Why do dogs tilt their heads when listening?

When talking to your pet dog, you must have seen them tilt their head to one side many times. However, many people wonder why this animal has such a strange action. In fact, many scientists have explained the phenomenon of why dogs often tilt their heads when listening.

Tilt your head for a better view

Because humans have relatively flat faces, no one can obstruct their vision during a conversation. However, dogs are different, because their faces have long snouts, which block a lot of their vision.

To prove this, Dr. Stanley Coren came up with a very interesting exercise: you curl your fingers into a fist, then put it on your nose. Surely, now you will have a harder time seeing, right? Especially the lower part of someone's face you will not be able to see clearly.

When we communicate, we rely heavily on visual cues, even glancing at the mouth and lips while we are talking. Dogs do this too. They will tilt their heads to the left or right to create a new perspective. This allows the dog to receive some visual information and understand the message the other person is trying to convey.

Tilt your head to hear better

If you’re trying to have a conversation with someone in a noisy environment, instead of keeping your head straight, you’ll tilt one of your ears toward the source of the sound and even use your hand to block out extraneous noise. Some researchers say this is what’s happening when dogs tilt their heads.

At the same time, dogs' ears have the ability to move, perk up or down, making it easier for them to locate the source of sound.

Why do dogs tilt their heads when listening? - 2 — When tilting its head, the dog will hear surrounding sounds better.

Tilt to understand and show empathy

Dogs are animals that seem to have a sixth sense, when they can sense what is right and what is not. For example, when you are upset because you stubbed your big toe or are sad because of a broken heart. At this time, dogs will feel confused and tilt their heads to assess the situation, then give you lots of kisses and jokes to cheer you up again. This is called empathy, an admirable trait in humans and dogs.

Tilt your head in anticipation of something

When dogs hear something, they can prick up their ears and wait for any signal and will follow it. For example, the command to go for a walk, fetch an object. In addition, certain words, voices or even the sound of the TV can also make this animal pay attention.

Tilt your head to get a reward

If your puppy is tilting his head in anticipation, you can give him a small piece of bone. This action, if continued for a long time, will create a habit and every time he wants to ask for more rewards or wants to be petted, he will tilt his head to let you know.

Head tilt due to health

If your dog tilts his head frequently, he may be trying to regain his balance or prevent himself from falling. This could be due to a vestibular disorder. If this is accompanied by frequent falling and nausea, you should take your dog to the vet immediately.

Tuyet Anh (Source: Synthesis)

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