Why Does My Dog Not Want To Look At Me?
Dogs do not generally want to look at their owners. They instinctively do not feel it is safe, or right, to do so. As such, it often indicates that a dog is submissive and aware of its place in the household.
It is also more common in shy dogs, those who have had a previous traumatic experience by doing so, or they may have done something wrong and expect reprimand (which we will explore further in the next section).
In fact, if your dog was to greet you with a hard stare; chances are something is wrong.
Add this to a dominant stance, the bearing of teeth, or even a growl and it could all get quite nasty relatively quickly.
For the most part, a dog turning away is a passive dog; one that is relatively content and not in fear of their owner.
A dog turning away is therefore nothing to worry about; and should be somewhat expected.
If your dog does usually look at you, albeit momentarily, and does happen to have stopped all of a sudden, there is the possibility that they are harmed, injured, or hurt.
Dogs are very keen to hide any pain or discomfort they may be feeling; they do not want to appear weak and to be discarded from the pack.
So, you do need to remains vigilant and look for other cues, such as limping and whincing.
Its generally a good idea to contact your vet in such an instance.
What Does It Mean When Your Dog Ignores You?
If your dog is ignoring you, chances are it is due to insufficient training and bad behavior. Although, there is always the possibility that it is the result of a medical issue and a dog that is suffering from poor hearing.
So, its important to first rule out a potential illness or medical condition.
From there, you will need to look into their training and level of socialization.
For instance, a young puppy is most likely to ignore their owner.
In older dogs, it is more common in adopted dogs who are yet to gain the trust of their new owners.
Nevertheless, with an appropriate training regimen focused around positive reinforcement techniques, and with consistency, a dog should soon learn what is right and wrong behaviour, and begin to listen to their owner.
Or it could be that your dog is choosing to ignore you because you have used ineffective training methods, such as punishment.
This is why it is so essential to teach clear commands and always give praise. You want your dog to associate your commands with positivity, and not out of fear of being reprimanded.
Just be sure to monitor any other behaviors, the situation it is occuring and/or accompanying symptoms.
It may very well be that they ignore you in certain situations; such as when out walking and they get sight of a wild animals.
In such instances you may need to make certain provisions, such as having treats readily available, to make the reward of not chasing greater than the chase itself.
You can always contact a professional for support with training, or attend group training sessions locally.
It is possible to teach a dog to make eye contact, but it is generally much easier and more effective when they are taught to do so like a puppy.
Nevertheless, you do need to be especially careful during eye contact training. If giving eye contact is greeted with any hostility or aggression in your dog, then you may need to seek out a professional and specialist to support the process.
Assuming your dog is receptive to your training, its actually quite a straightforward thing to teach.
You first need to let eye contact happen naturally. It will likely be minimal at first, but it can increase in time.
Begin by placing your dog on a leash.
Keep treats nearby and at the ready.
Wait for your dog to look up at your eyes, and as soon as they do so, provide them with a treat and give them a lot of positive praise.
In dogs that are more aloof or unlikely to look towards your face, you may need to strategically place a treat up toward your face.
If you notice your dog moving their eyes from the treat to your face; you then need to reward them with the treat and praise them heavily.
It is at this juncture, and when a dog is willing to more routinely give eye contact, you can introduce new commands such as ‘look’.
Your dog should soon begin to realize that looking in your eyes is a positive experience.
At this stage, you can move onto making eye contact much more routine and regular – using it in different contexts and situations.
So, you can do so while stroking your dog, or while grooming them.
Be sure to do so from a variety of different angles, so when you are low to the ground and standing over them.
Your dog needs to get used to eye contact in different situations.
Also, be sure to do so both inside and outside of the home, such as on a walk.
Routinely use the taught command, such as ‘look’.
Just be sure to only continue with training if you are getting a positive response from your dog.
You do not want to cause stress, anxiety or aggression in your dog.
If you start to notice this you may have gone too far, or too quickly.
Be sure to keep giving treats early on. Make this a really positive experience for them.
In time, you should notice your dog more willing to give you eye contact.
Dogs Are Telling Us How They Feel
Your pup also uses eye contact to express emotions, both positive and negative. In their wolf ancestors, staring is considered threatening and rude. Some dogs still retain that attitude. That’s why you should never stare down strange dogs or hold dogs still to stare into their eyes. If a dog gives you a hard stare, with unblinking eyes and a stiff posture, back away and don’t make eye contact. You might see this in your own dog when there is a bone or other valued treat at stake. Resource guarding is often accompanied by a hard stare and other aggressive body language. If you see it in your dog, consult a professional trainer or behaviorist.
Of course, a lot of dog staring is exactly what it seems — an expression of love. Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust. The same hormone that is released when a new mother looks at her baby is also triggered when you look at your dog. No wonder our dogs like to stare at us all the time.
