“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot little puppies.”―Gene Hill

Happy Tuesday! Here's the scoop:

  • This German Shepherd and Madonna have something in common

  • Our post-holiday spirit animal

  • What’s the deal with that adorable puppy head tilt?

Did you know?
Dogs are not actually colorblind.

While they can’t see the same colors we do, they do have two color receptors (we have three). If you were to see the world through your dog's eyes, you'd see everything in shades and combinations of blue and yellow!

This German shepherd lives in style
A dog with a trust fund? As crazy as it sounds, Gunther VI, a sweet and friendly German shepherd, lives in an eight-bedroom waterfront Tuscan villa that once belonged to Madonna (yes, you read that right). Gunther VI, who inherited the villa from his grand-pup, Gunther IV, recently put the estate up for sale for $31.75 million – with the help of his real estate agents.

If you’re wondering how this is even possible, Gunther is part of a proud lineage of German shepherds. Back in 1992, Gunther III inherited a multimillion-dollar trust from his owner, a German countess named Karlotta Liebenstein.

These days, Gunther VI spends his time playing with a tennis ball, rolling around the palatial lawn, and napping in the living room underneath the gilded framed portrait of Gunther IV that hangs above the fireplace. We all aspire to live like Gunther.

Image courtesy of Today.com.

Off Leash
When you ate too much on Christmas…

Why do dogs tilt their heads?
Dog parents know that the head tilt is one of the most adorable things that a dog can do. But why do they do it? Do they know how cute they look, or are they trying to tell us something?

It turns out that there are four reasons why your dog might tilt its head to the side:

1. Sound Identification
As you probably know, a dog’s hearing is more sensitive than a human’s, especially when it comes to high frequencies. Long-eared dog breeds sometimes need to move their heads slightly to capture and amplify a sound they hear. So, a head tilt may indicate that your dog is trying to identify where a sound is coming from.

2. Visual Assistance
Dogs generally have great overall vision, but they’re not exactly seeing 20/20. A dog’s depth perception is best when they look at things head on, at eye level. Depending on where you’re standing, your dog might be tilting its head to get a better look at you.

3. Positive Reinforcement
Although your dog might not exactly understand that they’re being adorable when they tilt their head, you might have inadvertently taught them how adorable they look when they do it. For instance, if you tend to reward a head tilt with a treat, you might have trained your dog that tilting their head will earn them something special.

4. Medical Concern
In some rare cases, your dog might be tilting its head as a sign that something is wrong. If you notice your dog’s head tilting is more frequent or vigorous than normal – along with changes in their sleep, appetite, or activity levels – you may want to ask your vet about it. Most of the time, though, there’s nothing to worry about and you can simply enjoy your dog’s adorable sideways looks.

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