I often wondered that with my mother’s cat, who jumped onto the couch to peer out the window, moments before I heard my mom’s car pull up to the house. My father told me about a family dog that followed them halfway across the country to be with them on their vacation. I can easily explain away the cat’s behavior–exceptional hearing or an awareness of time. But the dog? How would she know where to find my father’s family, especially at such a great distance?

Rupert Sheldrake has written a book about such cases, entitled Dogs That Know When Their Owners are Coming Home. Sheldrake believes that domestic animals can communicate telepathically with people and other animals with whom they have emotional bonds. That’s putting it simply, without the science speak. He isn’t alone in his curiosity about this phenomenon.

Alex Tsakiris of OpenSourceScience is hosting a contest to see whether dogs have psychic ability. The prize for the dog who can demonstrate psychic talent is $1,000. Find out more about this contest by visiting Dogs That Know.