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I grew up on boats and docks. I noticed as a kid that dogs on boats could differentiate people walking on a dock without seeing them. The dogs would become alert and start barking when they heard someone who wasn't normally there. I still wonder if they detect known gaits or the gait of someone who is not walking with a purpose.

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They almost certainly used their sense of smell to detect unknown people as well.

I agree, but I was struck by how a dog and I would detect a person at the same time, hearing them walk along the dock. The dog could tell if the person should be there. I could not. Because the dog perked up at the same time as I heard the footsteps, I assumed it was the sound that the dog was using.

The other thing with dogs is that they are empathic and attuned to you. Sometimes they are reacting to what you are communicating to them, before you are even conscious of it.

My cat is able to differentiate between people traversing the stairs to my front door (purely by the sound). The pacing and weight is usually very unique from one person to the next.

She will consistently jump up from my lap to greet a beloved family member at the door, but never gets up for guests.

This is impossible. Cats are incapable of love.

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