Dog Expert Explains Exactly Why Pups Stare at Their Humans
Do you ever catch your dog staring at you? Sometimes they stare so intently it's scary while other times you can see the love in their eyes. Steve Del Savio is an expert in dog psychology and the owner and founder of Pack Leader Dogs. He shared a video in early May responding to the question about why dogs stare at their humans.
Steve said that he gets asked this question a lot, so I must not be the only one who wonders why! He breaks it down for us in the video below. What he has to say actually makes a lot of sense.
Steve goes on to say that dogs are "masters at feeling energy and studying body language." They stare at us to gauge how we are feeling and what to expect from us. It's interesting that basically they're taking their cues from us and understand our body language and actions better than our words.
Related: Mom Shows Off The Creepy Way Her Dog Stares at Her at Night and We're Cracking Up
More Reasons Dogs Stare at Humans
I thought that Steve's caption was also interesting. "They learn quickly how a human moves, what their energy is, and what behaviors are associated with it. For example, when you put on different clothes, a specific pair of shoes, or reach for the leash, they learn quickly, which means they are going for a walk."
When you give off soft or weak energy (EX: allowing the dog to get up on the couch and snuggle with you) it allows the dog "to feel protected by their human because they studied and learned how the human is easily controlled and doesn't have respect for their own space." And he ends his long message with, "Be aware of your energy and your actions. Your dogs and nature are watching you!"
Dogs staring at us isn't the only way they communicate. Did you know that they point using their ears and nod their heads to let us know what they want or need? If they're staring at you and their ears are point at the door, it may mean they need to potty or want to go out and play. Pretty cool to learn and after watching my puppy more closely, it seems to be true!
They might study our body language, but the use theirs to communicate with us. For example, laying on their backs show trust while laying at your feet on their bellies can show comfort or that they're being submissive. It's been proven that dogs use those puppy eyes to let us know when they want something, just like kids do! They also use their tails to communicate; think about the different wags your dog has. Sometimes it's fast, sometimes they tuck it, and sometimes it might be a slow wag. These all have different meanings, much like different smiles portray different feelings.
Dogs use their voices to communicate and sometimes try to "talk". Some breeds are more vocal than others...Beagles and Huskies and known for being loud mouths! And of course, you know that your dogs have different barks for different things that go on...a playful one, a forceful one, and one that establishes dominance to name a few.
It's pretty amazing just how much dogs communicate with us without ever saying a word! If you watch and observe your pooch, it's fairly easy to learn all of their different tells, and once you figure it out, you'll be having "conversations" with your dog before you know it!
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