Does your dog like to look at you? Have you ever wondered why your dog does this or what your dog is trying to tell you by looking at you? Staring behavior is completely normal for dogs and is usually nothing to worry about.
However, if you feel like your dog is staring at you more than usual, it is no surprise that the question pops into your head: “Is my four-legged friend okay?” After all, your dog’s mood and behavior are important to you. Below are the most common reasons why your dog might look at you.
Dogs use their body language to communicate with their owners, other dogs, animals, and their environment. Thus, our pets will be attentive to our mood, attitude, posture, facial expressions, and gestures. Dogs look at us to understand how we people feel about them.
Dogs will look at you to “read” your emotions. You will most likely notice this when you talk to your dog, or if you start doing something strange or out of the ordinary.
In this case, your dog will look at you to try and observe any non-verbal cues that might help him understand you. So, let’s dig deeper to know all the reasons behind your dog looking at you.
Why Is My Dog Constantly Looking At Me?
Among many reasons why your dogs maintain prolonged and direct eye contact with you is that they need something from you. This something can be anything from enjoyment, food, having to go for a walk because they are not getting enough exercise, or they just want affection and love from you.
In case, for instance, you have just arrived house and your pup is staring at you continuously, the most likely causes are that your dog wants food, a walk, exercise, basic commands, or your affectionate love toward them. Here, you can even ask yourself: “Why is my dog looking at me and whining?”.
Dogs generally look at human beings as a method to remind their owner of something that the owner may have failed to give to them. Also, they may whine as they need your attention toward them. While looking at regular behavior in pups, this must be avoided.
In case every time your pup looks at you with affection, you give her a treat, your pup ultimately learns for herself that you will reward her every time your dog looks at you. You should avoid doing this every time she looks at you. This kind of “unconscious” activity will result in a bad habit and thus, your dog will always look at you or follow you.
Hence, we suggest giving your dog only what she needs. For instance, in case your pup has just eaten but continues to gaze at you as well as follow her favorite dog food, do not feed her again.
In case you own a dog, keep this in mind. Many dog owners make this mistake often. But a professional dog trainer will never support such behavior and you should not, as well.
Reasons Why Your Dog Is Staring At You So Intently:
Without a doubt, the best thing about having a dog is that we never feel alone. We can sometimes feel like we’re continually being observed by our best friends who seem to observe us everyplace.
Have you ever witnessed your dog constantly looking at you, sometimes without even blinking? If you are asking yourself, “Why is my dog constantly looking towards me?” or “Why the dog is following me everywhere?” or ” Why do dogs stare at the owner constantly?”, then you have come to the right place!
In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the topic of why your dog stare at you as well as what it means. Additionally, we’ll even look at some of the reasons why your dog may be dodging your stare. Keep reading to learn more and better understand your pup!
1. They Love Us Unconditionally
Just like human beings gaze into the person’s eyes we adore, dogs have the same character of affection to easily communicate with their beloved owners. Recent research demonstrates that mutual staring between us as well as our dogs release similar hormonal responses present during infant and mother bonding between human beings.
In case you see your dog staring at you with adoring eyes for no apparent cause, it just may be a signal that they unconditionally love you. Nevertheless, do not be enticed to force your puppy into an affectionate stare by simply holding their head. Canines might analyze it as a danger and react consequently.
Dogs spend time gazing at their owners often, although the owners see the constant lookout as a bit problematic. But don’t worry about their gaze as they are similar to humans. Just like humans gaze at their loved one’s eye, dogs do the similar.
2. They Want Attention
Often dogs look at their owners simply because they pay attention to the owners. Your dog may wait and look at you for only one purpose: the dog is interested in what you will do next; whether you are going to interact with your pup, give him a treat, or take him for a walk.
Your dog spends a lot of time with you, so it makes sense that your dog would like to know what activities you can think of.
All they want is to drag your attention toward them. Even if your dog’s stiff posture may make you feel uncomfortable often, don’t worry. Just gaze back into your dog’s eyes and pay attention to your dog. Or simply talk to an animal behaviorist to know the signs better.
3. Establishing a Connection
Dogs make eye contact with their family members because it is part of the bonding process as they try to express affection. Both humans and dogs experience a surge of the hormone oxytocin when they look into each other’s eyes.
This hormone creates a bond of love and affection between humans and dogs, which is among the reasons why we become so attached to our pets.
Dogs may not be aware that they are looking at you to get closer, but in most cases, this is still the result. If you and your dog are very close, then there is no shame in staring at each other from time to time! This will build a connection between you two.
4. They Are Experiencing Mental Dysfunction
In case your dog is gazing continuously at you for no obvious cause, this behavior can be a symptom of a disease known as Cognitive Dysfunction in dogs.
Aimlessly wandering around, forgetting basic controls, and looking confused in familiar surroundings are other symptoms that your puppy may be suffering from mental decline.
Ensure you contact your vet in case you see any unusual symptoms accompanying your pup’s habit of gazing at you.
5. They Want Something From You
Often dog parents feel forced to act as soon as dogs will not give up gazing so affectionately at them. Well, the reason why pups stare at the owner when they need something is that we have unintentionally introduced them to this behavior.
Whether it is going for the treats, offering your pup a cuddle, or taking your pup for a walk, puppies will learn quickly there’s a ‘cause & effect’ rule concerning their capability to keep constant eye contact with the owner.
In case you treat them with attention and treats every time your dog sits as well as stares at you, they will keep doing it and get what they are after.
6. Dogs Stare As They Are Reading Us
That means our dogs stare at us to know about the environment and learn more about us. Practically, they’re waiting for their owners to do something for them that will influence them. For instance, dogs quickly can read the owner’s mood. They can understand their owner better than anyone else.
If your dog finds out you are sad for some reason, it will stare at you. This is their way of telling you that they are with you. So, you are not alone.
7. Your Dog Is Confused
Puppies that stare throughout training, particularly with their cute tilted face, are possibly a little bit confused. The pup is trying to understand what you want—it is more like you are trying to know what he wants! It’d be so much more straightforward in case our language was the same.
In case you catch the dog gazing at you the moment you ask him to do something, it is high time to modify your training process a little bit and discover a method to communicate clearly.
Thus, in case you ask your pup to sit and he just gazes at you, try to re-train your dog’s behavior. And try to understand that your dog is not being deliberately disobedient. He is just confused!
8. They Want To Understand You Better
Dogs watch the owner to understand what their owner is doing. Humans and dogs have a remarkable relationship. Puppies are inherently prone to become connected to you and they also take an immense interest in what you do. Staring people is how your dog gathers information regarding their owner’s actions.
Often they are searching for a sign that may show whether you are going to feed them or take them for a walk. In case you have trained your puppy to respond to voice signals or hand gestures, they may be waiting for a sign to tell them what’s next. Other times, they are just following you so they can learn more about you.
9. Showing Their Affection To You
Sometimes your dog may look at you because he wants to show that he admires you. Although dogs do not experience feelings of love in the same way that humans do, they greatly admire their family members.
Your dog trusts you and wants you to know it! If your dog keeps staring at you when you cuddle together, that might be the reason. Feel free to look back on this situation, your pet will take it as a positive sign. But he can be shy and look away, and that’s okay too!
10. Maybe Something Is Not right
If you own a dog then you might see them staring at you continuously in an imploring way. In case they’re sick or hurt, they may be gazing at you with the expectation that you will see their discomfort.
In case your pup is less active and their gaze seems unfocused or glassy-eyed, check for symptoms of illness or injury. Any time a dog appears to be sick or hurt, you must discuss the issue with your veterinarian immediately.
11. It Is a Symbol of Aggression
Often a dog stares at the owner because it indicates aggression in case they’re in a position where they feel threatened, uncomfortable, or on guard. As if they are trying to protect a helpful resource, such as a bone.
Here, your pup may gaze without blinking and perhaps he is trying to attack you. Other indications of aggression in puppies include the following:
- A stagnant or barely moving tail
- A stiff body with a hard stare
- A lowered tilted head
- Forwarded and raised ears
- Lifted lips could be a sign of aggression
In case you notice any of these gestures along with staring, your pup may feel threatened as well as you need to train your dog properly and take it to your vet.
12. They Are Waiting for Your Command
If you spend a lot of time training your dog, he may be looking at you for a command. These behaviors can show up at any time during the day and are most often associated with confusion in your dog.
For example, if you are learning some new command with your trained dog, he will most likely start staring at you for a sign of what he should be doing. This is a good reaction; a trained dog should always look to its owner for signals.
Why Is My Dog Looking Away?
Have you ever asked yourself: “Why is my dog not looking away and looking at anything else but you?”.
There are several reasons why you might find your dog looking away. Some of these causes are because of the natural behavior of dogs, whereas others are a little bit more unsettling.
Here are a few of the reasons why your dog loves to look away:
Own Instinct:
Dogs love their owner but have an excellent sense of hearing. This may clarify why a dog looks into space or at a wall. There are a few things that pups think exist there. So among the most common causes your dog looks into space could be because he hears or sees things that you don’t.
Compulsive Ailments in dogs:
Dogs, like human beings, can suffer from many behavioral problems. In case you notice such disorders in your dog, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible.
Canine Dementia (Cognitive Dysfunction Syndromes):
This Alzheimer’s-like condition happens when a pup suffers changes in the way its brain functions. In turn, the dog will undergo symptoms of some neurological issues. You may see that this sign gets worse over time.
In case you think your dog is constantly looking away due to this syndrome, we recommend contacting your veterinarian immediately.
Epilepsy Seizures in Dogs:
Occasionally, dogs with epilepsy undergo what is known as “no seizures”. These convulsions happen without the impression of seizures or shaking. If you think your dog is undergoing epilepsy, we suggest taking her to the veterinarian ASAP.
Final words
In almost every situation, there is nothing to worry about your dog’s loving stare at you. While some people may find it uncomfortable, staring is a perfectly normal part of a dog’s life and socializing. If you have any questions about your dog’s behavior or have any reason to be concerned about his “gazes”, then talk to your veterinarian about it.