# Can your shepherd read your mind/thoughts?



## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

Trainers will often tell you your feelings can transfer from you, down the leash to your dog and I feel this is true. But has your dog ever read the exact details of your thoughts?

I took Molly to work with me a couple days ago. I usually take her out for a pee or potty break to the sidewalk or across the street to a nicely landscaped area of a large shopping center. My husband was at the office and I told him I was taking Molly out for a pee. This time, Molly decided she wanted to go through the shopping center to the nice path on top of a river levee on the far end of the center. It was a quiet morning and Molly and I were relaxed, she was leisurely taking in all the smells.

At the levee I wondered if my husband was thinking about where I was, but if he needed me, he could reach me on my Nextel PTT. Then I realized I did not have my office keys since I just expected to go out to the sidewalk and if my husband must leave for an emergency police tow, he is going to be really upset waiting 5-10 minutes for me to get back.

Immediately after that thought, Molly decided it was time to go back to the office, she not only walked in that direction, but she started running. So I was a little embarrassed trotting through this shopping center with my big GSD, but at least there is a PetSmart there so customers are used to seeing dogs. Molly got me back to work quickly and my husband never knew I flaked and forgot my keys. I just love these dogs!


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## DWP (Mar 31, 2011)

*I don't know but . . . . .*

When I am in the shop at home Kana (Black and Red Female) never fails to walk inside and come to me just as I am deciding it's time to go inside. She always leaves the shop and either lays outside or plays with Paison (White Female) when I am focused on what I am doing, leaving me to my work.


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## Tratkins (Feb 15, 2014)

Not exactly read my mind yet, but for the first time a couple of days ago, my dog read my fear. We were walking after dinner with just my dog and two school age children at a local wild life park (very desert-ish). Samson has been there many times but it is usually in the morning with lots of other people and dogs out. My daughter said "Look! A coyote!" Panic went through me and I got my pepper spray out and turned to walk the other direction. Although I outwardly stayed calm to not scare my girls, Samson (5months) immediately starting jumping and dancing all over the place and kept looking at me like he could tell something was wrong. He never saw the coyote and I know he was going off of my fear. We high tailed it out of there. As soon as we got back to the parking lot and I calmed down inside, he calmed as well. I love that they are so in tune with our emotions...like a true friend!


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

Gretchen said:


> Trainers will often tell you your feelings can transfer from you, down the leash to your dog and I feel this is true. But has your dog ever read the exact details of your thoughts?


yes, Max has, I used to take him to a park to play frisbee when he was younger, we always drive by the park almost daily but do not stop anymore, so one day last year I decided to take him to the park and play frisbee, didnt say anything to him, we went to the park, and as we were coming close to it, no turn signals or anything, he got all excited and looking in the back of the van for his frisbee, yes, they are incredibly in tune with us


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Always. The worst is when I'm planning to go somewhere with my pup, and he rushes me by yelling (with typical GSD noises, except max. volume!) at me to hurry up. I love them too! Awesome dogs!!!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Yes, Sinister can read my mind, thoughts and facial expressions. :wub:


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

I've read somewhere that since dogs don't have a language or words, that their thoughts are comprised of pictures. So if you think in terms of pictures, they have a sort of sixth sense to be able to see that and hence read your mind.

Have no idea how true it is. I think in terms of a jumble of pictures and words and I've never really consciously tested the theory...don't really know if it's even possible. But for some reason, in my mind, it makes sense and I think it's a pretty neat theory. 

Do you recall thinking of the office and your keys in terms of pictures...?


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

It is a pleasure reading all these stories, thanks for sharing.

Zeeva - I'm sure I did have a picture in my head of my backpack sitting on the office chair with keys inside.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

My dogs are incredibly attuned to me, my female and I have an amazing connection.

There is one incident that stands out to me at this moment:

When Ironhide was about 3 we were having a "trainer" wind down time after classes were over. My son who was 6 at the time, was running around the training space dragging a tug toy, which Ironhide would pick up, tug with him a little, the drop it and let him run away again. Another trainer was puppy sitting a Labradoodle, who was going through sort of a board and train. He was friendly, but rude with other dogs. So she let him out to have "how to be quiet training session" and he right away beelined for my son to "chase" the toy. However, I am not comfortable with my son playing this way with other dogs, I know my dogs and their response, so that is why it is ok. I had just started to yell "No!" when Ironhide swooped in, pushed him aside and herded him away from my son. Once he had been herded to the other side of the room and leashed, she went and picked up the toy and played with my son again. She got a very good reward for being such an intuitive girl!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I watched a video yesterday that made me cry and Robyn gently licked every tear off my face and stayed really close to me, I could see the concern in her face, she was looking me intently waiting to see if I was going to keep crying or not.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

I would like to say yes. I truly believe they are in-tune with me on a level most humans can't experience. They should and tend to use their 6th sense (_psychic/intuition whatever you want to call it_) first then their nose, ears and eyes.


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## K9POPPY (Mar 6, 2014)

*GSD can read your thoughts*

Our first GSD could definately read my mind while driving, he rode to work with me every day of our lives, and as the saying goes he was a awesome "back seat driver", with the exception being he sat next to me in the truck- this dog erupted on bad drivers before the thoughts could leave my lips, it was so uncanny, he was super intelligent. Other GSD's we have had over the last 40 years were also very good at reading thoughts, I have no doubts that they are super perceptive on human emotions-Bob


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

no, dogs can't read minds. they can tell by tone of voice and body language you're mood.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

As if that is even a challenge for my shepherd......she's already pretty much mastered telekinesis as well.

SuperG


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## Tina D. (Aug 29, 2012)

We were all at a festival in town a couple weeks ago, and took both dogs with us. Scooter is a lab mix. He is everybody's best friend, immediately, no questions asked. Mia is my GSD. She will tolerate strangers petting her, and will even lick their faces sometimes. She has never, ever growled at a stranger. She is just standoffish with them. Except with any children, she adores them! At this festival, everyone was oohing and ahhing over her. She is a big beautiful girl, if I do say so myself!  Lots of people had pet her, she was wonderful.

My husband had taken the 2 kids off to get a snack. I was standing off to the side, in a quiet area. I had both dogs on their leashes. Anyway, a straggly looking guy was off to the side, and I saw him look over. He had the "Nice dogs, I wanna pet them" look on his face. I didn't care for the look of this guy for some reason, but I figured it would be fine. He started walking over, and Mia started doing a very low, deep growl in the back of her throat. She stayed put, sitting tall right in front of me. It wasn't very loud, so I don't know if he heard it. Or maybe he didn't like how she was looking at him. Either way, he changed his route and went waaay around us! LOL 

I don't know if Mia sensed that he made me uneasy, or if she herself didn't care for him. But she has never done that out in public, as a reaction to anyone.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

When I am cooking , he knows exactly where I need to go next and lies there in front of the counter/cupboards, having to move away constantly. I don't mind and neither does he.


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