Have you ever wondered why your dog tilts its head when you’re talking?
Pets have a number of clever ways of conveying their feelings to humans. For dogs, these range from barking to licking and wagging their tails, all of which we may feel we understand.
However, it can become confusing when dogs tilt their heads from side to side, as it is not always apparent what this behaviour means.
Vet Dr Alex Crow has now shared three different reasons your dog might tilt their head when focusing on something.
The video started off showing several different dogs with their heads moving from side to side as they look towards the human behind the camera. Dr Alex then started explaining the things this behaviour could indicate.
“First, it helps them pinpoint the exact location of a sound,” he said. “By tilting their heads, they can better determine where noises are coming from. Especially if its a strange or unfamiliar sound.”
Dogs can hear a much larger range of frequencies than we can. When they tilts their head, they may be listening to a noise that is too high-pitched for us to hear.
The second reason your dog might tilt their head is to try to read your facial expressions and body language.
Dr Alex said: “When they tilt their head, they can see past their snout and get a better view of our mouth and eyes, helping them to read our emotions.”
He went on to explain the third reason: “Head tilting might also be a sign of concentration. When your dog tilts its head, it could mean they are trying to understand what you’re saying or figure out what you want from them.
“So the next time your dog tilts their head at you, give them a smile and a pat. They are just trying to be the best that they can be,” he said.
Despite the thorough explanation, people still had questions for Dr Alex in the comments, mostly regarding their own dog’s habits. “How come some do and some don’t?” one user asked, to which Dr Alex replied: “Some dogs, especially ones with flat faces, might not tilt as much as they don’t have a long snout that they are trying to look past.”
Another user said: “Mine does it when he knows treats are about. “Head tilting might also be a sign of concentration and attentiveness. When your dog tilts its head it could mean they are trying to understand what your saying or figure out what you want from them.”
However, if you find that your dog is tilting your head without an apparent reason, you should contact a vet as it could be a sign of health issues, according to Purina.
This might include ear infections, or vestibular syndrome, which is a condition where dogs lose their normal sense of balance.
