Blindfolded dogs relocate a target through path integration

We investigated whether dogs, Canis familiaris, can relocate a briefly presented food target after having been led away from it, by relying on feedback from locomotion (path integration). Dogs were led blindfolded and with earphones into a large symmetrical enclosure. Sitting at a location near the periphery of the enclosure, the subject could see the experimenter throw a food item on to a predetermined point on the ground. Again wearing the blindfold, the dog was guided outside and then to the opposite side of the enclosure. There the animal was freed from the blindfold and earphones and released to search for the food item, which was hidden among inedible food dummies. Each animal was tested four times, and the locations of the bait and the entrance into the enclosure were varied systematically between trials. In 36 of 40 trials, the dogs proceeded along a goal-directed path towards the target, found the bait fairly directly or made circular search movements in its vicinity. In control trials, the dogs failed to find the target when they could not see the target location at the beginning of the trial or were deprived of self-motion cues. Thus, they registered the bait location visually, and then updated the direction and distance to the target by ‘integrating’ signals derived from locomotion. Path integration may have functional implications for hunting: it allows the predator to approach prey through a detour, turning momentarily away from its target, but remaining prepared to reach it along a well-oriented path.