Ever wonder why dogs need to get themselves into just the right position to do their business? As it turns out, dogs align their body axis according to Earth’s Magnetic field when they squat to poop—a behavior that changes when the magnetic field is unstable. But why do they do it?

The results of the published paper from Frontiers in Zoology sound goofy, but the takeaway is all in the title, “Dogs are sensitive to small variations of the Earth’s magnetic field.” The researchers measured the direction of the body axis of 70 different dogs while they were off-leash during 1,893 acts of defecation and 5,582 acts of urination over a two-year period. They found that, under calm magnetic field conditions, dogs prefer to orient their bodies along the North-South axis when they poop. However, this behavior did not occur during unstable magnetic field conditions, and the best predictor for this change of behavior was the rate of change of magnetic declination. This means that the dogs are responding to changes in the polarity of the magnetic field rather than changes in intensity. It’s that change in behavior that has the authors of this paper particularly excited, since it’s the first time, according to the paper, that magnetic sensitivity has been proven in dogs and that a predictable behavioral reaction from natural magnetic field fluctuations has been unambiguously observed in mammals.

The question that this inevitably invites is: why on Earth do dogs do this? The paper notes that it’s not just that dogs prefer to align themselves along the North-South axis; they also seem to avoid the East-West axis when they poop, although it’s not clear whether they do so consciously. The researchers suggest that perhaps, when dogs poop, they are also taking the opportunity to orient themselves.

An answer may lie in the biological meaning of the behavior: if dogs would use a visual (radical-pair based) magnetic map to aid general orientation in space as has been proposed for rodents, they might have the need to center/calibrate the map now and then with regard to landmarks or a magnetic reference. Aligning the map and the view towards North (or South) facilitates reading the map. Furthermore, calibration only makes sense when the reference is stable and reliable. We might think of this the same way as a human is stopping during a hike to read a map. When the map is blurred or the reference (perceived magnetic direction) is dispersed or moving due to magnetic disturbances, however, calibration is impossible. In the case of the dogs it thus would totally make sense to not pay attention to magnetic body alignment any more under conditions of a shifting magnetic field.

Why is this relevant? Because the ability to detect the earth’s magnetic field can expand the capacities that our canine friends have: predict natural disasters (earthquakes, storms, snowstorms) with more precision, anticipate solar storms, locate people and help navigate long distances like a bus ou GPS.

According to the United Disabilities Services (UDS), a non-profit organization based in Lancaster, PA, committed to helping seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities lead more independent and fulfilling lives, “service dogs play a vital role in the lives of people with disabilities, ranging from autism to muscular dystrophy. These loving animals help their owners perform day-to-day tasks, and some are specially trained for people with diabetes, epilepsy, or PTSD. Service dogs play an important practical role in the lives of their partners, but they also become loving friends.

There are many types of service dogs out there, and each type offers a host of unique characteristics and benefits. 

Allergy Detection Dogs
These dogs are specially trained to detect and alert to the odor of allergens, such as peanuts, gluten, or eggs. Food allergies are on the rise, and some people go into anaphylactic shock from touching even a tiny amount of an allergen. Allergy detection dogs can pick up the scent of a harmful allergen before their person even comes into contact with it.

Autism Service Dogs
Frequently paired with children, autism service dogs are trained to help people navigate social settings. Many people with autism have trouble reading social cues and forming connections with their peers. Dogs make for the perfect icebreaker and can provide a sense of predictability and comfort for people with autism.

Diabetic Alert Dogs
These service dogs are specifically trained to alert their person to potentially-deadly blood sugar highs (hyperglycemia) and lows (hypoglycemia). When the dog alerts, the partner knows to test their blood and then inject insulin or ingest glucose to adjust their levels. Like other service dogs, diabetic alert dogs provide their owners with a heightened sense of independence and security.

Guide Dogs
Perhaps the most commonly-known type of service dogs, guide dogs help blind and low-vision individuals navigate the world. These dogs typically wear a special harness with a handle for their owner to grasp, rather than a vest. Unlike other service dogs, guide dogs practice what’s called selective disobedience. This means they obey commands, but still make choices based on their own assessment of a situation. For example, their partner may command them to cross the street, but the dog will disobey if there are cars coming.”

Check the United Disabilities Services  website for additional information.

Other posts that might interest you:
Woof Woof: Dog Barks in Different Languages
Dogs hear our words and how we say them