Why can dogs hear better than humans?

The longer answer

Sound travels through the air as tiny ripples. The bigger the scoop that catches those ripples, the more of them reach the inside of the ear, so quiet sounds seem louder.

A dog has many muscles in each ear, so it can lift, tilt and swivel them toward a sound, a bit like turning a satellite dish. People have to turn their whole head.

Every animal's ears suit the way it lives. A dog hears the snack bag from across the yard, an owl hears a mouse rustling in the dark, and a rabbit listens for danger in every direction.

Three things to know

• A dog can hear sounds that are too high for people. Some whistles seem silent to us, but a dog hears them clearly, because its ears pick up much higher notes than ours.
• An owl's whole face works like one big ear scoop. Its dish-shaped face gathers quiet sounds and funnels them to ears hidden under its feathers.
• Rabbits turn their long ears to catch sounds from behind. Each ear can swivel on its own, so a rabbit can listen in front and behind without moving its head.

Try it at home: Make a dog ear

1. Roll a sheet of paper into a cone and tape it, leaving a small hole at the narrow end.
2. Ask someone to whisper or tick a clock quietly across the room.
3. Listen without the cone, then hold the small end gently near your ear, never inside it.
4. Make a bigger cone. Does a bigger scoop catch more sound?

Turn your cone slowly around the room, like a dog turning its ears, and see if you can tell where the sound is coming from.