Let's Talk with C.B. Wilson

Glimmer is. How else can I think about taking a walk and she’s already waiting by the door? I haven’t touched the leash, put on my shoes, or even said the W-word. Yet somehow, she knows.

Okay, maybe dogs can’t actually read our minds. But science suggests they come surprisingly close. After thousands of years of living with humans, dogs have become quite good at reading us. They watch our facial expressions, body language, gestures, and even subtle changes in our tone of voice. Their powerful noses can detect chemical changes in our bodies associated with emotions such as stress. And because they are masters at learning our routines, they notice tiny signals we don’t even realize we’re giving.

So maybe Glimmer isn’t reading my mind when I think “walk”. Maybe I glanced toward the door. Shifted in my chair. Looked at the clock. Or did something so subtle I didn’t notice it myself. But she did.

Then again, science still doesn’t explain everything. How can Glimmer sleep through a bang-bang-shoot ‘em up movie, the Rumba vacuum cleaner in action, or my husband talking in the next room, yet hear a cheese wrapper being opened from fifty feet away? And how does she always know which person will drop table scraps?

It’s that combination of intelligence, intuition, and unpredictability that inspires me to put dogs in my mysteries. Honestly, Glimmer isn’t really my dog. She’s the diamond-sniffing dachshund in my Gem Hunters Mysteries, who notices things Hunter misses. Hunter has learned that when Glimmer stops, sniffs, and insists something deserves attention, she’d better listen.

Sometimes it’s a clue.

Sometimes it’s a diamond.

And sometimes it’s lunch.

So, are dogs really mind readers? Science says probably not. Dog lovers might disagree.

Let’s chat! Has your dog ever seemed to read your mind? What did your dog know before you said—or did—a thing?

Photo credit note: The author used AI to enhance her photo of Glimmer.

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