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REVEALED: Why Dogs Turn in Circles to Find the Perfect “Poo” Spot

By: Justin Palmer
Justin Palmer is a Certified Pet Food Nutrition Specialist and co-founder of iHeartDogs.com. Inspired by his rescued husky, Splash, he dedicated himself to learning about extending both the length and quality of her life. Splash lived and thrived until 18 years old, and now Justin is on a mission to share what he learned with other dog owners.Read more
| January 6, 2014

How would you like to have spent the last 2 years studying poo-ing behavior in dogs? Well, turns out a team of researchers just did, and what they found was a bit surprising.

According to the study, it appears that dogs prefer to be positioned along the earth’s north/south axis when they relieve themselves. The study included data from 1,893 dog “poos” and 5,582 dog “pees”. The breeds included in the study were dachshunds, beagles, fox terriers, and a few others.

dog-study

The study concluded that the findings make sense in light of the known homing abilities of dogs and their close relation with wolves, red foxes, and coyotes. The study did find, however, that when the earth’s magnetic field is disturbed, such as during storms, the pattern is seen less frequently.

What do you think? Does your dog’s data agree with the study? Pay attention next time they go! 🙂

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Photo Source: Frontiers in Zoology
Story Source: NBC4

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