Every time their owner speaks to them or they hear a sound that isn't entirely familiar, some dogs react by tilting their head. The gesture is adorable, and the web hasn't hesitated to viralize every second of it, but if we adopt a scientific point of view, why do they do it? Are they trying to hear better? Is it a matter of sight rather than hearing? Many studies are still needed, but scientists and veterinarians have several hypotheses…
The sound of an alarm, a phone ringtone, something on television, children laughing or crying, their owner calling them or scolding them… dogs are a true carnival of expressions and gestures, but when they start tilting their head from side to side, they take control of the situation. Seriously… they're adorable, especially when they have long ears. For a long time we've wondered why they do it. Unfortunately, there's no solid research on the matter, and personally, I doubt a scientist could do their job well in the face of so much cuteness, but I think we'd all like to have the answer. The best we've found so far are hypotheses…
Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads?
The most popular hypothesis is that the dog is trying to optimize its hearing and vision. Psychologist Stanley Cohen proposed in 2013 that when it tilts its head, the dog is trying to see better. Humans express emotions mainly with the lower half of their face, and another study from 2015 suggests that dogs can recognize those differences in expressions, but certain breeds find an obstacle in their muzzle if it's too large. Cohen conducted an online study with nearly 600 dog owners, divided the data into two groups (small muzzles and large muzzles), and found that 71 percent of dogs with large muzzles tilt their heads frequently, compared to 52 percent of dogs with small muzzles. The difference is statistically significant but not conclusive.
Another psychologist, Alexandra Horowitz, considers that the dog's priority when tilting its head is to hear better, since the free movement adjusts the ear pinna. Finally, a trainer named Steven Lindsay believes that the movement is associated with a part of the canine brain (the nucleus ambiguus) that affects hearing and body language simultaneously. In other words, when the dog tries to hear something strange and different, it can't help but express it with its body too. All these viewpoints are interesting, but one thing is certain: We love it when they do it.
