In 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Ontario, Canada, researchers embarked on a unique study to explore how time changes affect sled dogs and pet dogs of the same breeds. Conducted by the University of Toronto, this study aimed to shed light on the behavioral differences between these two groups of dogs. Researchers Lavania Nagendran and Ming Fei Li, leading the study, placed movement sensors on 25 sled dogs and 29 pet dogs to monitor their activity levels during the time change.
The findings revealed a surprising contrast between the sled dogs and their pet counterparts. The sled dogs exhibited a noticeable shift in their routine, becoming active and moving almost exactly an hour earlier after the clocks went back. On the morning following the time change, they were up and about well before their handlers appeared. This disruption to their daily routine, however, only lasted a day for most of them. In contrast, pet dogs showed no measurable effect from the time change, maintaining their usual schedule without disruption.
The researchers, surprised by the differences, noted that this was the first study to investigate the effect of time change on domestic dogs. They utilized motion trackers to monitor the activity levels of both sled and pet dogs. Lavania Nagendran expressed astonishment over the findings.
"I wasn't expecting any differences between the two groups [of dogs]," – Lavania Nagendran
The study is part of a broader research project focused on understanding behavioral differences between wolves and domestic dogs. The results, published in the journal PLoS One, have sparked interest among pet owners who reported that their animals acted unusually after the time change, eagerly waiting for meals at unexpected times.
Ming Fei Li commented on the broader implications of the study, highlighting how not all animals can easily adapt to human-influenced schedule changes such as daylight saving time.
"Not all animals can just switch up their schedule based on human influences, [like changing the clocks]" – Ming Fei Li
For sled dogs, accustomed to a strict daily routine, the time change represented a sudden and temporary shift. The study highlighted their remarkable adaptability as most resumed their normal patterns within a day. Meanwhile, pet dogs appeared unfazed by the clock adjustment, suggesting different levels of dependency on human cues between working and domestic animals.
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