I’ve seen the above quote before, but I can personally attest it’s not true. I know why I enjoy riding, but I can’t say for sure whether dogs get the same thing out of the experience or not.
Are there any prominent theories as to why dogs seem so compelled to stick their heads (and even sometimes the front half of their body) out of the windows of moving cars?
You will get no cite from me, but I have always understood it to be a matter of smells. In fact my two dogs don’t really enjoy the wind pressure blowing in their face, just the smells going by. With my bigger lab you can see his nose working hard whenever his head is out the window.
I thought it was because of their incredible sense of smell. They’re getting what would be a 3D IMAX experience for us, except delivered through the schnoz.
It works even with the windows shut (we had a cocker spaniel who used to enjoy the breeze/smells coming through the air vent when the car was in motion).
Test for those who have dogs: Place numerous odorous items between dog and fan. Activate fan. Observe dog reaction. Report back dog reaction.
I figured it was just a case of there only being two alternatives, head in or head out. We just don’t see the dogs that don’t bother to stick their heads out the window.
It’s like the people who do hand surfing out the window. You notice them but most people don’t do it.
Usually you stop doing it when you high-five a Junebug doing 65mph.
I think it has to do with the dog’s perception of -and processing of- the apparent sensation of running. Stay with me here…
While the car’s moving along, the dog reasons that he’s running… it’s the only way his brain knows that a body can move through the world this quickly. And in conjunction with the running is this sensation of wind in the face and the sound in the ears. So by association, the sensation of moving quickly craves the sensation of wind in the face.
( i should probably get back to work :p)
That makes a lot of scents.
I had one hit my hand at about 50 (on my motorcycle). I thought it broke my finger.
It’s one of the reasons I wear my helmet. I’m not a big fan of the wind in my eyes and how cold my ears get, but I don’t look forward to the thought of piece of gravel hitting me in the eye either and my helmet is plenty dinged up.
I don’t roll my windows down, so my dog has to stick her nose against the crack and snuffle loudly to get the smells. She really works for them.
I just ran-across this (SFW) cartoon… another plausible explanation and it *helps *to support you guys in the “smells” camp.
https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/10001322_725394074160016_452991221_n.png