Why do dogs tilt their heads?

[Philosophy Explorer]

You know, when they give you that quizzical look.

An internet check has no satisfying theory. I wouldn't believe they were specifically bred to do that and what would be the evolutionary reason why it occurs? (for the record, I wasn't saying anything to the dog)

PhilX

[Hobbes' Choice]

You can observe 'when' a dog does this, and you can say 'how' a dog does this, but there is no valid answer for 'why'.

[Blueswing]

Dog faces.jpg

[Blueswing]

Why Do Some Dogs Tilt Their Heads When We Talk to Them?
Surprisingly, a dog's muzzle may be blocking his view of part of our faces.
Posted Dec 11, 2013
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ca ... -talk-them

[Lacewing]

I think it's because they are observing some sort of spectrum, and they cock their head for an alternate angle to acquire more information.

I've had many experiences of my dogs and cats staring/watching intently just over my head, or to the side of me. I don't know if they're watching some sort of energy field or some sort of entity(ies) hovering around. Dogs might also bark with alarm when there is an unusual intensity in their human's thoughts/energy, even if there is no outward appearance of such. My dogs get happily excited when I'm embracing friends and neighbors. My normally calm goats somehow KNOW when I'm "at the end of my rope" (so-to-speak), and they immediately become extremely boisterous and seem to work together to disrupt everything I'm trying to do. Which is hilarious in retrospect. Such magical and fiendish creatures they are! So, I think animals are sensing all sorts of energies/information that we typically can't or don't. And it would probably be a very different world if we did! I think there is a LOT of information we CAN access when we can clear out (or turn down the volume of) the constant stories in our heads.

We seem to think that humans are greater than animals because of how we can think... but maybe we're simply living more in our own heads, and less in the "real" world than they are.

[Arising_uk]

All wishful thinking and anthropomorphic projection I think, another thing we can do that the other animals can't.

[surreptitious57]

All very interesting of course but what I want to know is how are they able to detect cancer in
humans as that is obviously a question desperately needing an answer so the sooner the better

[Hobbes' Choice]

I think it's because they are observing some sort of spectrum, and they cock their head for an alternate angle to acquire more information.

I've had many experiences of my dogs and cats staring/watching intently just over my head, or to the side of me. I don't know if they're watching some sort of energy field or some sort of entity(ies) hovering around.

Steady on! No need to get all spooky.
Tilting the head does two things; it provides 3d information for visions and hearing. This enables to dog to home in on whatever interests her. Vision and hearing both benefit from understanding distance from the differences between the two eyes and two ears.

It's only majorly endearing and humans have probably chosen dogs that do cute things for breeding. SInce we've been breeding dogs, 20,000 years - longer than any other domesticant they have shown the greatest variation. Head tilting dogs have been selected.

[Hobbes' Choice]

All very interesting of course but what I want to know is how are they able to detect cancer in
humans as that is obviously a question desperately needing an answer so the sooner the better

There has been a lot of hysterical media coverage of this.
The fact is that dogs can detect the smell of cancer cells on skin.

[Obvious Leo]

The prevailing wisdom is that dogs tilt their heads to more correctly align their hearing rather than their sight. Since hearing is a far more important sense for dogs than is sight this argument is persuasive and you'll generally find that dogs are more likely to tilt their heads in this way at an auditory stimulus than at a visual one. Humans do it too. Ask a kid a puzzling question and he'll cock his head just the same as Fido does.

The fact is that dogs can detect the smell of cancer cells on skin.

This has been known for a very long time and a lot of research is now under way into the biochemical pathways involved in this. At least eight different proteins have been identified which are peculiar to particular forms of cancer and which a dog's chemical sensors are able to detect. The next step is to develop electronic "noses" which can perform the same function and then medicine will have acquired a powerful new diagnostic tool.

[Hobbes' Choice]

The prevailing wisdom is that dogs tilt their heads to more correctly align their hearing rather than their sight. Since hearing is a far more important sense for dogs than is sight this argument is persuasive and you'll generally find that dogs are more likely to tilt their heads in this way at an auditory stimulus than at a visual one. Humans do it too. Ask a kid a puzzling question and he'll cock his head just the same as Fido does.

The fact is that dogs can detect the smell of cancer cells on skin.

This has been known for a very long time and a lot of research is now under way into the biochemical pathways involved in this. At least eight different proteins have been identified which are peculiar to particular forms of cancer and which a dog's chemical sensors are able to detect. The next step is to develop electronic "noses" which can perform the same function and then medicine will have acquired a powerful new diagnostic tool.

Sight and hearing are both important. I don't see why you'd want to disregard one over the other. Dog's sight is monumental. Come to my back field and watch my bitch catch a ball with its mouth.

[Obvious Leo]

True. I wasn't suggesting that sight is unimportant but merely that the head-tilting behaviour appears to be more closely tied to hearing. My dog also relies heavily on sight as well as on Euclidean geometry. She can do Pythagoras in her head with uncanny speed and accuracy.

[Hobbes' Choice]

True. I wasn't suggesting that sight is unimportant but merely that the head-tilting behaviour appears to be more closely tied to hearing. My dog also relies heavily on sight as well as on Euclidean geometry. She can do Pythagoras in her head with uncanny speed and accuracy.

Pythagoras Phah! My bitch does four dimensional dynamic spatial geometry, with full muscular co-ordination and anticipatory predictive analogue co-ordinate geometry. With her spheroid GPS detection and capture system.

I've got one of those "Sprongers", with which I can lob a tennis ball over great distances. From a standing start she can always get to the ball before it stops, as long as she knows the general direction, usually catching it on the first bounce.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/RAC-RACPB45-Ten ... l+launcher

[Ansiktsburk]

Because people through thousands of year have given them creds and attention when they have looked cute. The poor little shit- and bark-generating automatas. Or does wolves do likewise?

[Obvious Leo]

Pythagoras Phah! My bitch does four dimensional dynamic spatial geometry, with full muscular co-ordination and anticipatory predictive analogy co-ordinate geometry. With her spheroid GPS detection and capture system.

I forfeit, Hobbes, and declare game, set and match to you. When it comes to oneupmanship your bitch is peerless but I should probably caution you in your use of language. My understanding is that the word "bitch" in the British gangsta vernacular is one which should not be used in polite company and you may be running the risk of offending her by this usage.