While I have been trying to teach my old dog new tricks, I have noticed that he tilts his head to one side when he is puzzled by my instructions. I have seen cats do the same thing, as indeed do humans. Why do we all have the same response?
鈥� When we analyse problems in familiar modes, we know where to seek the necessary information in the most promising form and place. When stumped by unfamiliar problems, we grope for clues in unfamiliar dimensions.
If we have difficulty when struggling to lift a heavy weight, we engage in displacement activities, such as grimacing and contracting irrelevant muscles. Such activities are practically universal, both among vertebrates and intelligent invertebrates, and may be nature鈥檚 version of the problem-solving guru鈥檚 advice to 鈥渢hink outside the box鈥�.
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Moving or tilting the head gives a different focus, parallax, or perspective of an object. Species that need to aim, such as chameleons, or that have eyes fixed in their head, such as owls or egrets, or people who have lost the sight of one eye, will often tilt, waggle or bob the head for the sake of perspective. Humans often behave similarly when tackling unfamiliar problems, either futilely or in the hope of recognising an overlooked clue. Sometimes it works, both for us and for old dogs. Perhaps your dog is trying to 鈥渢hink outside the box鈥�.
鈥淢oving or tilting the head gives a different focus, parallax, or perspective of an object鈥�
Jon Richfield, Somerset West, South Africa