How did Corgi and his friends know where to go? Dogs have an 'internal compass'

The heartwarming video of seven dogs escaping a meat factory in China, and travelling 17 kilometres to reach home, is the best thing on the internet today. A tiny Corgi leads the way while the rest make a wall around an injured German Shepherd, presenting a humane picture at a time when humans are killing people in wars. It sounds like a fictional plot, and the story is tugging on the hearts of millions worldwide. But how did the dogs find their way back to their home despite being so far away? Dogs have a strong sense of smell and mostly rely on sniffing familiar objects and surroundings to recognise places and people. But the main feature they possess is their "internal compass", which is linked to Earth's magnetic field. Using magnetoreception, dogs, like birds and sea turtles, can orient themselves and find their way through unfamiliar terrain.

Study on how dogs find their way back

A 2020 study by researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences showed that dogs have the ability to align with the planet's magnetic field. Twenty-seven of them were fitted with a GPS collar and a camera, and were left to walk through forests every few weeks over three years. Researchers then called them back and noticed that all of them were carrying out the "compass run." Researchers said that the dogs dashed for around 65 feet, and in doing so, were aligning with Earth's geomagnetic field. They noted that they have a significant preference for aligning their bodies along the North-South magnetic axis. What they were doing was a scouting run, in which they moved some distance irrespective of their destination. This is believed to be a way to "calibrate" their internal compass against the environment. After this, they relied on sniffing and scouting, using landmarks for guidance.

Also Read: Tiny Corgi leads pack of 7 stolen dogs on miraculous 17km journey home

Many animals use Earth's magnetic field to travel large distances

Dogs, and other animals and birds who regularly migrate, can literally "see" the magnetic field as a visual overlay or shade. This is because of the presence of cryptochromes, light-sensitive proteins in their retinas. Some studies have also claimed that these creatures have tiny, iron-oxide particles, or magnetite, in the nervous system or inner ear that act like the needles of a magnetic compass that directly interact with their brains. This, combined with their olfactory senses, helps them find their way back.