# Why Do Dogs Cock Their Heads When You Talk to Them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238 "2009-05-21T21:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/21 "2009-05-22T07:39:37Z")
RCA Victor successfully bred this trait into all domestic canines. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/22 "2009-05-22T10:29:42Z")
Only tangentially related: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uuqXXT7VYo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uuqXXT7VYo) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/23 "2009-05-22T11:42:36Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Arf! [Sandy!](http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Little+Orphan+Annie+trainer+handles+actors+well/1345625/story.html) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/24 "2009-05-22T12:37:18Z")
Geez – have any of you people even _owned_ a dog? Our dog never cocked his head like that when anyone talked to him. He cocked his head when confronted with something unusual or novel. It seems pretty clear to me that it;s a physical manifestation of “Huh? What’s going on? I don’t understand this.” from the dog. He did it plenty of times when there was no sound to confuse him at all – just visual input. So if your dog is cocking his head when you talk, it’s evidently a sign that he doesn’t understand. I’ve always taken Nipper and the Gramophone (the symbol of RCA Victor in the US, and HMV in the UK) to be cocking his head because he hears His Master’s Voice coming from the strange box, but his Master is nowhere to be seen. It’s clearly a “Huh? What’s Going On?” gesture, not a “Someone’s Talking to Me” gesture. Moreover, the fact that this image was widely used is evidence that most people understand the significance of the cocked head. Google “dog cocked head confused” and you’ll get plenty of cites. One site at least claims that the purpose is to hear the sound better and/or where it’s coming from. But, as I say, I’ve seen dogs do this when there was no sound at all, so I don’t buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/25 "2009-05-22T12:45:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Geez – have any of you people even _owned_ a dog? Yup, two of 'em at present. Both cock their heads when I talk to them. So there goes your theory! I know exactly why they do it. It’s an integral part of pug-human mind control. They realize that cocking their heads puts them in cute overload mode, and therefore the mind control waves work more efficiently, making toys get thrown, bellies get rubbed, and snacks get offered. I’m surprised the other breeds haven’t picked up on it yet. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/26 "2009-05-22T13:08:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Yup, two of 'em at present. Both cock their heads when I talk to them. So there goes your theory! Like heck! It’s not theory – I’ve never seen a dog cock its head merely from being spoken to. And I’ve seen them cock their heads plenty of times without any aural stimulation. Not theory, just observation. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/27 "2009-05-22T13:17:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Like heck! It’s not theory – I’ve never seen a dog cock its head merely from being spoken to. [Head tilt from talking](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uuqXXT7VYo). Mine do exactly that. Heck, if I play that video while they’re in the room, they do the head tilt. Maybe it’s a pug thing. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/28 "2009-05-22T13:21:13Z")
Oops, I see that video was already linked. Sorry for the double link! Shoulda read the whole thread before posting! ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/29 "2009-05-22T13:47:43Z")
In my dog’s case it’s because he thinks he may have heard me say either “walk” or “treat” and he is now paying attention in the hope that one of those words may come up again. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/30 "2009-05-22T13:53:11Z")
Dogs’ ears are not like our ears. The fuzzy floppy bits on the outside don’t give you much indication. From what I’ve read (about pugs in particular), their ear canals are quite long, which means that the parts that they actually hear with, the eardrum and such, are located very low, almost in their neck. The head-cocking is an attempt to orient those hearing parts to hear you better. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/31 "2009-05-22T14:01:55Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > I know exactly why they do it. It’s an integral part of pug-human mind control. They realize that cocking their heads puts them in cute overload mode, and therefore the mind control waves work more efficiently, making toys get thrown, bellies get rubbed, and snacks get offered. I’m surprised the other breeds haven’t picked up on it yet. [http://www.cafepress.com/dogs\_of\_war/2801681](http://www.cafepress.com/dogs_of_war/2801681) ---
**Author:** ![Heckity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Heckity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckity)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/32 "2009-05-22T14:03:08Z")
I tend to agree with \*\*CalMeacham \*\*. I’ve had many a dog tilt it’s head when I talk to it, but mostly when the words are unfamiliar. I think it’s a combination of interest and trying to comprehend. A treasured poetic memory of mine was my little dog sitting in the kitchen staring at her water bowl with her head tilted and I swear an eyebrow raised. A wee mouse had evidently gotten into her bowl and no doubt spent the evening scrambling up the sloped side and sliding back down. Finally exhausted the mouse drowned in the inch of water at the bottom of the bowl. I have no doubt my dog was saying, "WTF?"and wondering whether it was a snack. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/33 "2009-05-22T14:08:55Z")
Here’s a really extreme example – I thought this girl was going to hurt herself! [Pit bull head tilt](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp1Nk72mkbE) In my experience, mine tilt their heads when I make novel noises and don’t bother during instructions they’ve heard before. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/34 "2009-05-22T14:15:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Geez – have any of you people even _owned_ a dog? > Our dog never cocked his head like that when anyone talked to him. He cocked his head when confronted with something unusual or novel. It seems pretty clear to me that it;s a physical manifestation of “Huh? What’s going on? I don’t understand this.” from the dog. > [@Athena](#): > > Yup, two of 'em at present. Both cock their heads when I talk to them. So there goes your theory! Seeing as pugs are only slightly more intelligent than animate mushrooms, I don’t think these two viewpoints are at odds. Pugs confuse easily! 😃 (And I say this as a former owner and adorer of pugs; I love the stupid little mushrooms!) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/35 "2009-05-22T18:24:07Z")
Dogs cocking their heads is nothing to fret about. When the dog progresses to cocking her gun, now **that’s** something to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/36 "2009-05-22T18:26:26Z")
My dog cocks his head when he hears familiar words, particularly his favorites: “walk,” “dinner,” and especially “cookie.” If I repeat the word, he’ll try to cock it further, which looks really funny. I believe that it’s natural for dogs and many other animals to try to change their perspective when confronted with critical stimuli. An unfamiliar object (that may be dangerous or rewarding), a distant sound (likewise), and, in the case of dogs, words that lead to good things. There’s also the training factor, as dogs do get rewarded for it, 'cause it’s cute, but there is a proven benefit in the wild. Moving the ears into different planes helps locate the source of a sound – some owls have their ears located at different heights, apparently for exactly this reason: [Sound localization - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_localization#Significance_of_asymmetrical_ears_for_localization_of_elevation) ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/37 "2009-05-22T19:53:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I can think of two reasons: > First, it positions her head so she can better hear what you’re saying. Your voice is an important sound to her, so she wants to listen closely. You’ll also see dogs doing something similar when there’s a distant sound of interest. > > Second, it’s a social cue to let you know that she’s listening to you. Dogs, like humans, are social animals, and so have evolved ways to better communicate with each other. This makes sense. It would also explain why, when I talk to my cat, she glares at me like I’m scum and walks off in the middle of a sentence. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/38 "2009-05-22T19:54:04Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > But dogs are naturally good actors. For the win!!! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/39 "2009-05-22T20:11:17Z")
My brother’s dog used to cock his head and peer at us when we were talking to him, but more so when he was sitting down. Once, in the car, the radio started playing “Jungle Love” by the Steve Miller band. There’s a loud, synth sound at the very start of it that caused the dog to tip his head so far to the left that he was practically looking at the radio sideways. ---
**Author:** ![LunarPlexus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LunarPlexus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunarPlexus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238/40 "2009-05-22T23:51:10Z")
Because they can. Wait, no, that’s something else. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dogs-cock-their-heads-when-you-talk-to-them/497238.md?page=3)