Why Dogs Tilt Their Head When Listening

Dogs have the charming feature of tilting their heads. The dog head tilt melts our hearts every time and drives us to shower them with joy and encouragement. You may have seen that perfect noise to make them tilt their heads, or your dog does it randomly. However, why do dogs tilt their heads? Is there any meaning behind it? Could there be several reasons, and do we even understand this lovely dog behavior? The answer is yes; there are several reasons this could happen.

Dogs tilt their heads, too, as humans do when they want to hear better. In addition, dogs can easily talk with each other by growling and sniffing. It would be a specific thing for humans. Dogs are intelligent animals, but we should realize that our speech and actions can confuse a dog. See how a new dog or a pup would watch the head for a while before acting on command.

Does your puppy tilt their head when hearing you? Find out the different reasons why this may happen. There are many reasons that your dog may show this favor.

Here are the reasons:

● When a dog hears an interesting sound 

If your puppy tilts their head, it’s usually due to an exciting and high-pitched sound. The most typical reason your pup may tilt its head is that they have listened to an exciting sound. This may be another dog barking as they walk by, a high-pitched squeak, or some sounds out of the ordinary.

● They Are Curious

This may be your dog’s habit of showing interest in what you are trying to tell. No one speaks the same language as our furry friends, so ordinary human talk may leave them puzzled. A dog’s head tilt may be their response to hearing an unknown word and simply trying to figure out what you could be trying to communicate.

● They Are Empathetic

Dogs are reflexive and may detect when their owners are upset. Recent analyses have proven that our dog friends can read emotions present in our faces. If you have a pet, you had probably undergone a time when your dog curled up next to you on a rough day. This is because our dogs get to know us over time and can feel when something appears a bit off.

● To Improve Their Hearing

Dogs can lose their hearing as they grow old and may tilt their head to listen better. Many dog experts believe that our canines tilt their heads to make sure that they take in every sound that comes their way. While we know our dogs have impeccable hearing, they may believe tilting their heads will deliver the best sound cluster possible.

● They Know It Brings A Reward

Some dogs tilt their head when the reward is coming. It doesn’t matter whether the reward is your tasty treat or attention; they will soon repeat the behavior to claim that reward more usually. Since the dog’s head tilt is so cute, we will usually smile at this behavior or show positive attention each time they do it. Our furry buddies are smart and will quickly accept that this cute behavior will bring them the reward they desire for.

● They Are Too Clever

Clever puppies will try to understand their owner better. While there are various possible reasons behind the dog’s head tilt, many come back to just trying to understand their owner better. Because this shows a general curiosity about what they’re hearing and seeing around them, which can mean that some dogs are more intelligent than others.

● They Identify A Word

When dogs identify a command or word, they may tilt their head. Every pup has a list of words that they adore. They know that specific terms lead to their favored rewards and quickly identify them each time. Whether they recognize the actual word or tones and its meaning, it usually causes a surge of excitement every time they are spoken.

When a dog is happy, it offers an exciting tail wag and perks up its ears. It can actually be accompanied by a quick head tilt to prove that they heard their favorite word. If a shot of excitement follows the behavior, they may have just recognized a word they love.

● Their Ear Hurts

A head tilt may indicate that your dog’s ear is annoying them. If you have ever undergone an ear infection, you understand how painful it can be. Ear infections are quite common in our furry companions and can cause many painful signs. An overgrowth of bacteria or yeast can quickly become a sore infection, driving a dog to tilt its head toward the infected ear.

If your pup is tilting its head along with pawing at its ears, shaking its head, and has a bad odor from the ears, it may have a painful ear. Ear diseases can be efficiently treated with the help of your veterinarian, so it’s best to have them seen at the first indication of symptoms.

Other Medical Concerns

If tilting becomes frequent, you must rule out any possible medical concerns. Head tilting can signify a rare medical condition in our cut furry friends. A dog’s ears are affected in numerous situations that involve balance. Let’s list the most familiar medical conditions behind this behavior to help you better understand the potential reasons for head tilting in your dog.

• Ear injuries
• Ear infections
• Tumors in the ear
• Vestibular disease
• Ear mites
• Blindness
• Thiamine deficiencies
• Brain tumors
• Neurological abnormalities

You should consult your veterinarian about proper care and diagnostics if you think there might be a medical reason behind their head tilting. A premature head tilt can indicate a severe medical condition, so it’s best to have them seen at the first indication of symptoms.

As you can see, there are several reasons your dog tilts its head. Reviewing the information we discussed above, you can better understand this cute behavior in the future.