Agis and I went camping this weekend. One hike we did passed through several ridges and he'd stop and look out.

I couldn't help but wonder - is he admiring the view? What do dogs think when they look at various things, especially outdoors?

You're a candidate for looking at the cartoon "Bliss"

When it comes to dogs being outdoors I think they're intrigued by the different smells. They are familiar with the smells in their own neighborhood or property but when they're away from home it's all new smells to them.

Middle I was unfamiliar! Just looked up and started reading some. Fantastic!

SRM, I've always thought it was just smells. But he was looking out over vistas! Perhaps there were interesting smells on the air currents. But I would expect if I could smell as well as a dog could I'd find all of that more interesting. I don't think dogs see as well, in terms of sharpness, and I know for sure not colours.

Thanks, Jenn.

This discussion reminds me that I need to resume reading "Inside of a dog". It's pretty interesting reading and so is "What the Dog Nose" or "the Dog's Nose" - forget the exact title on that one.

Oh perhaps books for a Christmas list! (Though I know what I'm getting - a cot for Agis for hot tent winter camping - so I think that's probably too wishful, but my birthday is in January!)

Ok here are the titles

Inside of a Dog[:What Dogs See, Smell, and Know/i], Alexandra Horowitz, Schribner, 2009

[i]What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs Cat Warren, Simon and Schuster, 2013,

I found both of mine at junk stores - "Inside" is more readily available in those sources it seems

Inside sounds really interesting. Will definitely keep an eye out for it.

I definitely agree on the smells. My Jazz is a bit of a mountain goat, and will go to one of the highest spots around and you can see her nose twitching a mile a minute. I wonder if the smells are better higher on a rock where the wind picks them up ... it is odd how many dogs will not only seek the high spots, but will stand as close to the edge of a ridge as possible (which makes me very nervous).

Lisa, my dogs always want to be close to the edge too! Agis is pretty good about standing still now if I sharply call out 'AGIS!' he stops thank goodness.

Hey, nice to see you Lisa-Happy New Year!

Now that you mention it, our guys also climb(ed) as high as my tame walks take us-peering from a ridge over a tiny river and the train tracks and the parkway-oh my!

I always had to keep Max leashed near edges!

Thanks MJ, goks to see you too!

I always get nervous around edges too. They're pretty good about coming to me as I nervously call them to my side. Neb we leash because he's senile and 'deaf' (heh) but Agis will stay with us.

Yup. Edges.

There's a roadside park in central Oregon - when highway 97 was just two lanes, it was a rest stop. It's on the river. And the river is in a canyon at that point. There are signs: "LEASH YOUR PET".....

Then there was my first dog as an adult... I remember being down at the rr tracks - and the road crossed over 50 or so feet higher. My dog was up there. I watched him check out the east side, then cross over and check out the west side and come down that way. It was steep, too, but not as steep as the east side.

Same dog had been taught to jump about 5 or 6 feet straight up to the top of a retaining wall when we lived in another city. We (he and I) moved to this other town in eastern Washington. We were out on a walk again. I leaned against the wide cement railing on the overpass, resting my hand on it's top. Here comes my dog on the run - oh damn. He's sure-footed as all get out and perched on that railing. Agility and brains were a good combo for him. Not exactly what the song "My Heart Skips a Beat" had in mind....

I think this human gets more nervous about edges than her dog did.



so far as aesthetics - I'm betting "yes" but far from the same way we do. Consider their hightened senses of smell and hearing and that their visual perception is different than ours, too.

Yes, this.

OK as I think about it - I need a laugh - a dog related laugh.

Dog aesthetics:

Pleasing odors;
fresh, soft but ripe manure of any origin
moderately aged dead animals, must be sufficiently ripe
.
Pleasing visuals:
cat up a tree
ground squirrel in a burrow
movement

Pleasing taste:
anything that will cause me to vomit within 24 hours

Additions welcome!

Lol. Nailed it.

Who needs to add to that Middle? Covers it all!