head . . . Your dog can sniff out DVD’s!

The chemicals inside tickle his nose and say “hey something’s in this box!" Some countries have mall security dogs that sniff out bags as costumers leave. And while it has yet to be done, police enforcement are working with canine units and expect to someday be able to teach these modern day Rin Tin Tins to sniff out the difference between a legal DVD and those bootlegged illegally.

He Can Hear What You Can’t

Those ears aren’t just perfect for hearing the ambulance ten miles away. The makeup of your dog’s ears leaves him hearing lots of other things you can’t. The size and shape of his oversize listeners collect sound waves much more effectively than human ears. Not only do they collect more sound waves, the muscles in their ears allow them to tilt and angle their ears for optimal hearing.

So the next time you want to know what your mother-in-law is saying about you at Christmas dinner . . . just ask your dog. If you scratch behind those bionic ears he might even leave a little surprise in her stocking.

He’s a Modern Day Healer

Back in the old days when boiling water and clean sheets went hand in hand with a quickly arriving baby and doctors made home visits on Saturday afternoons, medicine had gone to the dogs . . . literally. From the scraped knees of childhood to the brazed skin of a Sunday evening gunslinger, dogs were well revered for their healing powers. A dog’s saliva is said to have antibacterial and medicinal qualities. This is why they often “lick their wounds."

He Might Just Save Your Life

Dogs are extremely perceptive animals. If you have a pet that adores most everyone and suddenly becomes weary of a new neighbor or even a pesky salesman . . . heed the warning. Your pup is an uncanny judge of character. In the event of a crime, many pet owners have went on to report that their pet “knew something was wrong" with a seemingly normal neighbor or that seemingly friendly jogger in the park.

So what signs will your dog give you if he wants you to get away and fast? He will try to get between you and the person he distrusts. You’ll notice a difference in his stance. He might stand unusually close to you.

So there you have it. They didn’t call him Under Dog for nothing. That pooch that destroys your shoes, occasionally eats the cat’s poop and all too often gets way to friendly with the mail man’s leg is a lot more capable and way cooler than you might have imagined. Part car chaser, part egg head . . . well you know what they say about those Einstein types. Heaven doesn’t hand out genius AND common sense.

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