Pet Talk: Do dogs have good hearing?

Dear Pet Talk: I’ve heard that dogs have the best hearing of all animals. Is that true?

— TRIVIA FAN AND DOG MOM

DEAR TFADM: You’ve heard pretty accurate information! The hearing of most canines is very, very strong and they can hear sounds that are softer, higher in pitch, and farther away than what any human can hear.

However, they are not alone as members of the animal kingdom with extraordinary hearing. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare identifies 14 species with exceptional abilities which include (in alphabetical order): barn owls, bats, cats, catfish, dogs, dolphins, elephants, horses, pigeons, rabbits, rats, whales and wolves.

Now, what do we mean by “hearing”? Humans typically can’t hear sounds above 20,000 Hz, but dogs will detect frequencies from 47,000 to 65,000 Hz. Why is their hearing excellent? Because they’re hunters, and their ancestors relied on hearing the rustling, squeaking and general movements of small prey, such as mice and rats (note that rats also have excellent hearing!).

And it’s not just their auditory abilities; dog’s ears also are complex mechanisms and allow them to hone in on sounds — as well as allowing them to look “super cute” according to every child who’s ever seen a dog cock its ears toward them!

Dogs can have up to 18 distinct muscles so their ears will tilt, move and even rotate independently to pinpoint sound. That funnel-shaped outer ear canal will drive sound waves to their inner ear where your dog can distinguish sounds. And when your dog is snoozing happily on the rug, but suddenly pricks up his ears and leaps to his feet barking enthusiastically, he is responding to a sound.

The sound may be welcome and familiar, such as the return of the family car, or the voice of a loved one. Or it may be mysterious and possibly threatening (sirens, stranger at the door or thunder).

While we’re talking about ears, consider this: wild canids, such as wolves, coyotes and foxes, have naturally pointed ears, but most domestic dogs’ ears evolved to be large and floppy. This protects the ear canal from debris. However, humans have developed an atrocious habit of cropping ears for certain breeds, like German shepherds, Rotties and many bully breeds. This is part of a human-based criterion of “appropriateness,” but it is cruel and unnecessary.

Yes, professional breeders have a long history of cropping ears of particular breeds, but there is no earthly reason to crop a dog’s ears. And while we’re talking dogs — no need to dock the tail, either. That helps your dog show expressiveness and emotion. Enjoy and admire their excellent hearing, and leave ears and tail alone!

Sally Cragin is the director of Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. Send questions to [email protected].