PHOTO: iSTOCK
March• 2018 | 25PETSOF COURSE, NOBODYhas been able
to interview canines on the subject,
but the consensus is that dogs like to
put their heads out of car windows
because they are visually curious.
Many dogs are not tall enough to have
an unobstructed view of the outside
world from the front seat, and most
dogs are too short to have any forward
or rear view from the back seat.
Poking their head out of the window
is a good way to check out their
surroundings and enjoy a nice, cool
breeze at the same time.
Dogs also have a very keen
olfactory system that is far more
sophisticated than our own. When a
dog sticks his head out of a moving
vehicle, it picks up on a multitude of
scents with all sorts of information
about the passing environment,
resulting in a highly stimulating
experience all round.As much as dogs enjoy leaning
out of cars, it’s actually not a good
idea. Obviously, if your dog becomes
overstimulated and falls or jumps
from your moving car, it could injure
itself. Wind-borne dust and pollen
can irritate dogs that have allergies,
and high-speed wind gusts can
damageadog’seardrum.Plus,dogs
are vulnerable to flying debris such
as small stones or sticks. According
to veterinarian Ben Klein, sticking
their heads out of car windows is one
of the major causes of ear infections
in dogs.
Blowing inside a dog’s ear, even
gently, can hurt it. While we may
associate blowing into the ear of a
dog as playfulness, the frequency of
the sound drives them nuts. Although
different dog breeds have varying
sensitivities to ear-blowing, all are
bothered by it.Even when it’s a bad habit
Why Do
Dogs Stick
Their Heads
Out of Cars?