Why do dogs tilt their heads?

[Hobbes' Choice]

if you dismiss evolutionary psychology as a crock of shit then you'll have to accept that the entire catalogue of mental disorders in the DSMV must be of genetic origin. Are you sure you want to go there?

I can have that cake and eat it too.

[Hobbes' Choice]

Then that rules out my suggestion of environmental cuteness, I suppose. Then, beats me. But it looks kind of cute.

Do dogs do headtilting often? I cannot remember seeing a cat do that.

My dog has never done it.

It's commonly done by predators stalking prey. I've seen foxes looking down a rabbit hole. The idea of Leo's that it's related to stereo- hearing is helpful here.

[Obvious Leo]

My dog has never done it.

My dog never does it either although I've had dogs in the past that occasionally did. It might be of interest to know if it is more common in some breeds than in others, such as the pointing instinct is or the ball-fetching instinct is.

Dogs have very precise directional hearing so the head tilt may well be related to this skill, which would obviously be very useful in stalking prey or avoiding predators. Maybe my dog doesn't do it because her prey appears promptly in her dinner bowl every evening and the notion of predators has never crossed her mind.

[Dubious]

People, children especially, often do it when they're confused by what was said or simply can't believe what was said. It seems to be a universal "say what" gesture among the higher primates. Like "I'm trying to understand! Help me out here" kind of look.

[Philosophy Explorer]

My dog has never done it.

My dog never does it either although I've had dogs in the past that occasionally did. It might be of interest to know if it is more common in some breeds than in others, such as the pointing instinct is or the ball-fetching instinct is.

Dogs have very precise directional hearing so the head tilt may well be related to this skill, which would obviously be very useful in stalking prey or avoiding predators. Maybe my dog doesn't do it because her prey appears promptly in her dinner bowl every evening and the notion of predators has never crossed her mind.

Would be an interesting experiment to outfit head-tilting dogs with sound-blocking headphones to see if they still tilt their heads.

PhilX

[Philosophy Explorer]

I believe that more than sound is involved. The head-tilting dog I mentioned was sitting facing me. She tilted her head, first to one side, then to the other side.

PhilX

[Obvious Leo]

People, children especially, often do it when they're confused by what was said or simply can't believe what was said. It seems to be a universal "say what" gesture among the higher primates. Like "I'm trying to understand! Help me out here" kind of look.

I made the same point earlier, Dubious, and I reckon it's mostly sound-related. Children do it more conspicuously but adults sometimes do it too if you observe them closely. If we hear a sound which doesn't normally belong in our aural environment we often tilt our heads side-on to the source of it, or even occasionally alter our entire body posture. This is something which mostly occurs subconsciously, so on most occasions we wouldn't even be aware of doing it.

[Philosophy Explorer]

I just ran across this article that pertains to this discussion:

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=70205

PhilX

[Hobbes' Choice]

Head tilting dogs are cute to the human perception - for unknown reasons.
This behaviour endears them to humans and adds to their selective advantage. IN this way a traits which is probably of no use whatever helps encourage the dogs' selection and this is probably a more significant reason why they have the trait.

[marjoram_blues]

Head tilting dogs are cute to the human perception - for unknown reasons.
This behaviour endears them to humans and adds to their selective advantage. IN this way a traits which is probably of no use whatever helps encourage the dogs' selection and this is probably a more significant reason why they have the trait.

Whereas head tilting snakes...not so much...
I think it's all in the eyes...
The eyes have intelligence; the dog wants to know and you have the answer !!!

[marjoram_blues]

I just ran across this article that pertains to this discussion:

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=70205

PhilX

Love it:

' If your dog is a frequent head-tilter, this could mean that they’re especially empathetic. Some experts have reported that dogs who are more socially apprehensive are less likely to tilt their heads when spoken to. But if your dog doesn’t display this behaviour there’s no need to automatically label them as a canine sociopath (especially if they have pointy ears or a flatter snout). And even if the head tilt does come from instinct, the more owners respond to it with positive reinforcement the more likely dogs are to do it in search of praise.'

Another article: http://www.k9magazine.com/why-do-dogs-tilt-their-heads/

Your enquiring mind tilts heads. Tell me, what side does yours lean to...