Why dogs tilt their heads to the side

It is incredibly cute when a dog looks at us with its head tilted to one side. It brings a smile to our faces and it's hard not to shower him with praise, petting or reward treats.

But why does the dog tilt its head to the side? Does he know how charming he is to his owner, or is there something else going on? That’s what we’re looking for in the following.

The relationship between head tilt and hearing

Tilting the head sideways by changing the position of the ears helps dogs to better determine where the sound is coming from. Despite the fact that our furry friends can hear an extremely wide range of frequencies, they are not as good as humans at identifying the source of sound. However, just like us, when a dog hears something, its brain can detect the difference in how long it has taken for the sound to reach its ears. This difference can help to pinpoint the source of the sound.

Our four-legged friends are most likely to tilt their heads to the side when we are directly in front of them. In this case, localisation is not the primary goal. In this case, frequencies and intonations may be key: the dog is likely to listen for the high-pitched cooing that we use to express our satisfaction in his direction. He is likely to fine-tune and try to gather or focus the information.

The relationship between head tilt and vision of the dogs

Vision can also play a role in the creation of this kind of reaction. Research in other species, such as the common marmoset monkey, suggests that the tilting of the head to the side has more to do with the visual cortex than with the ability to perceive sounds. In the case of our echidnas, the head tilt may even be because their noses can obstruct their vision, so that if they tilt their heads they can see their hosts’ faces better.

Positive feedback from the owner

We can influence the dog’s head tilt during our interaction with him. It happens more often in some dogs than others because it reinforces their cuteness. It is usually followed by a positive event, such as a walk or a reward treat or petting. These are all positive experiences for dogs, and our pets tend to repeat behaviours that are associated with rewards and positive events.

Head tilting at this time may be a concern

As much as we love it when our pets watch us with their heads tilted to the side, unfortunately this can be a cause for concern in some cases. If you notice persistent head tilting and it seems unrelated to anything, take your pet to the vet immediately. This behaviour could indicate an ear infection or other inner ear problem.

More research is needed

This fascinating and heart-warming behaviour may not be as simple as it seems. As vision, hearing and learning can all play a role and even work together, more research is needed to find out exactly what is happening. For example, it would be interesting to know how often this is done. Perhaps even when we can’t see it? Does it occur without the animal paying attention to anything? Do dogs also do head nodding to each other? If you have any experiences or observations on this topic, feel free to let us know in the comments!