What effect does the magnetic field have on your dog?
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
Maybe you have noticed that your dog partner sometimes takes quite a while before he finds the right spot to do his needs. And that's just the effect of a magnetic field. Since dogs take up such a position doing so, that their body is directed into a certain direction towards the Earth’s magnetic field.
Sounds unbelievable, right? However, a recent Czech-German scientific study proved, that dogs are sensitive to small changes in the Earth's magnetic field, which in turn affects the way they “go to the toilet”. A team of scientists found out after several years of monitoring of dogs, that if the magnetic field is calm, the dogs prefer to align their body on the axis from the North to the South when doing their needs. However, if the magnetic field becomes unstable, dogs have no directional preference.
Scientists from the Czech Agricultural University and the German University of Duisburg-Essen wrote in the context of publication in the scientific journal Frontiers in Zoology online, that measuring of the direction of the axis of the body was carried out in 70 dogs of 37 breeds during defecation (1 893 observations) and urination (5 582 observations) over a two-year period. Collected data was sorted according to geomagnetic conditions in the individual periods of data collection. Directional preferences of the dogs in various conditions of the magnetic field were then analysed and tested using a circular statistics.
Based on this research, the scientists came to the conclusion that the behaviour of dogs is predictable based on fluctuations in the magnetic field. However, they are not sure why dogs are adapting to it while carrying out their needs. Whether they do it consciously (i.e. if they see or feel the direction of the compass in any way) or subconsciously (whether the direction is controlled on an autonomic level - they only feel better or worse when facing a certain way). The analysis of the collected data only shows that dogs prefer the North-South direction and at the same time they avoid the East-West direction.
This magnetic positioning has been observed also in other mammals besides dogs, for example, in cattle or deer. Foxes plan the hunting trajectory precisely based on the magnetic field. In turn, wolves have extremely large territories. This suggests that they have excellent orientation skills, in which the scientists also see also a link with the perception of the magnetic field.
In any case, based on this discovery, the scientists established, that new horizons have opened up in magneto-biological research.
What do you think about it? Have you noticed that your dog always turns in the same direction when doing his needs? Try to notice it and share your experience!
Did you know that the domestic cat which is now kept as a pet all over the world, is probably a domesticated form of the wild cat, specifically of its subspecies the African wildcat, European wildcat and Asiatic wildcat?
Apart from regular care for the fur and dog’s teeth we should include also the inspection and cleaning of the eyes and ear inspection in the list of everyday tasks. Even though the cats are rather known for cleanliness, it’s important also for a...
Cat is a perfect tool for hunting. It owes it to the dozens of years of evolution. While in dogs, their physical signs have been emphasised or suppressed, cats got to keep, apart from several exceptions, their main anatomical features unchanged. In...
According to various statistics, the number of cats in our country is increasing. Not only dogs, but also cats belong to increasingly more common pets. So, it can happen to us more often, that we'll meet an abandoned cat in the street and we're...
Some dogs take the arrival of a new family member in a hard way. Previously, we described how to prepare them for this situation already before the baby even arrives home and today, we will take a look at the introduction itself.
It's no longer a strange thing when a municipality sets up a dog park or a dog playground. Due to frequent regulation of off-leash movement of dogs, this should, however, often be obligatory. Do you know how to behave in such places so that you...
Another possible sport at which you can play with your dog and exercise with them at the same time, is the Dog Puller. You can practice it with all the dog breeds, no matter the size or age.
Nowadays, cats are increasingly more often becoming members of our households. Cat toilets producers are adapting to this trend as well. They can provide cats with a greater comfort in their daily need. From the perspective of the owners, the producers...
Vacation time is finally here and many of us are planning where they will be headed this year. If you decide to go for an adventure by car and to take your dog friend with you as well, a bit of advice might come in handy on how to provide safety for...
Of course that we won’t talk about how to teach a dog the swimming technique. We want to talk about how to teach the dog to get used to water and how to make swimming a positive experience for it. Since not every one of them trusts water and some are...
If you’re planning to bring a new addition home and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a kitten or an adult cat, it is necessary to prepare the flat for it as well. Do you know what will the animal need and what you shouldn’t forget about or how to choose...
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...