The Truth About Dog Eye Contact
With so many opinions and misinformation about dog eye contact, it’s understandable why people wonder what eye contact means to a dog. Eye contact happens naturally; it’s part of normal body language. However, staring is considered rude and it’s scary to most dogs. Learn the difference between making eye contact with and staring at your dog, and how your dog perceives both.
Making Eye Contact With Your Dog vs. Staring at Your Dog
Dogs and their humans will make eye contact several times a day. It’s normal and natural behavior. Many dogs will make eye contact with their owners when it’s dinner time, treats are nearby or someone is ringing the doorbell. Likewise, some pet owners will look directly at their dog’s face when calling them over for a quick game of tug, when arriving home from work or when relaxing on the sofa at night.
This type of eye contact is fleeting. You and your dog make eye contact, then you both immediately look away and focus on another task. Polite eye contact lasts 1-2 seconds and moves fluidly with other friendly body language.
Staring is different, and considered rude to dogs. When a person stares into another dog’s eyes, the dog perceives it as a threat. Think about it this way: If someone stares at you, you’d wonder why this person was staring at you or assume the person was upset. When people stare, their bodies freeze in place with still arms, yet their heads follow the dog or person they’re staring at while they move away. This body posture not only freaks you out, but dogs too.
What Happens When You Stare at a Dog
Dogs will likely move away from a threat. If they catch someone staring at them, they’ll try to disengage from the person staring. Some dogs will:
- Look away from a staring person
- Slowly slink away
- Yawn
- Hold up a front paw
- Shake it off (looks like he’s shaking water off his coat
If this happens, the person unintentionally staring at the dog should turn sideways and look away from the worried dog. Intimidation teaches a dog that a person is unpredictable and scary. It’s tough learning from someone who’s intimidating, and it’s unfair to force a dog to learn this way. Remember, staring is considered rude in both the human and canine world. 🙂
Dog Eye Contact Dominance is a Myth
There’s no such thing as dominance between dogs and humans. If someone mentions staring at a dog to show dominance, explain that this outdated dog myth was dispelled by the person who wrote it. Staring at a dog won’t teach him you’re dominant; he’ll just think you’re being rude. While 90% of dogs will disengage from a person staring—they don’t want trouble—the other 10% will likely engage. Remember, dogs don’t need to be dominated. Dogs need someone to positively teach them polite manners instead.