There is a world of weird hiding inside your Maltese—or any other dog for that matter. Among the 10 unusual studies that have emerged recently, scientists have uncovered the strange ways dogs use their bodies, brains, and even the planet itself.
10 Unusual Studies Reveal Dogs’ Hidden Talents
10 The Dog That Shot A Hunter
In the spring of 2019, former LSU football standout Matt Branch headed out for a duck‑hunting outing with a few buddies, and he brought along his Labrador, Tito. The lineman had stashed a loaded 12‑gauge shotgun in the back of his pickup, but the safety was engaged, so the weapon should have been harmless.
After parking a short distance from Eagle Lake in Mississippi, the group stepped out to ready their gear. Tito, ever the curious companion, leapt onto the truck bed, inadvertently stepping on the shotgun’s safety lever and pulling the trigger. The safety disengaged, and the gun discharged straight through the side of the vehicle.
The blast struck Branch in the left thigh, inflicting catastrophic damage. Multiple surgeries followed, yet the injuries proved too severe, ultimately forcing doctors to amputate his leg. The incident stands as a stark reminder of how even a well‑intended hunting trip can turn tragic.
9 The Oil Rig Rescue
During a routine shift in 2019, workers on a Chevron oil platform far off the Thai coast—about 220 kilometres out to sea—spotted an unexpected visitor paddling frantically beneath the rig. The dog, later named Boonrod, clung desperately to the rig’s underside, shivering and exhausted.
The crew quickly fashioned a rescue loop and, after a tense fifteen‑minute effort, managed to pull the trembling animal aboard. They wrapped him in towels, offered fresh water and meat, and even placed a traditional Thai flower garland around his neck as a sign of good fortune.
Veterinarians later confirmed Boonrod was in good health. He was handed over to an animal‑rescue group, and one of the rig’s workers, Vitisak Payalaw, pledged to adopt him should no permanent home be found. While the exact way he ended up so far from land remains unclear, the most plausible theory is that he fell overboard from a nearby fishing vessel.
8 Dog Owners With Broken Hearts
In 2016, Joanie Simpson of Texas faced a cascade of personal crises: her son was heading into surgery, her son‑in‑law had lost his job, and a property deal was spiralling out of control. To make matters worse, her cherished Yorkshire terrier, Meha, was battling congestive heart failure.
Meha’s condition deteriorated to the point where Joanie scheduled a humane euthanasia. On the appointed day, however, the dog appeared unusually spry, prompting Joanie to cancel the procedure. Meha passed away naturally the following day, but the loss hit Joanie hard.
Shortly thereafter, Joanie experienced classic heart‑attack symptoms and was airlifted to a Houston hospital. Doctors discovered she hadn’t suffered a heart attack at all but was experiencing “broken‑heart syndrome,” a condition that mimics a heart attack and can be triggered by intense emotional stress—such as grieving a beloved pet. Her case adds to a growing list of documented instances where pet loss precipitates this dangerous syndrome.
7 Loving Dogs Could Be Genetic
Researchers in 2019 set out to determine whether a fondness for canines runs in the family. Sweden, home to the world’s largest twin registry and a mandatory dog‑registration system, offered the perfect laboratory. By comparing genetic, behavioural, and environmental data among twins, scientists could tease apart nature versus nurture.
The study examined 85,542 adult twins and cross‑referenced 15 years of dog‑ownership records, finding that only 8,503 of the participants actually owned a dog. Sophisticated computer models revealed that both genetics and environment were equally predictive of who would become a dog owner.
Although the precise genes remain unidentified, the analysis showed a slight genetic tilt toward dog‑loving tendencies among women. These findings add a new layer to the well‑known health benefits of dog ownership, suggesting that some of the positive impacts on fitness and mood may be partially inherited.
6 Robotic Mail Dogs
Boston Dynamics, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has been pushing the envelope of robotics with a series of quadrupedal machines. Their flagship “Spot” robot resembles a mechanical dog and has already demonstrated the ability to navigate stairs, avoid obstacles, and even shrug off a shove.
The company also unveiled a smaller sibling named “SpotMini,” a hybrid that looks part dog, part giraffe. SpotMini is equipped with advanced mapping sensors that let it plot routes around obstacles with remarkable precision, making it a potential candidate for indoor deliveries.
Beyond courier work, Boston Dynamics experimented with deploying both Spot and SpotMini on factory floors, where they could perform repetitive tasks without fatigue. While the idea of a robot dog delivering packages is intriguing, the company remains cautious about theft and abuse once these autonomous couriers are out in the wild.
5 A Surprising Neolithic Dog
Back in 1901, archaeologists uncovered a Neolithic burial mound on Scotland’s Orkney Islands at Cuween Hill. Inside the tomb lay an astonishing collection of roughly 24 dog skulls, suggesting a ritual significance attached to canines even 4,500 years ago.
Fast forward to 2019, when scientists employed high‑resolution 3‑D scanning to reconstruct one of those ancient skulls. Using forensic modelling, they recreated a lifelike head that revealed a creature looking strikingly like a wolf, despite being a domesticated dog.
The reconstructed animal measured about the size of a modern collie and lacked the pronounced forehead seen in today’s breeds. This surprising wolf‑like appearance underscores how early domesticated dogs retained many of their wild ancestors’ features, offering a vivid glimpse into the role of dogs in Neolithic ritual practices.
4 Rarest Dog Rediscovered
For decades, the New Guinea highland wild dog was presumed extinct, with the scientific community believing the species had vanished without a trace. Yet two grainy photographs taken in 2005 and 2012 hinted that a few individuals might still be roaming the remote mountains.
In 2016, a breakthrough occurred when researchers set up a network of trail cameras across the highlands. Within just two days, the cameras captured 140 images of at least 15 distinct wild dogs, confirming a thriving, albeit elusive, population.
Further fieldwork revealed golden‑coated adults with upright ears and tails curled over their backs. Genetic analysis placed these canids as the world’s most primitive and ancient dog lineage, having inhabited New Guinea for roughly 6,000 years. They share ancestry with the Australian dingo and the critically endangered New Guinea singing dog, of which only about 300 captive‑bred individuals remain.
3 Dogs Have Manipulative Eyebrows
Picture the classic scene: a mischievous pup has shredded the couch, looks up with those soulful eyes, and you instantly feel a pang of guilt. That “puppy gaze” isn’t merely cute—it’s a sophisticated evolutionary tool.
Research published in 2019 uncovered that domestic dogs have developed a unique set of facial muscles that allow them to raise their eyebrows dramatically, mimicking human expressions of sadness or pleading. This ability appears absent in wolves, indicating that the trait emerged after dogs were domesticated to enhance their appeal to human caregivers.
The study noted an exception: the Siberian husky, a close wolf relative, shows underdeveloped eyebrow‑lifting muscles and therefore lacks the exaggerated “sad eyes” effect. This suggests that the trait is a product of selective pressure favoring dogs that could better communicate emotional cues to humans.
2 Professional Poop Trackers
The Conservation Canine program, launched in 1997, trains specially selected rescue dogs—often with an obsessive ball‑chasing drive—to locate wildlife scat. This non‑invasive method provides researchers with a treasure trove of data about elusive species.
By analyzing a single piece of feces, scientists can determine an animal’s sex, reproductive status, diet, health, and even individual identity. The program has deployed dogs to track a wide array of species, from caribou and cougars to owls and the massive giant armadillo.
One of the most astonishing feats involved CK9 dogs hunting down the floating, short‑lived scats of orcas off Canada’s coast. While perched on a research vessel, the dogs successfully retrieved the marine mammal’s waste, demonstrating the incredible versatility of these canine detectives.
1 Dogs Use Earth’s Magnetic Field
It’s well‑known that migratory birds navigate using Earth’s magnetic field, but a 2014 study revealed that dogs might be doing something similar—just for a far more mundane purpose.
Researchers observed 70 dogs across 37 breeds over two years, meticulously recording 1,893 defecations and 5,582 urinations. They discovered that, when geomagnetic conditions were calm, dogs preferentially aligned their bathroom activities along a north‑south axis.
Conversely, the animals seemed to avoid an east‑west orientation altogether. While the findings are robust, scientists admit they have yet to uncover why canines exhibit this magnetic preference when answering nature’s call.