Top 5 facts: How well can dogs hear?

(Image by Pezibear from Pixabay)

1. Dogs hear at high frequencies

The average human hearing range is between 20Hz and 20,000Hz whereas a dog’s range is much higher from 40Hz to 60,000H.

2. Erect ears hear better

Dogs who have erect, pointy ears are noted to be able to hear slightly better than dogs with large, hairy ‘floppy’ ears.

3. Hearing is a dog’s secondary sense

Smell is thought to be the most important sense to a dog, but hearing comes in second over sight, taste and touch.

4. Dogs have impressive selective hearing 

Dogs can hear far more than a human, but have an ability to separate out sounds and focus on ones they want while ignoring others.

5. Dolphins have better hearing than dogs

Dolphins are actually thought to have the best hearing in the animal kingdom, with sound reception likely to take place in the lower jaw.

 


For more science and technology articles, pick up the latest copy of How It Works from all good retailers or from our website now. If you have a tablet or smartphone, you can also download the digital version onto your iOS or Android device. To make sure you never miss an issue of How It Works magazine, subscribe today!