04/04/2024
Fun Dog Facts #1…
Did you know that dogs have about 18 muscles in each ear? This allows them to tilt, rotate, and raise their ears with incredible precision! This remarkable muscular ability lets them detect sounds far beyond human capability, not just in terms of distance, but also frequency.
Dogs can hear frequencies up to 65,000 Hz, while humans top out at about 20,000 Hz. Makes sense, considering the human ear contains only three extrinsic and six intrinsic muscles! This sensitivity explains why your dog might suddenly perk up, ears twitching, at sounds you can't even begin to detect. It’s also why your dog may bark at what you feel is “nothing”. Next time you see your dog's ears twitch or rotate, remember, they’re tuning into the world around us in a way we can only imagine!
Of course, dog ears aren't just for listening – they're for communicating too! Your dog's ear position is a great indicator for telling you how they're feeling. Ears can vary from simply “back,” to communicate an appeasement intention, to “flattened” or “pressed back,” in frightened individuals as an agonistic response. In extremely fearful dogs, ears can be pressed back so far on the head that they disappear (“seal ears”). On the contrary, ears kept forward are associated with interest, attention, and approach-oriented intentions, while sideward position indicates a conflicting inner state (“airplane ears”).
So, when you arrive home, and your dog runs to greet you with ears up, you can be confident they are excited to see you. As they get closer, they may drop or pull their ears back, still wagging and smiling, and that’s because they’re trying to please you.
Remember, ears are just one piece of the puzzle! Always look at the complete picture to better understand what your dog is communicating. Although there are many ways a dog communicates, the most common ones are with the tail, ears, and voice. When trying to read your dog’s body language, you should look at all three - and more!
Have any good ear pics? Share in comments!
