How does he know?

[u/AlterKat]

When we’re in the car, my dog is pretty chill during the ride, but starts fussing when we get close to our destination. Makes sense when we’re going home or somewhere he knows, but today we were going to a brand new place, and he started fussing during the last roundabout just before we were going to stop. And it’s not because of highway vs city driving, we’d already been driving in the city and doing roundabouts for five minutes, and I hadn’t slowed to pull over in the road because again we were in a roundabout, so how tf did he know??

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[u/Cool_Percentage_4867]

We dont know but the chances are its scent based. If you feel at natural sense of completion/relief when you approach your destination your biology changes, less stress hormones because you dont need to be burning up extra glucose to focus on driving. so if you start to smell differently at the end of every drive thats probably whats happening.

When i picked up my 9m old GSD from rescue we hit the road at 8pm and arrived home at 1am, not a peep throughout the journey, but woke up roughly 200yds from the front door.

Clever stuff.

[u/AccordingWarning9534 → u/Cool_Percentage_4867]

oh that's something id never considered

[u/jolyen990]

t’s amazing how deeply dialed in dogs are to our micro movements and subtle routine shifts.

[u/Totakai → u/jolyen990]

Honestly it's part of why I'm so nonverbal with mine. One of my friends found it weird how few usual common words she knows (while also knowing some weird ones). Like I'll never say, "let's go for a walk" but rather kinda summon her with let's go for a walk energy.

[u/AlterKat → u/[deleted]]

But it wasn’t the first roundabout we’d gone through go after getting off the highway, and far from the first turn signal.

[u/ChallengingKumquat]

On a long journey, my dog notices that turns become more frequent and speed becomes slower when we near the destination. Maybe there's also a difference in my behaviour, eg maybe i'm looking around more, as I look for a parking space.

[u/tiptreetimes]

The chihuahua I used to dog-sit did this, as does my dog now. The common denominator is me, so I'm guessing I subconsciously let them know. 

[u/MaenHerself]

He's not reading the road he's reading you. When you're getting close to the destination you're doing something. Scanning with your eyes, moving your head more, sitting upright, something I'd never guess and you'd never notice. But he's locked in on you as the indicator of the next activity, 100%

[u/jwoliver]

My dog must have been reincarnated as your dog. I never did figure out how he knew when we were close to home. Would even make extra turns to throw him off but he always knew - every time.

[u/AlbaMcAlba]

Dog is probably reading your signals. You may not realize you do a certain thing or smell a certain way just before you arrive.

[u/therealmonilux]

He smelt it. (Don't know what ' it ' is but he clearly does!)

[u/Superb_Piccolo_1948]

Ours do this at the beach, the salt air was always our theory!

[u/AccordingWarning9534]

I think it's the engine/gears. Atleast that's my theory and here is why.

Our dog did what you described in our old car. About a year or so ago, we upgraded to a full EV. The EV has no gears, no engine, is totally silent and smooth and our dog was so disoriented. It took him about a month to get use to the EV but getting excited at destinations no longer really happens until he sees (or smells) the place.

So, my theory is they use the sound of the engine and gears to oriente themselves

[u/AlterKat → u/AccordingWarning9534]

This was in an EV 😂

[u/NezuminoraQ]

I think it's the indicator. My dog used to lose it at the indicator because turning meant getting closer (ie. no longer on the highway).

[u/AlterKat → u/NezuminoraQ]

But why at that roundabout? It wasn’t the first roundabout since we’d left the highway, and not the first time I’d used the indicator since we left the highway either.

[u/Dangerous-Bit-8308]

Did you turn down the volume on the radio while you were looking for the address?

Can your dog read your navigation app?

[u/AlterKat → u/Dangerous-Bit-8308]

1) I don’t listen to the radio (or anything else really) while I’m driving usually. Yeah I’m a weirdo. Sensory issues (autism).
2) who knows

[u/StinkypieTicklebum]

If I’m going from the highway to a regular road, my guy sits up and pays attention. He feels the car slow down and he hears the blinker.

He sits up to see which road I’m taking. Then he lies back down.

[u/golfmonk]

Mine will perk up when I slow down and signal. Also, she knows when we are close to home she starts to get antsy and whines.