Turning preference in dogs: North attracts while south repels

2021 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 1234

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2021

Study typeanimal

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Turning preference in dogs: North attracts while south repels Jana Adámková, Kateřina Benediktová, Jan Svoboda, Luděk Bartoš, Lucie Vynikalová, Petra Nováková, Vlastimil Hart, Michael S Painter, Hynek Burda. Turning preference in dogs: North attracts while south repels. PLoS One. 2021 Jan 28;16(1):e0245940. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245940. Abstract It was shown earlier that dogs, when selecting between two dishes with snacks placed in front of them, left and right, prefer to turn either clockwise or counterclockwise or randomly in either direction. This preference (or non-preference) is individually consistent in all trials but it is biased in favor of north if they choose between dishes positioned north and east or north and west, a phenomenon denoted as "pull of the north". Here, we replicated these experiments indoors, in magnetic coils, under natural magnetic field and under magnetic field shifted 90° clockwise. We demonstrate that "pull of the north" was present also in an environment without any outdoor cues and that the magnetic (and not topographic) north exerted the effect. The detailed analysis shows that the phenomenon involves also "repulsion of the south". The clockwise turning preference in the right- preferring dogs is more pronounced in the S-W combination, while the counterclockwise turning preference in the left-preferring dogs is pronounced in the S-E combination. In this way, south-placed dishes are less frequently chosen than would be expected, while the north-placed dishes are apparently more preferred. Turning preference did not correlate with the motoric paw laterality (Kong test). Given that the choice of a dish is visually guided, we postulate that the turning preference was determined by the dominant eye, so that a dominant right eye resulted in clockwise, and a dominant left eye in counterclockwise turning. Assuming further that magnetoreception in canines is based on the radical-pair mechanism, a "conflict of interests" may be expected, if the dominant eye guides turning away from north, yet the contralateral eye "sees the north", which generally acts attractive, provoking body alignment along the north-south axis. Open access paper: journals.plos.org

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AI evidence extraction

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Study typeanimal

Effect directionunclear

PopulationDogs

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureNot supplied

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 66% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Indoor experiments conducted under natural magnetic field and under a magnetic field shifted 90° clockwise found that the previously described "pull of the north" persisted without outdoor cues and was attributable to magnetic (not topographic) north. Detailed analysis suggested an additional "repulsion of the south," with south-placed dishes chosen less often than expected; turning preference did not correlate with motoric paw laterality (Kong test).

Outcomes measured

Turning preference (clockwise vs counterclockwise)
Choice preference for dish positions relative to magnetic north/south ("pull of the north"; "repulsion of the south")
Correlation with paw laterality (Kong test)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "magnetic coils (shifted magnetic field)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Dogs",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Turning preference (clockwise vs counterclockwise)",
    "Choice preference for dish positions relative to magnetic north/south (\"pull of the north\"; \"repulsion of the south\")",
    "Correlation with paw laterality (Kong test)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Indoor experiments conducted under natural magnetic field and under a magnetic field shifted 90° clockwise found that the previously described \"pull of the north\" persisted without outdoor cues and was attributable to magnetic (not topographic) north. Detailed analysis suggested an additional \"repulsion of the south,\" with south-placed dishes chosen less often than expected; turning preference did not correlate with motoric paw laterality (Kong test).",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.66,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "dogs",
    "magnetoreception",
    "magnetic field manipulation",
    "magnetic coils",
    "turning preference",
    "pull of the north",
    "repulsion of the south",
    "laterality",
    "Kong test"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "animal-studies",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Behavioral experiment in dogs examining responses to manipulated magnetic fields (magnetoreception)."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245940
PubMed: Not supplied

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