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Why does my dog tilt his head when I talk to him or if he hears a strange noise?
While the simple answer is that dogs tilt their heads to hear us better, the truth is actually a bit more complex. Dogs are well known to have incredible hearing, but, they sometimes have trouble locating the source of a sound, or the direction that it’s coming from.
Tilting their heads repositions the ears, helps to open the ear canal, and allows a dog to better judge distance and position of sounds. As part of their incredible audible abilities, the slight change in sound from different positions of the ears can help a dog pinpoint its source.
But that’s not all!
Dogs also tilt their heads while listening to us speak to them as a way to first, let us know they’re paying attention and, second, as an involuntary muscle movement while they’re searching for familiar words or phrases. This is one theory you can test (and prove) right now! Get your dog’s attention and say “do you wanna…” and watch for the head tilt as they’re waiting for that magic phrase “go for a walk?”
Up next, does your dog howl when she hears certain tones, like an ambulance siren or a specific song? Some have speculated that they’re howling because it hurts their ears – but that’s actually a myth. Wanna know the real reason? Click NEXT!
