It wasn’t accidentally that advertizing for the company “RCA” once displayed a dog cocking his head looking at a speaker horn. There’s something with this position that a majority of people see utterly lovable. Dogs know it, too, which is why they do it, even if they are not trying to hear anything in particular.

We give them a positive response, and so they don’t forget that. In addition, dogs tilt their heads for very practical reasons. Tilting the head to the side puts one of the ears up and in front. By turning an ear towards unclear or inaudible sounds, dogs are able to hear a little more clearly.

We quite often forget about how complicated human talk is for dogs. Even though dogs comprehend a bit of what we’re saying, most of our dialogue is simply a blur of noise to them. Generally, they simply disregard it. They are able to tell from our body language and eye motions when we’re saying things that concern them. When something attracts their attention, they will usually perk up their ears and tip their heads a little bit so that they can figure out what’s going on.

Dogs hardly ever cock their heads whenever sounds are coming from the sides, since their ears are already in perfect hearing position. They mainly do it when we are in front of them, because the sound waves are not traveling directly towards the ears. You will see this even more in puppies as compared to more mature dogs.

It’s not that puppies have more difficulty hearing. They just have not been around us long enough to figure out what is important and what is not. So they respond to just about any sound with a little head-cock, especially when we are looking at them at the same time. They understand something fascinating is happening, and they don’t want to miss a thing. They frequently cock their heads to make sense out of the babble of noise. The movement allows them to catch every bit of sound.

The way a dog’s ears are designed may well play a role in how much he cocks his head.
Pricked-up ears may be slightly more effective compared to other ear designs, considering that sound waves can go right in. Floppy ears create a problem. The sound waves need to pass through a big, heavy ear flap before reaching the eardrum. This probably doesn’t create a significant difference, but dogs with heavy, dangling ears may have to work a little harder in order to hear what’s being said.

The inside of a dog’s ear is shaped like a cup. This particular design enables the ears to scoop in sound waves – but as long as the opening is unencumbered.

One way dogs decide what’s worth listening to and what isn’t call for help is by the sound frequency. High-pitched sounds get their attention, probably because they resemble the sounds made by traditional prey such as rabbits and chipmunks. Pitching your voice upward will get your dog’s attention and let him know that he needs to listen carefully to what you’re about to say. Stand where he can see you. Even though a substantial portion of a dog’s brain is devoted to sound, a dog always uses his other senses to augment what he’s hearing. Standing in front of your dog will allow him to watch your face, eyes, posture, and body movements while you talk. Even if your dog isn’t hearing clearly, he’ll be able to gather a lot of information from your body language about what you’re trying to tell him.

Trim the ears. Dogs with unusually hairy ears may hear a little better if you remove some of the fluff. You can use blunt-ended scissors to trim some hair from the outer part of the ear flaps, but groomers usually prefer plucking. However, dogs don’t enjoy having their ears
plucked and will often put up a fight, so you may want to pay a groomer to do it for you.

Dogs may cock their heads to the sides often. Even though it’s normal for dogs to cock their heads in order to hear (and see) better, they shouldn’t be doing it too often. A dog whose head seems to be in perpetual tilt mode probably has an ear problem that isn’t going to get better on its own. A damaged eardrum or an inner ear infection can make it hard for dogs to hear. In some cases, ear problems can throw off a dog’s internal sense of balance, which will also cause him to tilt his head. Any time a dog carries his head tilted for more than a few minutes, he needs to visit his veterinarian.

Lastly, dogs with ear infections often shake their heads as well as tilt them. Use a flashlight to light the inside of your dog’s ear. If you see redness or a discharge, or if you smell an unpleasant odor, he probably has an infection and is going to need antibiotics to knock it out.

The temperature in the ground is cooler than it is in the air, so burying food helped it stay fresh longer. Buried food did not roast in the sun. It did not immediately get covered with flies and insect. All in all, burying food and juicy bones was a very good solution.

Dogs do not need to bury their food anymore. But when they have an excess of rations, they feel that old urge coming on. So they look for a secluded spot, dig a quick hole, and put some goodies away for a rainy day.

From the human side of view, as we become more and more dependent on verbal skills and electronic communications, a pet animal is sometimes our only significant daily contact with the animate, natural world. However, without an opportunity to develop gestural communications with animals, dog owners are using human verbal and physical abilities (spoken commands, lecturing, handling, force, punishment) to communicate with their pets. Most people mistakenly think that dogs must simply be “trained” if they are to learn how to behave properly. If the training fails, both owner and dog become frustrated, and problems develop. While deliberate training is an important element in a substantial relationship, informal training is at the root of most behavior problems..

Dogs study from, and respond to, the way people behave. Movement, posture and sound communicate with dogs. On the other hand, as dogs are trying to communicate with people through their own movements, stances and sounds, they are too frequently misinterpreted; or ignored. This just extends the frustrating communications gap for both parties.

It may seem implausible to propose that behavior consultants should help dog owners learn how to translate their pet’s behavior, then use movement, posture and particular sounds, in order to communicate effectively, and hence, live together harmoniously. However, it is not impossible at all. Once the fundamentals of effective human/canine communications are learned and used, they play an essential role in adjusting behavior problems humanely and effectively.

It doesn’t occur to most dog owners that yelling at a barking dog is, in fact, joining in the racket – reacting with the human variation of the same behavior. When their dogs do become silent, it is because they associate the owner’s tone of voice with disapproval and/or fear of impending pain from punishment. Excitable types, or those with some prior traumatic experience, usually become worse.

In the non-verbal world of dogs, silence means quiet, inactivity generates stillness, and movement causes activity. The fact that this patently obvious facet of non-verbal communication must be written or talked about to gain attention among dog owners further points up the extreme verbal orientation of humans. Spoken language is just noise to dogs. It is a tribute to their adaptability that they actually learn the meaning of certain key sounds, which usually comes about through a combination of the dog’s intelligence and the owner’s almost accidental consistency when referring to certain events or objects.

Your dog bends with his front legs extended, rears up, and and head is near the ground: This is the standard play-bow and clearly implies that “I want to play!”

Stiff-legged, erect attitude or slow, stiff-legged movement forward: “I am the dominant dog around here!” and “I challenge you.” The dominant dog will use this attitude to show a statement of authority and a willingness to conflict for it.

Body slightly diagonal forward, feet stimulated: “I accept your challenge and am ready to fight!”

Dog rolls on side or exposes underside: “Let us not argue” or “I am not a threat to you” or “I admit that you are the boss here.” This is a subservient reaction to avoid fight. Most dogs follow this attitude in a fairly relaxed and contented manner when they are close to their pack leader. When your dog rolls on his back for a belly rub, he is actually accepting you as leader of the pack.

The dog put his head on another dog’s shoulder or places his paw on the other dog’s back means: “I want you to know who is the boss around here.” These attitude is generally applied by in charge dogs, pack leaders, and dogs that are dreaming to become a pack leader.

Mouthing: This is seen in the dog-human relationship as the dog is taking his owner’s hand in his mouth or, while walking, taking the lead in the mouth. Mouthing can be a critical sign of dominance challenging and points that the dog does not accept the human as pack leader.

The dog lays paw on his owner’s knee: “Look, I am here” or “Show me some affection !.” This attention-seeking signing has many versions. It includes pawing the air in front of their master or slipping their head under the master’s hand.

Uprised hair on the dog’s back and shoulders: This is a sign of anticipated aggression. A ridge of hair standing up down the back is a signal that says “Don’t push me, I am angry!” When the bristling reaches the shoulders it means “I have had it with you” and is a sign of an imminent attack.

Dog sits with one front paw slightly raised: This is another sign of stress but is combined with insecurity. It means “I am anxious, uneasy and concerned.”

The dog is rolling on his back and rubbing it on the ground: This is occasionally preceded by nose rubbing, where the dog pushes his face, and possibly his chest against the ground in a rubbing movement or rubs the face with a paw, from eyes to nose. They frequently take place after feeding or occur as the dog’s owner starts to prepare food.They also can occur before or after a pleasant activities.

Scraping the ground and splitting the turf with the paws: This is usually after the dog has defecated but can] occur at other times. Dogs have glands on the bottom of their feet that provide each with a unique scent. What a dog is saying here is ” I was here and I am leaving my calling card!”

Straight out horizontally, pointing away from the dog: This is part of an initial challenge when meeting a stranger or an intruder. It roughly translates as “Let’s establish who’s boss here.”

Tail up, between the horizontal and vertical position: This is the sign of a dominant dog, or one who is asserting dominance, and translates as “I’m boss here.”

Tail up and slightly curved over the back: “I’m top dog,” this says. It is the expression of a confident, dominant dog who feels in control.

Tail held lower than the horizontal but still some distance from the legs: “I’m relaxed.” “All is well.”

Tail down, near hind legs: This changes its meaning with the posture of the dog. If the legs are still straight and the tail slightly brushes back and forth, it means “I’m not feeling well” or “I’m a bit depressed.” If the legs are slightly bent inward, giving a slight downward slope to the back it means “I’m feeling a bit insecure,” especially in an unknown setting or situation.

Tail tucked between the legs: “I’m frightened!” or “Don’t hurt me!” This is especially common in the presence of a dominant dog or person, when it can also mean, “I accept my lowly role in the pack, and I’m not trying to challenge you.

Bristling hair down the tail: The bristle in the dog’s tail is a sign of aggression. It may modify any tail position. Thus, with the straight out it means “I’m ready to fight if you are!” and with the tail slightly up or over the back it means “I’m not afraid of you and will fight to prove
I’m boss.”

Crick or sharp bend in the tail when held high: This is more characteristic of the dogs that look like wolves, such as the German shepherds, and means much the same as the tail bristling. It is the precursor to possible aggression.

Broad tail wag: “I like you.” This is often shown during play, when one dog seems to be attacking the other, pouncing, growling, and barking. The wagging tail serves as reassurance that this is all in fun. It also means “I’m pleased” in many contexts.

Slow tail wag, with tail at half-mast: During dog training, I interpret this as “I’m trying to understand you. I want to know what you mean, but I just can’t quite figure it out.” When the dog finally solves the problem, the speed and size of the tail wags will usually markedly increase.

If you’re driving through town at 30 miles an hour and your dog has his nose out the window, he knows where the bakery is, where the butcher shop is, which street leads to the local McDonald’s, and maybe even what the mayor had for breakfast.

Dogs assume a characteristic expression when they put their faces into the wind: Their upper
lips curl, their noses wrinkle, their eyes partly close, and their ears fold back. It looks as though they’re experiencing a moment of ecstasy (which they probably are) but mainly they’re concentrating. It’s as though they’re closing down all the rest of their senses to focus on this one.

There’s a world of fascinating scents outside the car. This dog loves to hang her head out the window and sample every one of them. All dogs, from huge Great Danes to tiny terriers, have extraordinarily acute senses of smell. Their scenting ability is enhanced when they are moving quickly, which is one reason that they take advantage of open car windows.

Smells are so important to dogs that they have two separate systems for detecting them. One is the nose system. It consists of a huge amount of tissue called olfactory epithelium, which is loaded with scent receptors. This area takes up about 1/2 square inch in humans, but up to 20 square inches in some dog breeds. As air moves over the tissue, odor molecules settle in millions of scent receptors. The more air flow there is, the more scents dogs detect. A Dog’s sense of smell is enhanced when they’re moving quickly. In the evolutionary scheme of things, this probably made them better hunters because they could load up on scents while chasing prey.

Dogs have a second smelling system that’s headquartered in their mouths. Near the upper incisors is a tiny duct that leads to a specialized gland called Jacobson’s organ. It’s designed to capture and interpret the most primitive types of smells. Dogs depend on it to identify other dogs, choose a mate, and smell prey. When dogs scrunch up their faces in the wind, it looks like they’re catching flies, but what they’re really doing is catching scents.