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Why Does My Dog Stare at Me? By Dr. More than almost any other animal on earth, dogs are in tune with humans. That means they stare at us a lot to gain knowledge about their environment.
Essentially, they are waiting for us to do something that will impact them. For example, dogs quickly learn that their owners pick up the leash before taking them on a walk. Therefore, they will watch for that signal that a trip outside is on its way.
The same is true for mealtimes, play sessions, car rides, and so much more. Dogs also wait for more deliberate cues from their owners. Cues to perform a specific behavior like sit or down are chances to earn a reward. Since dogs love getting a treat, toy, or game, they will keep an eye out for these opportunities. This is particularly true of dogs trained with positive reinforcement methods.
Staring also occurs when your dog is trying to get your attention or tell you something. Some dogs stare to manipulate their owners and get something they want. This is a common scenario with begging at the dinner table. If the dog stares long enough, the owner will hand over a morsel of their meal. In truth, you have created that monster. In the beginning, the dog would have stared simply out of interest.
If you ignored the gaze, your pup probably would have found something else to do. But the stare makes you feel uncomfortable or guilty, so you give in to make it stop. And there you have it- the dog has learned a new way to communicate. A better approach is to teach your dog what you would like instead.
If you reward the new behavior and ignore the staring, soon you will have a dog that looks at you for cues rather than guilt trips. Your pup also uses eye contact to express emotions, both positive and negative. In their wolf ancestors, staring is considered threatening and rude.
Some dogs still retain that attitude. The eye contact should also be short. This means that positive eye contact with your dog should last around one to two seconds. More prolonged eye contact, which is more how you would describe staring, can have negative consequences. Dogs can see staring as a threat, which will then cause them upset and anxiety. Your dog does like you to look into their eyes in certain circumstances. Dogs increased visual communicative behaviors when they established eye contact with their owners.
To give you an example, when two dogs meet in a park, they will rarely make sustained eye contact. Unlike us humans, eye contact is not considered a positive thing. The only time that dog will tend to lock eyes is for the temporary moment when play is just about to start. They will then make eye contact for a few seconds, which I assume is a form of reciprocation, and then take off and play. If the dog looks skittish and on edge, prolonged and direct eye contact is bad and should be avoided.
A misconception around dog-human eye contact is its correlation with dominance and power dynamics between yourself and your pet. Whilst a lot of owners and some trainers swear by staring at their dog to assert dominance, the fact is that this is nothing more than a myth. It just comes back to making that important distinction between staring and eye contact. Another study from revealed that when a dog looks us in the eyes, we release oxytocin — a hormone released when mother dogs nurse their puppies — into our bloodstreams.
As well as strengthening your bond, more eye contact with your dog can be useful because it can help them become more focussed, and in turn help them become better at training and sports.
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