Turning preference in dogs: North attracts while south repels

Abstract

Overview

The study explores the turning preferences in dogs relative to magnetic north and south, investigating whether these preferences are influenced by the Earth's magnetic fields.

Findings

• Previous experiments showed consistent individual turning preferences in dogs, generally biased towards magnetic north when placed between dishes in north-east or north-west configurations.
• Current experiments conducted indoors using magnetic coils to emulate the natural magnetic field or a field rotated by 90 degrees confirmed the presence of a "pull of the north".
• The study also detected a "repulsion of the south", with south-placed dishes being chosen less frequently, regardless of other outdoor cues.
• Dishes placed northwards are more frequently preferred, with specific preference patterns related to the dogs' motoric paw laterality and dominant eyesight.

Conclusion

The research implies a possible magnetoreception mechanism in dogs, driven by radical-pair processes impacting eye dominance and potentially guiding body alignments along the north-south axis, suggesting a complex interplay between sensory modalities in canines.