The Science Behind Animal Communication

Investigate the intriguing science behind intuitive animal communication. See how dogs, cats, and other species might connect with humans on a deeper level.

Animal communication is growing in popularity. But does it really work? Is it possible for us to communicate intuitively with dogs, cats and other species? Researchers have done few studies on the topic, but the results to date indicate there may be something to it. Here’s a closer look at the science behind animal communication. 

What the research reveals about animal communication 

Here’s an overview of some studies researchers have conducted on animal communication so far.

Animals may be able to read our minds

• In 1999, biologist Dr. Rupert Sheldrake tested two dogs under controlled conditions by filming them during their humans’ absence and return. A neutral third party reviewed the footage and recorded timestamps whenever the dogs stood by the window. 

Both dogs spent significantly more time at the window during the ten minutes before their humans returned. This was true whether the return time was chosen by the guardian or randomly selected. 

For one dog, this pattern held true regardless of whether the owner returned in their own vehicle, a strange vehicle, or on foot. It also applied whether the dog was in their own home or someone else’s.

• In other research, Dr. Sheldrake studied a parrot named N’kisi who had an uncanny way of commenting on things his human was thinking about. The parrot and his person were put in separate rooms and videotaped. 

Dr. Sheldrake gave N’kisi’s human sealed envelopes containing photos of items in the parrot’s vocabulary. The person silently viewed each photo for two minutes. Meanwhile, three independent transcribers reviewed footage of N’kisi and recorded his responses. 

No matter which way they analyzed the data, N’kisi spoke the correct vocabulary words more frequently than other words.

Can we read our animals’ minds?

• In 2016, psychologist Deborah L. Erickson conducted a study on animal communication with therapy horses. Animal communicators connected with 12 horses that were part of a therapeutic riding program for military veterans. 

They asked each horse the same five questions, plus a few other questions from the veterans and the horses’ guardians. Veterans and guardians scored the answers on a scale from 1 (not at all useful) to 6 (extremely useful). The average overall usefulness reported by the veterans was 4.9, and by the guardians 5.75.

One interesting aspect of this study involved asking each horse if they had mouth pain. If the horse reported pain, they were asked to specify the location. 

A veterinarian then examined all the horses and confirmed the results were highly accurate. Horses that reported no pain needed no dental care, while all that reported pain needed some dental work. 

One horse, Venus, mentioned pain on the upper right in back, “like something lodged between a tooth and gum.” Her person said: “Both I and the veterinarian were in absolute amazement when she pulled a wood chip out of [the upper right of] Venus’ mouth!”

• In a more recent study, sociologist Dušan Janák asked both laypeople and animal communicators to look at five different animal photos and write as much as they could about each animal. The animals’ guardians rated each response on a five-point scale, ranging from completely correct to completely incorrect. 

Janák moved completely correct items to the next round. In this phase, he scored them on a five-point scale from completely unpredictable to completely predictable. (You’re not going to convince anyone you’re an animal communicator if you say a Labrador Retriever likes to eat – it’s too predictable!) 

Items that were completely correct and completely unpredictable were scored again, this time for how detailed they were. Professional animal communicators provided a higher proportion of correct, unpredictable, and detailed information than laypeople.

These studies are intriguing, and researchers are conducting more. However, scientifically proving intuitive animal communication remains a distant goal. In the meantime, I’m careful not to think about tuna sandwiches if I’m not in the mood to be stared at by my cats!

Anecdotal evidence for animal communication abounds 

Does the following scenario sound familiar? You’re sitting on the couch when your thoughts drift to going for a walk. An instant later, your dog appears, tail wagging, a hopeful gleam in her eye. 

Many animal guardians report experiences where their dogs, cats, or other companion animals seem to read their minds. In fact, there are plenty of anecdotes about humans and animals communicating intuitively. 

Dr. Sheldrake’s 1999 book, Dogs That Know When Their Owners are Coming Home, lists hundreds of cases where animal behaviors seem to defy any explanation other than telepathy, including:

o Animals that appear to predict when their humans are due to return home

o Cats that disappear before vet visits

o Dogs that anticipate going for walks or car rides

o Animals that seem to know when their humans are about to travel

o Animals that come when called telepathically by their humans.

Additionally, an increasing number of people, including veterinarians, hire professional animal communicators to help resolve issues in animals that don’t respond to other approaches. 

Both dogs spent significantly more time at the window in the ten minutes before their humans returned.

Professional animal communicators provided a higher proportion of correct, unpredictable, and detailed information than laypeople.

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