You may have noticed the cutest behavior of your German Shepherd most of the time, We as dog owners love such types of sweet gestures done by them. Maybe they want to play with us or talk. Have you ever noticed the tilting of their head they may have done more often in front of you also? The query arises in our mind why do German Shepherds tilt their heads?
There are many theories behind the tilt behavior of German Shepherds. They may tilt their heads because of their listening or seeing ability. They may see or listen to what we aren’t able to watch or listen to. They also tilt their head when they listen to some unusual sound or before barking.
However, the tilting behavior of your German Shepherd makes them more adorable and you do have not to worry anymore. Just to avoid your confusion, I am writing this post and we will discuss in detail why your German Shepherd shakes their head. Top reasons behind this behavior? Should we worry about this behavior? and many more.
Let’s get started without wasting any seconds:
Table of Contents
Why Do German Shepherds Shake Their Heads?
German Shepherds are great companions and very loyal to their masters. Due to their breed’s great level of friendliness, when they make cute gestures, they become even cuter. You might have also observed that shaking one’s head is another gesture. Most people regard it as a sweet gesture but there are some reasons behind this behavior. So why do they shake their heads? Do they want to get a notice from us?
German Shepherds have a great sense of hearings as compared to human beings and may listen to such frequencies that we aren’t able to listen to. This may be one of the reasons German Shepherds shake or bend their heads. They also bend their heads before barking and when they want to talk to us.
Though we consider this behavior as the cutest one we should not avoid it because of a safety point of view. There may be medical issues related to their ears. They can also do such types of behavior to grab our attention.
What Are The Main Reasons, German Shepherds Tilt Their Heads?
There are no such specified reasons behind the behavior of German Shepherd head tilt. Some researchers say it is a cute gesture while some describe it as adorable behavior.
However, this tilt behavior of German Shepherds can also be understood by these educational guesses.
Here are some of them:
Sight:
Sight may be one of the reasons they shake or tilt their head. They can see some of the images that we as human beings can’t see at certain angles.
You may have observed when your German Shepherd watches you, they may try to express their emotions like happiness or anger. This may be the reason behind the shaking behavior of their head.
Sound:
German Shepherds have more sensitive ears than humans. Humans can hear up to the range of 20 to 20000 hertz while dogs can hear the range of voice up to 40 to 65000 hertz. However, it depends on the breed of the dog.
It means that they can listen to much higher pitches that we can’t. They deal with all the voices by moving around their pinna or fuzzy ears. So the breeds like German Shepherds who have floppy pinna covering the front of the ear may bend their heads to move their ears to listen to such voices.
Psychology:
The last reason behind the tilting of their heads is psychology. It can be challenging to differentiate, though. Most people find this kind of cute, according to some studies. Maybe the tilting behavior of German Shepherds is just to express their emotions.
You can also consider some reasons why they tilt their head.
Ear Infection:
If you notice your dog tilting their head without any reason then there may be a serious problem as its external ear can be easily infected by bacteria.
Tilting their head abnormally and regularly is not normal behavior of dogs. You must rush to vets in such cases to avoid such types of problems.
Communication with the owners
German Shepherd dogs may bend their heads because they want to interact with you or pay attention to you. Some of you may ignore it but the German Shepherd breed is highly intelligent and need proper attention from the owners.
They want to communicate directly with the owners by tilting their heads. However, it depends on the situation, as a German Shepherd owner you have to observe that.
Also Read: Can German Shepherds Eat Papaya?
Should We Worry About The German Shepherd’s Shaking Behavior?
No, not at all, as discussed above they only do so when they listen to some unusual sound or watch unusual things. Most dog breeds do this kind of behavior, maybe they want to understand our body language or facial expression.
They also do so when they have to bark. But if they bark at regular intervals, it may be weird. They may have some problems. Is there some infection in their ear or some pain, they want to tell. You will have to notice that.
In such a case of a medical emergency, you should rush to your vet and get proper treatment for your pet. This will let you know the actual medical condition of your dog and you can also take proper care o them.
How Does Head Tilting Help A German Shepherd In Hearing?
German Shepherds have fuzzy ears and can hear higher frequencies than humans. However, hearing capacity differs among different breeds.
When a German Shepherd hears some frequency or sound they move its ear for the reception. In the process of listening to the sound accurately, they rotate or tilt their ear and let their head be tilted. Because of this, German Shepherds bend their heads more frequently.
The ear of German Shepherds are great receptors and may listen to sound in the range from 40 to 65000 hertz. I hope you have understood how tilting heads allow them to have a proper hearing.
Playing Music at High Volume May annoy Dogs so every dog owner should avoid listening high pitched sounds in front of dogs.
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Why Does My German Shepherd Tilt His Head When I Stand In Front Of Him?
I hope you feel the same way about your pet as I do about my GSD, who I adore and always want to talk to. There may be some times when your GSD tilts its head when you stand in front of them, but why do German Shepherds bend their heads when you stand in front of them?
Most of us find German Shepherd head tilts behavior the cutest gesture and describe this by saying in a single word “Oww”. When we come in front of them they start tilting their head maybe because they want to read our body language properly.
You should be also aware of the medical situation because of which they tilt their head. There may any issue in their ear he wants to tell. In such a case observe the behavior of your dog and provide the proper medication.
Also, Read Our Hot Topic “Can German Shepherds Eat Oranges? Complete details about Oranges!!!“
When Does The Head Tilt A Medical Condition For A German Shepherd?
Tilting heads all the time can’t be normal behavior for German Shepherds. If your dog tilts their head consistently then it’s time to worry, They may need some medical help.
German Shepherds may bend their heads regularly because of infection in their ear or vestibular diseases that every dog owner should never ignore.
Let’s take a quick look at this medical condition one by one:
Ear Infection:
As a good dog owner, you have to observe the unusual behavior of your pet, there may be some type of ear infection in your dog that lets them tilt their head again and again.
If they show signs of discomfort or restlessness, it may be because of the infection in the ear. If there will be a pain in their ear they may tilt their head to that side.
The infection might be brought on by some bugs or bacteria, and this kind of issue would make your dog uncomfortable. The best way to avoid such problems is to consult your vet when you see any type of discomfort.
Vestibular Disease:
Older canines are more commonly affected by this kind of illness. If your breed is having difficulty processing an external stimulus, it may be because of the disease called vestibular disease.
The brain is immediately impacted by this kind of illness. You should not ignore this because it is another severe medical concern.
The most common symptoms of such type of disease are :
- Your Dog will start walking in a circle.
- There will be loose coordination.
- They will always be confused.
- There can’t concentrate.
- They will bark all the time.
Again, If you see any unusual behavior in your dog or any type of symptoms then you should not waste your time and consult your vet. It will allow you to avoid such types of problems your GSD is facing.
Final Thoughts:
German Shepherds are a highly loyal and friendly breed. They do some sweet gestures that impress all the dog owners. Tilting of the head is one of the gestures you have noticed.
Here is a quick recap of this post:
- German Shepherd tilts their head because of their listening capacity.
- They can hear much higher pitches than humans.
- They may tilt their head to grab your attention.
- Remember to see the ear infection that also causes them to tilt their head.
- Apart from their medical conditions you do have not to worry anymore and can enjoy their sweet gesture.
I hope! my post made a clear concept about Why German Shepherds bend their heads? Always observe your dog and if you see any unusual behavior regularly then rush to your vet immediately.
References:
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-dogs-tilt-their-heads