Dogs can use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate

A team of researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences, Virginia Tech and Barry University have found evidence that suggests dogs can use Earth’s magnetic field as an aid to navigation. In her role in the eLife Sciences Initiative, the group describes their study of dog navigation and what they learned from it.

Previous research has shown that dogs tend to orient themselves in a north-south position when urinating, a finding that suggests they may have the ability to sense Earth’s magnetic field. In this new effort, the researchers conducted two experiments to further study magnetic field detection in dogs and whether they use it for navigation.

The two experiments were essentially the same: both involved connecting GPS sensors to various dogs, taking them into a natural environment, and releasing them for running. In all cases, the dogs soon returned to the person who had released them. The only difference in the experiments was the number of dogs involved: in the first, there were only four, and in the second, there were 27.

By studying the routes the dogs took, both on an expedition and on their return, the researchers found that they used one of two types of return. The first was called tracking, which meant that a dog was returning the same path it had taken, presumably using its nose. The team called the other type of return exploration, because the dogs followed an unknown path to return to where they had started their adventure. The researchers also found something else: For a large percentage of the scanning returns, the dogs first engaged in strange behavior. They ran north to south over a length of 20 meters several times before returning to their starting point; Doing so seemed to help the dogs get their bearings, as those who did were more efficient on their return.

The researchers suggest that the north-south run is evidence that dogs use the magnetic field to orient themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, which in turn helps them find their way home. Additional tests involved the owner hiding while the dog was walking, testing wind direction and speed, and observing the dog’s gender. No other factor made a difference in improving navigation efficiency, further supporting the idea that dogs were able to use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.

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