Dogs stare to ask for something like food or attention, to bond with you, or to read your expression.
Common reasons
- Waiting for food, a walk or play.
- Bonding: mutual gaze raises oxytocin.
- Reading your face.
- Anxiety.
- Cognitive dysfunction in old dogs.
Study
A 2015 study in Science found gazing with owners raised oxytocin in both.
What to do
Check whether your dog needs food, water or a bathroom break.
See a vet
If staring is new, with confusion or in a senior dog.
What staring can mean
Dogs stare for different reasons: attention, a request for food or a walk, affection, or confusion. A 2015 study by Miho Nagasawa in Science showed gazing between dogs and owners increases oxytocin in both. A hard stare with stiff body can signal guarding or threat.
- Dogs learn quickly that eye contact brings rewards, so staring at meal times is often learned.
- Older dogs that stare at nothing or wander at night may have canine cognitive dysfunction, which affects an estimated 14 percent of dogs older than 8 years and over 60 percent at 15 to 16, according to veterinary studies.
- Dogs can read pointing, gaze and facial expressions better than wolves.
How to respond
Give a cue such as sit before feeding or going outside to turn staring into a polite request. Meet needs with scheduled walks and puzzle toys. If your dog stares with pacing, confusion or changes in sleep cycle, see a vet. Avoid staring back at an unfamiliar dog, since a direct stare can be read as a challenge.
Possible meanings
Dogs stare to ask for food, walks or attention, to show affection, or to read human cues. A 2015 study in Science showed that mutual gazing between dogs and owners increases oxytocin in both. A hard stare with stiff body can be a warning.
Response
Check whether the dog needs water, a walk or a bathroom break. Reward calm behavior and offer play. If staring is compulsive or accompanied by confusion in an old dog, canine cognitive dysfunction may be possible, and a vet can help.
Eye contact research
Dogs developed the ability to read human gaze during domestication. A 2015 Science study by Nagasawa found that mutual gazing raised oxytocin in dogs and owners, forming a bonding loop. Wolves raised by humans do not show the same effect.
When staring signals a problem
A dog fixed on a spot, pacing or staring blankly may have canine cognitive dysfunction, seen in about 14 percent of dogs over 8 and 68 percent over 15. Compulsive staring at shadows or lights can be a behavioral disorder. A vet visit helps rule out vision loss and seizures.
Based on data from the journal Science and the American Veterinary Medical Association
