Do dogs have an internal gps?

[BCSnob]

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
Despite anecdotal reports of the astonishing homing abilities in dogs, their homing strategies are not fully understood. We equipped 27 hunting dogs with GPS collars and action cams, let them freely roam in forested areas, and analyzed components of homing in over 600 trials. When returning to the owner (homewards), dogs either followed their outbound track (‘tracking’) or used a novel route (‘scouting’). The inbound track during scouting started mostly with a short (about 20 m) run along the north-south geomagnetic axis, irrespective of the actual direction homewards. Performing such a ‘compass run’ significantly increased homing efficiency. We propose that this run is instrumental for bringing the mental map into register with the magnetic compass and to establish the heading of the animal.

[Dick_B]

Just slightly off topic but there was a TV story recently about a cat that found its way from Pennsylvania to Colorado to find its owners after they had left the cat with friends prior to their move west.