Surely you have, at least once in your life, paid attention to one of the most touching dog gestures: when the dog, after hearing the owner’s voice or simply a sharp, unfamiliar and alien sound, tilts its head to one side.
Why do dogs tilt their heads when we talk to them
The cute behavior of quadrupeds is not a coincidence, but an indicator of intelligence. Experts spoke about this dog habit.
1. To hear better
One theory is that your dog tilts his head to hear your words better. It must be recognized that dogs have excellent hearing, allowing them to pick up sound frequencies near and far. But without knowing where the sounds are coming from, they tilt their heads to make sure that the sound is coming exactly from you.
In addition, although he understands some specific words that you are used to hearing, much of what you tell him remains distorted. Put yourself in their shoes: it’s like hearing a foreign language and knowing only a few words. You strive to catch the words you are learning in a stream of illegible noise. Well, the same goes for your dog. He knows that you are talking to him, so try to recognize your words to better satisfy.
2. To see better
Like cats, dogs are very dependent on body language. They also read human faces perfectly. But the muzzle limits their field of vision: to better discover what interests them, they may feel the instinctive need to tilt their head often.
Feel it on yourself: clench your fist and place your thumb against your nose and observe what is happening outside. You don’t see much, do you? This gives you an idea of what the dog is seeing.
Dogs are very social animals to whom eye contact with the owner is important. So, you probably noticed that the dog looks into your eyes, every time you stroke or pick up for a walk. So maybe the animal tilts its head to make eye contact with you.
3. Wants more attention
In addition, dogs are highly appreciated for caresses and praise. By tilting his head, the dog may want you to stroke him or take him in your arms, which attracts attention in this way.
4. Follows the master
There is another plausible theory to consider. It is not uncommon for dogs to imitate humans. When you are in the presence of a friend or a loved one who confides in you his grief, his problem or simply his anxiety, your face softens and you tilt your head towards your friend to calm or comfort him.
Know that dogs are incredibly sensitive to the emotional state and mood of their owners. So it can be a form of mimicry.
Scientists consider it a gesture of increased concentration
Hungarian scientists say they have discovered the reason why dogs tilt their heads to the side when their owners talk to them. The report, published in the journal Animal Cognition, indicates that this “adorable habit indicates that dogs are listening carefully to you”.
For example, dogs with an elongated muzzle tilt their heads more often than pugs with a different structure. As a result, experts concluded that turning the dog’s head is a sign of increased attention. By the way, the most attentive breed was the border Collie.
Now you know a little more about the different causes that can explain where this head tilt movement comes from in your pet.
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