Dogs seem to have magical skills when it comes to detecting a coveted snack. Dogs are born with a knack for hearing high-pitched sounds. Opening a bag apparently falls into that sound category, suggests Christine Zink, author of the book Healthcare & Nutrition for Dummies. Over time, dogs may gradually lose their ability to hear lower-pitched noises, but they retain their high-pitched hearing. If you want to get an older dog’s attention, Zink therefore advises that you try speaking louder and/or using a higher-pitched voice.
Dogs in general, however, have much better hearing than we humans do. According to
Morgan Spector, author of Clicker Training for Obedience: Shaping Top Performance -- Positively, your dog’s hearing is 12 times more acute than yours. Even dogs with some hearing loss can detect a cellophane bag opening a quarter of a mile away! An average dog can hear sounds that we cannot hear past 100 yards.
Additionally, your dog has a keen nose. When you add that adept sense of smell to your dog’s impressive sense of hearing, it’s no wonder that dogs -- even senior ones with some hearing loss -- can make a beeline for potential snacks.