If I make a funny sound or say something my dog doesent understand, his head cocks to the side. Why do they do it?
My wife and I have a pug. She does this a lot, especially when we talk to her. The reason, as I understand it, is that her “ears” (that is, her actual eardrum and other parts of the hearing apparatus) are not near the floppy fuzzy things on her head. The bits she actually hears with are located much farther down into her neck. So, I hypothesize, the head-cocking thing is the little rodent’s attempt to “cock an ear”, to orient her actual hearing bits so that she can hear us better. It’s the canine version of turning your head to hear better.
It’s all part of doggy mind control. They’ve learned long ago that they look really, really cute when they cock their heads, and looking cute = more treats. So they cock their heads.
I have read that they do it to localize sound. The ears are amazing devices in the way that they work in unison to hear not only the sound but to locate its position based on very sensitive and quick factors. Like turning an antenna to receive from a source, animals can do this as well to maximize the capabilities of their ears and brain. Humans similar things to some degree.
Works for** Spartydog**!
Because their shoulders can’t shrug. It’s doggie language for “Huh?”
I don’t think this is peculiar to dogs. Humans turn one ear in the direction of a sound too. As said above, it’s to localize the sound, distinguish where it’s coming from, ascertain whether it presents a danger, etc.
Yes. By putting your ears at slightly different distances and orientations to a sound source, it is easier to get it’s range and direction than if both ears were receiving exactly the same signal. Owls, which hunt largely by hearing, have very asymmetrical ears for this reason.
I’ve noticed that deer use a similar visual range-finding technique by moving their head up and down, and back and forth, it helps them determine the relative size and distance to their enemy, i.e. me in the back yard. At least that’s my theory on what they’re doing.