Mary Allen
Your dog is staring at you and you don’t know what he wants from you?
Especially when a four-legged friend has just moved in and you don’t know each other that well yet, such a stare can be a bit threatening.
But what does your dog want to tell you? Why is your dog looking at you so intently?
We regret so often that they cannot simply let us know what we may do for them. So it’s up to us to spend hours reading, studying our dogs (wait, maybe he’s doing the same thing?) and then not really knowing what’s going on inside them.
If your dog is staring at you, it can be for a variety of reasons.
In this article, we want to get to the bottom of it!
Thank you for taking part!
In a nutshell: Why is my dog staring at me?
There is no leaf between dog and human! During the domestication from wolf to domestic dog, we have kept the dog closer to us. We humans wanted to create a loyal partner et voilà: there he sits and stares at you.
There can actually be many reasons why your dog is staring at you. Most of these range from harmless to cute, while others indicate aggressive behavior. Your dog may also be trying to tell you that he needs to go outside or that his water bowl is empty.
Take a closer look at your dog. In which situations does he look at you more often? How is his posture? Does he seem relaxed and expectant, stressed or insecure?
Why is my dog staring at me?
There can be many reasons why your dog is looking at you. However, you should always keep one thing in mind: our dogs don’t have much in life apart from us. That’s how humans bred them: completely dependent and unconditionally loyal.
What does such a faithful woof do all day long when he has nothing to do again? Mostly sleeping but when he’s awake he wants to know what you’re doing. So he looks at you. He looks and looks and studies and studies and ultimately reflects our behavior in his own way.
Staring is often intended to have a purpose, and in most cases that means ATTENTIONEEEEEEEEING! Whether it comes in the form of snuggles, treats, play, or walks, your dog wants it, and he wants it as often as possible!
But aggressive behavior or pain can also be the cause of constant staring. In order to find out, it is important to be able to read your dog’s body language well.
A visit to the vet is also always a good idea if you find something strange about your dog’s behavior.
What is the difference between staring and fixating?
Staring doesn’t necessarily mean aggression. As you already know, there can be many cute reasons why your dog keeps staring at you. But how do you know if he’s staring at you?
| posture | reason | |
| Stare at | Loose, relaxed, wagging or relaxed tail, happy look, maybe a little panting | Demanding attention, having to do business, boredom, love message |
| Fix | Tense, stiff tail, barking, and/or growling | Threat and/or announcement of attack |
The differences between staring and fixating quickly become apparent. Do you have a queasy feeling when your dog stares at you? Does he seem tense or relaxed?
Tip:
If you are not sure and are concerned about your dog’s behavior, be sure to consult a local trainer! It’s important to figure out why your dog is staring at you and what he doesn’t like so you can shut down the cause.
Why does my dog look at me when he poops?
Some dog owners have certainly asked themselves this question! We tend to humanize our dogs, so surely it would be awkward and weird for them to have someone watching them poop?
But then why do they sometimes stare at us?
It’s simple: in this pose, they are easily vulnerable to enemies. Some dogs make sure by looking at their master or mistress whether they can do their business in peace.
Sounds weird, but it’s actually pretty cute, isn’t it?
Conclusion
There can be many reasons why your four-legged friend cannot take his eyes off you. Either he is madly in love with you and therefore wants to look at you all the time, or he wants something from you.
What could he want? Fressi, play, walk, cuddle? Try to find out and observe in which situations your dog looks at you more often.
As long as it’s a harmless, dreamy stare, you don’t need to worry. Let him look – if you don’t mind!
However, it becomes uncomfortable when you or other people feel (rightly) threatened by your dog’s stare. Is your dog tense, maybe even showing his teeth? Then fixation can quickly turn into actual aggression!
If you’re not sure why your dog is staring at you, your best bet is to contact a local dog trainer. The behavior of our dogs can often not be judged so well from a distance.
Would you like to learn more about the behavior of our dogs? Then take a look at our dog training bible. Here you will find valuable tips and tricks for dealing with your dog properly.