You begin talking to your puppy. He or she tilts their head as if to say, “You have my complete attention.” You have to resist the urge to cuddle the adorable little critter because that head tilt is just too cute.
Have you ever wondered why puppies tilt their head?
There are actually several reasons for this. Most are based on the need to hear better or as a means of pleasing their master who will reward them with a tasty treat for their cuteness. In extreme cases, the head tilt can actually be the sign of medical problems such as ear problems or a stroke.
Most frequently, the tilting of a puppy’s head is an effort to hear a sound more clearly. The tilting of the head exposes the ear, allowing the sound to infiltrate in a clearer manner.
Many puppies are actually inadvertently trained to tilt their heads because their owners reward them with treats for being cute. The puppy tilts his head; you open the treat jar. Dogs are intelligent creatures that are quite capable of learning behavior that yields tasty treats.
Unusual sounds can cause a puppy to tilt his or her head in question. In part, the tilting is an effort to locate the source of the sound.
Some dogs use the head tilting technique to communicate their wish to play. Have you ever seen your puppy stretch out its front legs while leaving his or her rump in a raised position? When this happens, the puppy will tilt its head up to the dog or person it wishes to play with.
The shape of a puppy’s ears and the position of the ears on the head also affect how a dog hears.
Unfortunately, not all head tilting is good. Puppy owners must learn the difference between the dog’s questioning/hearing head stance and one that is due to a medical problem.
The tilting of a puppy’s ears can be the sign that one or both ears are irritated. This can be the result of an ear infection, ear mites or an object that becomes lodged in the ear. A flea can cause a puppy to hold its head to the side.
Evidence of infection might include redness, heat, discharge and/or a foul odor.
Lodged objects might include weed seeds, grass, dirt or water. Dogs that play hard outdoors are more at risk of getting a foreign object such as this stuck in an ear.
Deafness – or the onset of deafness – can cause a puppy to tilt its head on a very regular basis. If you see such a trend starting, schedule an immediate appointment with the puppy’s veterinarian.
Some attribute canine head tilting to other diseases such as hyperthyroidism, nervous disease or muscular problems.
A titled head can be an indication that the dog has suffered a stroke. This is more common among older dogs, but there is no rule that says that younger dogs cannot be affected.
If you suspect that a stroke is the problem, get the dog to the veterinarian immediately. One sign of a stroke is that the puppy will appear to have lost its sense of balance.
Check to see if the puppy’s eyes are rapidly moving. If this happens when the dog is resting, it could very possibly be a sign of a serious neurological problem.
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