When my dog stands by the cabinet where the toys are stored and gazes at me from afar, sincerely, in an instant I understand that he wants me to take the toys in the cabinet for him, how does this silent and efficient communication work?
👀The Magic of the Eyes
Recent studies have proven the versatility and power of the "dog eye".
According to K9Magazine, dogs tend to use their eyes to communicate with their owners rather than barking, circling, or running, and nearly two-thirds of dog owners say their dogs use their eyes as the primary way to communicate their needs.
Of the 1,100 owners who participated, 58 percent said their dogs use "facial expressions" to communicate what they want, and that if they don't respond in a timely manner, they will nudge or paw further.
The study also found that...
- 39% of owners said their dog would stand at the door to indicate they wanted to go out;
- 7.2% of owners said their dogs would steal when they needed their owner's attention.
Ryan O'Meara, publisher of K9Magazine, explains 🎙️, "Over the decades, dogs have learned to judge our moods and personalities, and you'll often find him staring at you, which is a way for dogs to observe and think about how they talk to us.
They know we'll understand what they're trying to tell us because as our relationship with dogs has evolved, we've learned to read their signals as much as they read ours.
However, this efficient communication skill in dogs is not an accident, but has evolved over millions of years of domestication...
🤨 Eyebrows Are the Deciding Factor
Juliane Kaminski, a psychologist at the University of Portsmouth, and her team found that over the course of 20,000 years of being together, the anatomy of a dog's eyebrows has changed, making their expressions easier for humans to interpret.
"Dogs have realized the full potential of talking to the human gaze, a behavior designed to pull at our heartstrings by mimicking the way a baby's eyes widen." RyanO'Meara explains
❤️ Hormonal additions
Oxytocin, which promotes love and intimacy, is also present in dogs and owners who look at each other with four eyes.
One study found that oxytocin levels increased by 130% in dogs after looking at their owners, while the growth rate was as high as 300% in humans! The surge in oxytocin can help deepen the relationship between pets and their owners and provide an opportunity to bond and build trust.
❌ The key is not to overdo it!
You don't need to look directly at your dog for hours at a time; serious or prolonged stares can make your dog feel scared and nervous.
A few minutes of petting your dog and talking to him affectionately, with intermittent eye contact, is enough to trigger the release of bonding hormones.
"We don't need words to understand each other, a look is all it takes", a superb understanding that dogs and humans have built up over time."
