Why Do Dogs Take a Spin Before Pooping?

Dogs might be sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field based on their behavior when they poop or relieve themselves. This is according to a study published in Frontiers in Zoology in December 2013 by a dozen researchers from Germany and the Czech Republic.

In the study, the researchers monitored the behavior of 70 dogs of over 30 different breeds in free-roaming environments in Munich, Germany. They observed the way dogs positioned their bodies while doing their business and found that the animals often aligned themselves along the north-south axis. As illustrated in the study, most dogs faced north.

Another aspect of behavior that this study proved was how dogs navigate. An article from the website The Wildest, which also cited the study, suggested that magnetic sensitivity is likely one of the traits helping dogs find their way over considerable distances. This sensitivity also plays a role in how dogs choose their locations for relieving themselves.

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The Munich researchers did not determine how exactly the mechanism of the dogs’ behavior works. However, The Wildest article quoted another study, also done in Germany, mentioning the discovery of molecules in dogs’ eyes sensitive to magnetism. This molecule, called a cryptochrome, has been found in migratory birds.

Both studies support the assertion that dogs belong to the group of animals capable of detecting Earth's magnetic field. A wider body of research on the effects of Earth’s magnetic field on animals and plants already exists, which includes whales, birds, deer, cattle, foxes, and honeybees. The effects include certain aspects of animal behavior, such as migration patterns, plant behavior, including growth.

The first study, however, noted that the observations on the dogs’ behavior apply only if the Earth’s magnetic field is stable. If the magnetic field undergoes distortions, the dogs’ behaviors change. Factors contributing to changes in Earth's magnetic field include solar winds and variations in the sun's own magnetic field.

Speaking of distortions, some readers might be thinking, what about humans? Indeed, some fringe theories exist that connect this phenomenon of magneto-sensitivity to human behavior. One theory claims that, in a certain experiment, artificial magnetic field distortions caused a group of mice to turn cannibal on each other. The theory goes on to explain that the same principle applies to humans, explaining human depravity as a result of magnetic field distortions. However, no signs of this experiment being a real event have been found.

One actual study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009 mentions an experiment involving stimulation of the human brain with magnetic fields. The researchers observed that subjects who underwent magnetic stimulation exhibited changes in judgment when asked how they would act in certain situations. However, they also concluded that these judgments could be influenced by other factors, and the extent of deviation observed is nowhere near the level of depravity claimed by the fringe theory. Suffice it to say, humans are neither dogs, nor mice.

You curious pet owners, after reading this, might start watching your dog when they poop or piss and note what direction of the compass they are facing while doing so. Who knows, you might end up proving or disproving the research mentioned here.