Have you ever looked over to your canine companion to see their head is tilted to one side?
You may assume this gesture is the dog’s attempt to look cuter, presumably in a quest for tasty treats – but you’d be wrong.
Your dog’s little lean is actually a lot more scientific than it may first appear.
Here is everything you need to know.
Why do dogs tilt their heads?
The reason dogs tilt their heads doesn’t just look adorable, it’s a product of their fantastic hearing.
Dog expert Dr Chris Muldoon explained to Metro.co.uk that they’ll lean their head when trying to decipher a new and interesting noise.
Dr Muldoon, Ops Manager at Dogs For Good, said: ‘Dogs have muscles in their ears that help the ear rotate.’
‘If they hear a noise that is new to them, they will rotate their ears to gain more information from the ambient noise around them.
‘And then, if they’re looking at humans, they’ll most likely tilt their head to check the noise matches the facial expression. E.g. is that noise friendly? Is that noise a threat?’
Dogs can pick up far more frequencies than human ears can, so they often hear things that we cannot.
Ryan Neile, Head of Animal Behaviour at Blue Cross, explained to Metro.co.uk: ‘A dog’s hearing is four times greater than ours and they can pick up frequencies that are beyond our ability.
‘Dogs will often tilt their heads in response to sounds and when trying to locate its source.
‘They also do this when we speak to them in high tones, which we encourage and reward because it looks so cute.’
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