There are many situations in which we find that our dog stares at us or crosses a knowing glance with us, even if only for one second. All these situations have an explanation, since visual communication is one more form of communication between dogs and humans.
We are going to explain what are the most common situations in which our dog stares at us and what their meanings are, as well as what it means when he simply crosses his gaze or when he looks at another dog intensely.
Index of contents
- 1 My dog seeks my gaze to ask my permission
- 2 My dog stares at me intently for long periods
- 3 My dog looks at me when he is scared or happy
- 4 Meaning of the glances between dogs and humans
My dog seeks my gaze to ask my permission
If we have our dog well educated and spend time with it, we will have created what is known as a good emotional bond. Which not only is that dog and human get to know each other better, but the trust between the two is such that with a simple glance we can know what he wants.
If we are walking with our dog and suddenly he is looking at us, it is very possible that he is asking for permission to run loose for a while (without a leash) or to greet another puppy that he has seen on the way. Our dog will look for our gaze so that we give him confirmation, with a simple “ok” or “give it” the dog will understand perfectly that he can go to greet the other puppy.
The same happens when for example we are eating something and our puppy sits next to us staring at us, he’s asking us for some food or permission to stick his nose in and eat some.
His gaze is nothing more than a wake up call to consult us. The same happens if you want us to throw the ball, a stick or play in any other way. They cannot understand most of our words, but body / visual communication is more than enough to understand us most of the time.
My dog stares at me intently for long periods
Surely more than once you have been sitting on the sofa at home watching television or reading a book, when you have noticed the intense and penetrating gaze of your puppy, when you know that he is staring at you and you can not help hiding him. That continuous look that strange us so much, because we don’t know what our puppy is thinking or what he wants.
It may be that our dog is trying to get our attention, for example, to put him to lunch or dinner (if the time is close). It might be that he wants to play a little with us or that we throw or give him his favorite toy. Although it may also be that he is simply watching us without any other intention.
Dogs are very observant, their lives are very simple and long periods at home sometimes make them even bored. So it is not surprising that our dog is watching us for a long time simply out of curiosity.
It is not something that should worry us at all, as long as our dog is healthy and does not show any symptoms of being unwell. Sometimes when they feel like peeing or pooping, they also press our eyes to indicate that they urgently need to go for a walk.
It doesn’t matter if we have taught our dog to pee and poop away from home, if you have drunk too much water or some food has made you feel bad, you are going to need to go out urgently or you will relieve yourself indoors (regardless of whether it is your walking time or not).
My dog looks at me when he is scared or happy
The gaze is a great communication tool between dogs and humans, although humans often do not know how to interpret it. If our dog is in an uncomfortable situation or has just been scared by something, if he is afraid, he will seek our gaze to let us know.
No need to say anything, we will know perfectly when it comes to a look of fear or pain, because it is simply something that shows. On the other hand, when our dog is very happy, such as when we give him a new toy or put something very tasty to eat, his gaze will also indicate his degree of joy.
It can be said that even the brightness of his eyes is totally different, something that we like because we know that he feels good. The looks of happiness or sadness are complicit looks, of those kinds of looks that only a dog and its human know how to share and interpret.
Meaning of the glances between dogs and humans
In the same way that our dog communicates with us through his gaze, he also communicates with other dogs. Dogs have many forms of communication with each other, from the movement of its tail which can determine your mood or intention, the position of your ears or the way you look.
If two known dogs look each other in the eye, they are simply greeting or nosing. However if two unknown dogs are staring intently, it can pose a danger as it is a sign of challenge.
The same is the case with unknown dogs and humans, we should never look into the eyes of a dog that we do not know, because it can interpret it as a sign of defiance and attack us. It is not the same to stare into the eyes of our puppy, which already knows us and will never interpret it as a challenge, as an unknown dog.