Why do dogs tilt head? New study reveals the cute reason  

Dogs are one of the most adorable animals. One memorable gesture that they often do is that they tilt their head charmingly to one side. Have you ever wondered the reason behind the gesture?

Let’s find it out now.

According to a study published last week, although a dog's quizzical head cock seems like confusion, the gesture may actually be a sign of concentration and increased attention.

The researchers looked to find out how well 40 dogs of various breeds could memorise the names for different toys. And then recall the information to retrieve specific toys in response to owners' commands.

Several pups were not able to learn the names of the toys, but seven border collies showed remarkable aptitude in the task.

Deemed "gifted word learners", the group of seven collies had something in common. It was that they all tilted their heads far more frequently than their non-gifted counterparts on hearing a command.

The gifted learners tilted their heads 43 per cent of the time and the other 33 dogs did it just two per cent of the time, the data showed.

In a press release, Shany Dror, an animal cognition researcher, Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, who co-authored the study, said, "It seems that there is a relationship between success in retrieving a named toy and frequent head tilts upon hearing its name. That is why we suggest an association between head-tilting and processing relevant and meaningful stimuli."

(With inputs from agencies)