Eye contact?

[littlestar0316]

I was always told that it was not advisable to stare an adult dog in the eye, because this communicates an aggressive challenge, and most dogs I encounter do seem to avoid direct eye contact for more than a second or two. I also seem to remember reading that excessive staring games can damage trust and confidence in puppies.

Not Bella, apparently. I went out of my way NOT to play staring games with her, but she looks me in the eye all the time. She doesn't display any overtly dominant behaviors (no toy or food aggression, she willingly does "drop it" and "leave it," no biting or growling, etc.), but say I'm sitting in a chair and she's on the floor-- she'll sit and stare up at me until I make eye contact, and then she'll just keep looking me in the eye. It's not a particularly intense stare, if that makes sense, more conversational.

When she needs to go out, she just skips right to the more direct route of whining or running for the door, so I don't think it's that. She's done this ever since we got her.

Do any of your Corgis try to talk to you with their eyes?

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by littlestar0316

I was always told that it was not advisable to stare an adult dog in the eye, because this communicates an aggressive challenge, and most dogs I encounter do seem to avoid direct eye contact for more than a second or two. I also seem to remember reading that excessive staring games can damage trust and confidence in puppies.

It can be aggressive but it can also be communication. Dogs look each other in the eye, sometimes aggressive sometimes not.

Not Bella, apparently. I went out of my way NOT to play staring games with her, but she looks me in the eye all the time. She doesn't display any overtly dominant behaviors (no toy or food aggression, she willingly does "drop it" and "leave it," no biting or growling, etc.), but say I'm sitting in a chair and she's on the floor-- she'll sit and stare up at me until I make eye contact, and then she'll just keep looking me in the eye. It's not a particularly intense stare, if that makes sense, more conversational.

When she needs to go out, she just skips right to the more direct route of whining or running for the door, so I don't think it's that. She's done this ever since we got her.

Do any of your Corgis try to talk to you with their eyes?

Yes, mine will talk to me with their eyes.

By the way, when we train for an obedice trial we train the dogs to "watch me". That means to make eye contact with the handler. Sparky was expected to look up at me and make contact when the judge ask if I was ready and I replied "ready". (We started with watch me and then taught that ready also meant to make eye contact.) My next command would be "Sparky, Heel!" And off we'd go.

So eye contact is not always aggressive or confrontational. I often look my dogs in the eye. Looking them in the eye or making eye contact is not the same as staring. Although if I'm correcting a dog I will often hold the head under the chin and make him look at me and look him in the eye, usually verbally scolding at the same time.

But KNOW your dog before you do this. If your dogs takes that as a confrontation you could be bitten.

Dogs are very good at body language and understand that not all eye contact is confronatational or aggressive. As long as you know your intent.


Peggy

[LaRogue]

Do any of your Corgis try to talk to you with their eyes?

Yes, all of the corgis I've had have done this. I think like Peggy wrote, it depends on your body language and demenor.

[Suzzie]

Merlin does this. So do three of my other dogs... my oldest female, however, averts her eyes after a moment or two.