The Real Reason Dogs Tilt Their Heads And Other Canine Facts

The bonds we have with our canine companions are unlike any other friendships or relationships
we have.
Some of us love our dogs like children, and it's no wonder.
There's an unconditional friendship there that makes everything better.
And knowing what's going on inside those knobby little heads can only make us understand them
better.
Here's what you might not realize about your furball's weirdest little habits.
Let's start with the greatest mystery of our time.
Why do some dogs eat poop?
Horse poop, cat poop, unidentified poop … sometimes, their own poop.
Some dogs just love the stuff.
For some horrible reason.
Poop-eating such a common thing that it even has a scientific name: coprophagia.
There are a whole bunch of reasons a dog might be doing it, and sometimes it's a problem.
Most pups sample some poop at some point just for the heck of it.
Nursing mothers will often eat the poop of their puppies to clean up after them, and
some puppies will see Mom doing it and think it's what they should be doing, too.
Puppy see, puppy do, right?
"Who taught you how to do this stuff?"
"You, alright?
I learned it by watching you!"
In some cases, though, it might be a sign that there's some sort of behavioral issue
brewing.
Do they spend too much time alone?
Are they doing it just to get your attention?
If they get a rise out of their two-legged friends by nomming on droppings, that might
be what's happening.
But if your adult dog suddenly starts wolfing down poopsicles, they also might not be getting
enough nutrients — and decided to add turds to the menu to supplement their diets.
That can happen if they're on food that's not the best quality, or if they're developing
some underlying condition like diabetes.
So, you know, you might want to get that checked out before your furball turns into a toilet
… or a fire hydrant.
"Ha.
Good one."
On the other hand, it's perfectly normal for even the healthiest and sanest dog to stop,
drop and roll in crap on any given day.
So don't fret if they come inside smelling like a butt when you least expect it.
Now, while we're on the subject of butt smells...
What's with the butt-sniffing?
As a mere human, you're probably baffled by what could possibly be so interesting about
the smell of a dog's butt.
But for canines, that rear stink is where it's at.
Well, sort of.
As it turns out, dogs aren't exactly smelling other butts … at least, not in the way you
think.
They're actually getting a whiff of what's coming from something appropriately called
the "anal sac."
This is the source of some chemical secretions that contain a huge amount of information
about the dog.
Sort of like a dog's fingerprint, or driver's license, or Facebook account — but, like...in
its butt.
One dog can tell a ton from what's coming out of these glands, right down to their new
friend's diet and current emotional state.
Researchers have found that the chemical compounds are only half of the communication network,
and that dogs have a super-sensitive receptor in their noses called the Jacobson's organ.
This particular receptor is tuned to the particular acids secreted by the anal glands.
It allows them to completely filter out any other scents that might get in the way of
receiving this chemical communication, and it's also the same organ they use when they're
sniffing around the popular pee tree at the dog park.
What's even weirder about all of this is that humans have the same sort of glands that dogs
do — they're just located in a different region of our bodies.
That explains why your dog introduces himself to your friends pals by getting a few good
whiffs of their crotches.
"Anybody comes to visit you, the first thing that dog does is take his nose and put it
*click* right in their crotch.
Ooooh!"
It may seem a little...overly friendly.
But it's just their way of scoping out the situation with whoever you're bringing home.
"He smells my dog!"
How many words do they understand?
The short answer to this question is, "More than you think."
The long answer is a bit complicated.
Researchers have found that it depends on a lot of things, from training and a dog's
intelligence, to the dog's breed and how they're spoken to.
Right now, the record-holder for the most known words is Chaser, a border collie from
South Carolina, who knows over a thousand words.
Chaser's owner spent a huge amount of time teaching her not only the different names
for things, but different actions.
Chaser has shown the ability to join verbs and nouns together to perform particular tasks,
and she can even use the process of elimination to select toys that she hadn't been taught
the name of.
But, y'know, don't start filling out college applications for Professor Bones-a-lot.
Your dog's still pretty stupid by human standards.
Most dogs have a vocabulary roughy equalling that of a two-year-old.
An "average" dog understands about 165 words and phrases.
On the other hand, that's actually kind of impressive, considering only a few people
can even tell the difference been an arf and a woof.
"What?
Four clowns?
The car's broken down?
They're in trouble?!"
"Man that dog is not talking to you."
Right-pawed or left-pawed?
Just like humans, dogs can be either right-handed or left-handed.
Unlike humans, there's an equal chance of your dog being either right- or left-paw dominant,
or ambidextrous.
There are a few different ways you can test to see which paws your pup prefers, and that
just involves paying attention to which paw it uses to do things like give high-fives
and steady toys.
Or which side of the batter's box he plays in:
"Batter up!"
Humans have always had a sort of bias against the left-handed — and weirdly, researchers
have found that the bias might be alive and well in dogs too.
They found that left-pawed dogs tend to be more wary, or even aggressive, toward strangers.
Interestingly, most guide and service dogs are right-pawed or ambidextrous, as many left-pawed
dogs are weeded out because of temperament.
"Hey.
Talk to the paw."
There also seems to be a connection between how dominant your dog's paw preference is
and how brave they are.
Ambidextrous doggos tended to be more anxious, while dogs with a strong preference to a dominant
paw were quicker to adjust to new situations and less easily rattled.
"Hey, that is the bird.
I have never seen one up close, but this is the bird.
May I take your bird back to camp, as my prisoner?"
Why do dogs tilt their heads?
Make a funny noise from across the room, and keep your eye on your dog's reaction:
"You go.
And he goes..."
So...why do they do that?
Well, dogs' emotional intelligence is pretty high.
So, they could be tilting their heads to look for that positive response they usually get
from you when they do it.
But there's probably even more to it than that.
Depending on the shape of your dog's head, they may also be able to improve their ability
to pinpoint the location of a noise if they adjust the position of their ears, clearing
their line of sight at the same time.
Studies have shown that dogs with longer muzzles tend to do this more often, so it's likely
there's some kind of physical, sensory benefit they're getting from it.
Yet another theory suggests that they're just concentrating particularly hard, trying to
read what you're communicating to them and seeing what words they recognize.
They're looking and listening for social cues to figure how they're going to react, and
waiting to see if you're going to say something they like, like "let's go for a walk" or "how
about a treat?"
In other words, if you see your doggie tilting her head, hop to.
It's probably waiting for some love and attention.
Just, y'know...don't go overboard:
"And now!
This could be it!
Ooh!"
"Buddy!"
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The Real Reason Dogs Tilt Their Heads And Other Canine Facts

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