Scientists say dogs align with Earth's magnetic field before dropping a deuce

If you own a dog, you have undoubtedly stood there scowling as your dog sniffs every inch of the yard looking for that perfect spot to take care of his business. Scientists have recently published a report that sheds a bit of light on why dogs are so particular about their positioning when doing the deed in the yard.

According to the researchers, dogs align themselves with the Earth's north-south axis when going to the bathroom. The scientists say that the smallest changes in the magnetic field can influence their position. I guess that explains why the dog suddenly goes searching again just when you think they are ready to go.

German and Czech researchers watched 70 dogs while they took care of business. That business included 1,893 defecations and 5,582 urinations over the course of two years. That sounds like a crappy job. The researchers found that dogs prefer the north-south orientation when they take care of business.

They also found that during solar flares the dogs would become confused. This is the first study to prove dogs are sensitive to the Earth's magnetic field. The researchers don't know why the dogs prefer this orientation whilst taking care of business. All I know is I am taking a compass the next time I walk the dog and streamlining this entire process.

SOURCE: DesignTrend