High line wires with electromagnetic fields can affect the dog's ability to locate scent. Why?

The following is an interesting article I stumbled across

EFFECT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND ELECTRIC FIELDS ON DOG TRACKING

By Terry McGauley and Marion Wells, Ph.D.

On the day of training, the weather conditions seemed perfect for tracking. The age of the track was 45 minutes. Alexus was taken to the start flag and much to my surprise she couldn’t start. This was not like her, as she had never failed to start. She began searching in circles with a high head and had no success at locating the scent trail. To my dismay, I ended our misery by throwing a scent article to the ground ending the track. On the drive home I questioned her abilities and wondered if she was truly ready for testing. The next day we went to a different location for a short tracking session. Again I had my dog back. I pondered the day before and discounted it as just a bad tracking day. Several weeks later I returned to the fairgrounds where we had issues. On this particular day, I started the track approximately 300 yards away from the disastrous area of the weeks before. Again the weather conditions looked very promising for a great day in the field. The age of the track was 45 minutes as before. Alexus took the start nicely and proceeded to work through 300 yards of track scent negotiating several turns with no issues. When she approached the area where we had difficulties several weeks before, she again started searching the air signaling loss of track. I helped her through the remaining track. Because of these failures, I began to observe the area closely. Over this problem area were 8 electric transmission lines, running parallel. These lines provide electricity to Shepherdsville, KY. I wondered, could electricity have an effect on Alexus’ ability to track? Through the course of 18 years, I have witnessed many seasoned tracking dog teams having difficulties tracking under electrical transmission lines at the Shepherdsville location and in other areas where high tension lines were present. Once I witnessed a well trained English Springer Spaniel that had negotiated 430 yards of a test track but failed to make the last turn under electric transmission lines. Being puzzled by the English Springer, I provided the same track for a student that owned a nice working Schipperke that had recently certified. He too had problems at the last turn under the electric transmission lines. The dog literally stood on his hindquarters and searched into the air as if the scent had migrated above the earth’s surface. He required help to complete the track. Some dogs have less difficulty dealing with the effects of electric transmission lines. A Weimaraner, who was a true tracker, was observed having issues when entering the area beneath electric transmission lines while the track before entering the electric transmission lines was very clean. The end result under the electric transmission lines was completely different in how he worked. The dog negotiated the track area in a wide casting motion as if the scent had a wider path under the electric transmission lines. The dog worked through the track with success. I have witnessed a Bloodhound literally try to climb a tower supporting the high tension lines during a training session. The dog could not be convinced that the tracklayer had not climbed the support tower. Having had problems in this area I decided to plot the same track the next week for the same dog. This time the dog went through the track with no issues. In the fall of 2008, I was teaching at a scent workshop and wanted to show the group the difficulties that dogs may encounter under electric transmission lines. There was a nice Bloodhound as a participant that I used as the demo dog. The track consisted of 200 yards before leading under electric transmission lines. I decided that 200 yards of track scent would give the dog a good scent picture leading into the electric transmission lines. The last leg of the track was 70 yards directly under the electric transmission lines. I explained to the group that the dog may have issues on the last leg under the electric transmission lines. The dog was solid up until he approached the electric transmission lines. It was as if the dog hit an imaginary scent wall. He had to have help working the last 70 yards of the track. This same dog went on to title in AKC tracking tests and is now a proficient search dog that searches for lost and missing persons. His handler has trained the dog with an understanding of the problems encountered in and around electric transmission lines and knowing that a missing person in a wilderness area may follow the lines to a road. These experiences led me to ask the following questions: Is the inability to track beneath electric transmission lines due to high electromagnetic fields (EMF) and/or electric fields (EF)? Can dogs adapt to scenting challenges in and around electric transmission lines? Do only some dogs have issues when working in and around electric transmission lines? In order to answer these questions I engaged Dr. Marion Wells, a friend and scientist, to assist in the design of experiments and collect data to answer these questions. Experimental Dogs (5) of different breeds, which had not previously been exposed to electric transmission lines, were chosen to track (Table 1). Based on previous observations that some dogs were able to complete the track on a second trial, four dogs repeated the track. A walking trail of 428 yards with 3 left turns and 1 right turn was laid on the fairgrounds property in Shepherdsville, Bullitt County, KY on December 5, 2010, beginning at 10:15 am EST (Figure 1). The control portion of the trail included the initial 313 yards from the beginning of the trail to 36 yards east of the center of the electric transmission lines and included 2 left turns. The remaining 115 yards was the test portion of the trial that included 36 yards across an asphalt road to the center of the electric transmission lines, a right turn, 43 yards directly beneath the midline of the electric transmission lines running south to north, and a left turn followed by 36 yards west of the center of the electric transmission lines, to the scent article. A transmission tower supporting 8 transmission lines (Figure 2) and transporting alternating current (AC) of 161,000 volts was responsible for the production of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and electric fields (EF). All EMF and EF were measured 1 foot above ground level to match the approximate height of the dogs. A milligauss meter Model UHS (AlphaLab Inc.) was used to measure the EMF in the extremely low frequency (below 1 kHz) and very low frequency (above 1 kHz) in three axes. An AC electric field meter (AlphaLab Inc.) was used to measure the EF in volts/meter. The area (width) occupied by the 8 transmission lines (west to east) was approximately 20 feet. Environmental conditions during the tracking were as follows: overcast sky, temperature 25°F, relative humidity 79%, wind NW at 6 mph, and barometric pressure 29.72 in. The first two turns of the trail showed electromagnetic field (EMF) and electric field (EF) levels of

Results First Tracking The observed behavior of each dog in the tracking test was as follows: 1. Golden Retriever: The dog/handler worked the control portion of the track without problems. Upon entering the test area the dog lost the scent and wandered to the left of the track. The test was ended when the dog could not recover. 2. Miniature Poodle: The dog/handler worked the control portion and was correct on track. When the dog entered the test area he searched in circles, signaling loss of scent. He then located the fringe of the trail and proceeded north beneath the electric transmission lines. When approaching the left turn out of the high voltage lines he failed to make the turn and continued north. The test was ended when the dog could not recover. 3. Beagle: The dog/handler worked the control portion of the track with few issues. As the dog entered the test area she drifted wide to the left and in a ditch. The dog worked into the test portion of the track by scenting the fringe of the track and drifted past the left turn and off track. Circling back, the dog attempted to locate the scent without success. The test was ended when the dog could not recover. 4. Black Labrador Retriever: The dog /handler worked the control portion of the track with intensity. As the dog entered the test area he had difficulty locating the scent leg of the trail. The dog worked with a deep nose scanning for the scent. He overshot the right turn, picking up the scent about ten yards past the turn, and followed the leg correctly moving north. When he approached the left turn out of the high voltage lines he continued to drift off track missing the left turn. The test was ended when the dog could not recover. 5. German Shepherd: The dog/handler worked the control portion and was correct on track. Upon entering the test area he negotiated the right turn correctly. Heading north on track and approaching the left turn, he made a quick indication of the left turn but drifted past the turn. The dog continued north drifting further off track. The test was ended when the dog could not recover. The 5 dogs completed the control trail prior to the beginning of the increase in electromagnetic fields (EMF) and electric fields (EF) and eventually were able to enter the high EMF and EF area beneath the electric transmission lines. Only 3 dogs negotiated the right turn in the test area. All of the dogs missed the left turn at the end of the 43 yard trail in the area with high EMF and EF levels. The tracking test was ended when the behavior of the dog indicated that the trail had been lost. Second Tracking The observed behavior of each dog in the tracking test was as follows: 1. Golden Retriever: The dog/handler worked the control portion of the track correctly and fringed the trail to the right. In the test portion he worked to the left, totally missing the right turn. The dog appeared to hit a scent wall. She backtracked the trail south and was unable to continue. The handler ended the test by throwing an article on the ground. 2. Miniature Poodle: The owner of the Miniature Poodle chose not to participate. 3. Beagle: The dog/handler worked the control portion with no issues. When the dog entered the test portion she went wide and worked down in a swale near the test portion of the track. Once under the electric transmission lines she made a turn left and continued south without recovery. The test was ended. 4. Black Labrador Retriever: The dog/handler negotiated the control portion without problems. When crossing the road he became distracted. The handler re-scented the dog. In the test area the dog circled and found the scent on the fringe of the trail and worked to the track exit from the electric transmission lines. The dog, without hesitation, located the track and found the scent article. 5. German Shepherd: The dog/handler performed very well in the control portion of the track using deep nose tracking. When he crossed the road he was scenting with a high head and became distracted and tangled up in the line. The handler re-scented the dog. He then proceeded to locate the track in the test area and made a right turn. The dog drifted past the left turn to the fringe area, reversed direction and rediscovered the trail, locating the scent article. All (5) dogs completed the control trail prior to the beginning of the increase in EMF and EF and eventually were able to enter the high EMF and EF area beneath the electric transmission lines. Only 2 dogs negotiated the right turn followed by the left turn in the test area, and located the scent article. Discussion An electric field (EF) and an electromagnetic field (EMF) are created when electricity passes through a conductor (wires). The amount of voltage being carried in a conductor determines the strength of the EF. The strength of the EMF depends on the amount of current (amperage or the amount of electrical energy) flowing through the conductor. Any device that uses electricity will produce EF and EMF. EF and EMF occur due to the activities of humans and naturally. Since 1979, there has been serious interest in the effect of EMF on the health of living organisms. More recently the use of cellular phones and the EMF they produce has led to renewed studies on the health hazards that may be associated with their use. However, because these studies showed mixed results, no firm conclusion has been reached on the effect of EMF as a health hazard. The source of the human scent that dogs detect comes primarily from the surface of the skin (epithelial cells). One cannot exclude epithelial cells from organs that open to the outside. Glands provide secretions that are aqueous and fatty or oily. These glands are located beneath the surface of the skin and open to the outside through pores on the surface. Aqueous secretions are less volatile than those that are fatty. These secretions serve to cool the skin while fatty secretions (sebum) serve to lubricate and protect the skin. The latest evidence indicates that human skin cells that are dead, with these various secretions and living bacteria, continually shed from humans at a rate of 40,000 cells per minute in groups of three or four cells called rafts. Rafts remaining on a surface for great lengths of time allow dogs to recognize and track scent trails days after the trails were laid. Rafts can also be transported great distances by water and air currents. There are numerous environmental effects that determine the length of time a trail (rafts) will be viable. These effects include temperature, humidity, moisture, depth of coverage of rafts and other conditions specific for a particular environment. Of interest in the current study is what effect, if any, do EMF and EF from electric transmission lines have on tracking dogs that prevent them from following a trail to the end? Or, what effect, if any, do EMF and EF have on the scent rafts containing dead cells, secretions, and bacteria? Of the two energy sources, EF does not have the properties that would allow for penetration to the olfactory nerve endings or the brain of dogs. EMF can penetrate barriers and perhaps affect scent nerve endings. Since the transmission of nerve impulses involves electrical activity, it is possible that EMF could affect these processes. On the other hand, it appears that both EMF and EF could have an effect on bacteria and rafts of mammalian cells. Cell membranes and bacterial cell walls are very thin, offering only a slight barrier to penetrate. The energy from EMF and EF could also modify the molecular configuration (charge distribution) of the secretory molecules and perhaps the volatile characteristic of the scent molecules. These are hypotheses that remain to be tested. Is the inability of dogs to track beneath electric transmission lines due to high EMF and/or EF? These data support that EMF and EF may interfere with the ability to follow a trail. Can dogs adapt to scenting challenges in and around high voltage lines? Based on the second tracking some dogs can adapt to high EMF and EF. Do only some dogs have issues when working in and around high voltage lines? All of the dogs in the initial tracking experiment, known to have no experience tracking beneath electric transmission lines, were unable to complete the track. However, the authors have observed that some dogs are not affected by EMF and EF. It is possible that these dogs unknowingly had previous exposure to electric transmission lines and had adapted. Based on this study, it is important for handlers to be observant of the total tracking environment including electric transmission lines. When dogs are influenced by EMF and EF their behavior is usually different from those previously observed in the tracking experience.