I had a border collie who was brilliant, gifted. I could tell him to go to a room or go wait at an intersection and he would. I am good with animals but of all the dogs I worked with he was special.
When he was unsure of my directions he would tilt his head. So cute I would always engage and try to clarify.
I believe the tilted head is a nonverbal question mark? He was so eager to please that when my commands were unclear the head tilt was my clue that he wanted to help me out but didn’t know how. Sort of like asking: “Ok, I am willing to help, what do need? I don’t understand what you want.”
Also he would do it when people got hurt. Tilt head, think… Go find master, that’s where help is found!
Also if treats were offered by friends guests or strangers. That inspired lots of head tilts to me and the person offering, like, like he was thinking: “I want this. This 3rd party breaks the rules? Will master be ok with bending the rules this time? How do I beg for treats without being in trouble for begging?”
You think it’s an accident that all the hunting and work breeds are also adorable? Of course not. We like those to be cute too. We breed for multiple traits, whether we are aware of it or not.
I’m not surprised by this, and second the idea of the head tilt being a non-verbal question mark.
And as far as more intelligent breeds doing it more frequently… well duh. Whether it’s a positioning to gather more audio information, or a communication that more information needs to be provided. It’s the ones that are processing more information that are going to be doing it.
All doggos are adorable in their own way. But some were specifically bred for adorability as their defining trait whereas others were bred for traits ranging from “go fetch me that duck” to “keep those sheep organized” to “for the love of God please just run faster than those other greyhounds because daddy owes a lot of money to some very stern people.”
(except those abominations of physiology so that breeding has left them with so many congenital anatomic defects that some countries have passed laws stating that breeding them is considered cruelty to animals. Looking right at you French Bulldogs!)
At times a head tilt is magical, from mammal, reptile, avian, amphibians, invertebrates even!
In India there is this nonverbal thing of good will. A back and forth head tilt that I love; maybe the most disarming gesture I have seen.
I notice I react strongly to my kids when they tilt their head in consternation.
Regarding dogs I notice heelers, and terriers, hunting breeds all do head tilts. Is it pure cute, is it smarts weighing down causing head tilt? I think so.
