Do dogs have an internal gps?
This is an interesting read. Later I’ll share a story from herding that might be related. Magnetic alignment enhances homing efficiency of hunting dogs DOI: 10.7554/eLife.55080 Abstract Des...
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Here is my story.
Several years ago I competed at our national sheepdog finals in Sturgis SD with my Peg. We had never been on this field before. The field was huge. From where I stood and sent Peg to gather the sheep there was a 300 yard flat field (imagine a baseball field that was 2x the size of an MLB field); beyond the 300 yards there was a ridge about 250' tall with the highest point about 500 yards away. Beyond the top of the ridge the terrain dropped down and the field extended for 100s for yards. The sheep that Peg needed to gather were set out about 100 yards below the top of the ridge.
An outrun (the path taken to gather sheep) is shaped like the outline of a pear with me stating at the stem and the sheep at the bottom of the pear. The goal is for the dog to get behind the sheep without disturbing them as there are waiting and then to start their movement straight towards me.
I sent Peg to the right. On the path she took she lost sight of the sheep and she lost sight of me. I saw her go over the ridge 200-300 yards to the right side of the sheep. On the other side of the ridge she could not see the sheep. Somehow Peg came over the top of the ridge directly behind the sheep and started moving them straight towards me.
How can a dog, after loosing sight of me and the sheep know where to run to in order to be lined up directly behind the sheep from me? I have seen this repeated by many, but not all dogs. Some seem to have a map in their head even on fields where they have never run; knowing where they are in relationship to the sheep and handler (that are out of sight) and can get to the right spot. Other dogs run this path and then pop-up over the ridge in the wrong spot (too far to the right or left) and then have to run back to the correct spot; or turn into the field too soon and end up below the sheep or directly to one side or the other of the sheep.
Several years ago I competed at our national sheepdog finals in Sturgis SD with my Peg. We had never been on this field before. The field was huge. From where I stood and sent Peg to gather the sheep there was a 300 yard flat field (imagine a baseball field that was 2x the size of an MLB field); beyond the 300 yards there was a ridge about 250' tall with the highest point about 500 yards away. Beyond the top of the ridge the terrain dropped down and the field extended for 100s for yards. The sheep that Peg needed to gather were set out about 100 yards below the top of the ridge.
An outrun (the path taken to gather sheep) is shaped like the outline of a pear with me stating at the stem and the sheep at the bottom of the pear. The goal is for the dog to get behind the sheep without disturbing them as there are waiting and then to start their movement straight towards me.
I sent Peg to the right. On the path she took she lost sight of the sheep and she lost sight of me. I saw her go over the ridge 200-300 yards to the right side of the sheep. On the other side of the ridge she could not see the sheep. Somehow Peg came over the top of the ridge directly behind the sheep and started moving them straight towards me.
How can a dog, after loosing sight of me and the sheep know where to run to in order to be lined up directly behind the sheep from me? I have seen this repeated by many, but not all dogs. Some seem to have a map in their head even on fields where they have never run; knowing where they are in relationship to the sheep and handler (that are out of sight) and can get to the right spot. Other dogs run this path and then pop-up over the ridge in the wrong spot (too far to the right or left) and then have to run back to the correct spot; or turn into the field too soon and end up below the sheep or directly to one side or the other of the sheep.
