Solitary working hunting dogs show a higher tendency for magnetic alignment, with decreased alignment in older dogs

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that domestic dogs may be able to sense the Earth's magnetic field. One way in which this sensory ability (magnetoreception) may be behaviourally expressed is via magnetic alignment, when animals align their bodies in a non-random direction relative to the geomagnetic field. Expression of magnetic alignment can vary depending on environmental and magnetic conditions, cognitive ability, motivation, experience, and possibly on dog breed. Here, we investigated whether magnetic alignment in domestic dogs varied according to breed working specialisation, particularly between breeds used for independent work away from their owners and those working closely with them. We analysed 4986 observations of dogs during excretion, categorising them into three groups based on their working specialisation: (1) non-hunting breeds cooperating closely with their owners, (2) hunting dogs working in visual contact with their owners, and (3) hunting dogs working independently of their owners out of sight. Although we did not observe a consistent pattern of magnetic alignment across all dogs, our results indicate that breeds working independently of their owners demonstrated a higher tendency to align their bodies along the North-South magnetic axis (N-S alignment) than those working closely with their owners. Additionally, the likelihood of N-S alignment decreased with the dogs' age, indicating that older dogs were less likely to exhibit this behaviour. Interestingly, dogs that defecated were more likely to align themselves than those that urinated. These findings highlight the importance of considering working specialisation and age in future studies of magnetoreception in dogs.