Do you get the doggie stare?

Sometimes when outside, I call my boys to come in or to settle down. Most of the time they come happily and obey. But have you ever called your dog and they start to come, stop turn around and then face you with the "stare". They just stand there and stare. Eventually they will follow direction, but you have to stand firm with them. Have you gotten the doggie stare? What does it mean?

 

Absolutely. For ours, it usually means he really wants to stay out longer and is wondering if I'll give him a few more minutes out back. If I call again, he'll come, but sometimes I will just head back inside and he'll carry on what he was already doing.

 

Oh yes! Misha is getting very good about coming when I call her. However, sometimes she will stop and give the star. Better yet, sometimes she will stare and then sit. I'm pretty sure that means she is not budging. LOL

I wonder if sometimes they get conflicted. Their desire to do what they were doing weighed against your command.

I guess this is better than the times they choose to ignore you completely. You know darn well that you are talking loud enough. Sometimes they will even give you a furtive glance as they pass you and pretend you aren't there.

 

Oh I get the stare all the time!!! The worst is when they sit and watch you put on shoes and get your keys and they KNOW that means kennel and just look at you like their best friend left them...oh the guilt of it all!!

 

I also think the stare is a way of giving us owners guilt. Sometimes however, I think it's a test for us. So they can see how far they can go to push our buttons. Kind of a game of sorts. Gizzy is the main one with the "stare" and I see it daily. Gix on the other hand, doesn't seemed to have mastered it. He has more of a confused look, than a stare.

 

I think there are two different stares. There is the guilt stare. This is the one given when your dog wants something like a treat, a walk, or a scrap of food from your plate. They are quite good and laying this one down.

Then, there is the other stare like the original post mentioned. This stare questions your leadership. When you get this stare, you know perfectly well that your dog has heard you, but they have decided they'd rather do something else. Sometimes they make it seem like they have no idea you are talking to them (what other dog could it be?).

 

Melody is right...and when you get the stare mentioned in the OP make sure you don't break eye contact! That is their way of challenging you and in this case the stare down winner IS the pack leader.

 

LOL. So true. I'm pretty sure that's why my nieces obey me as well. We had the staring contest and I told them that dogs stare at each other as a sign of dominance. And whoever squints loses... I also tell them that's the reason why even though they could try to make me laugh, it won't work because I've had months and months of practicing numbness so I don't get soft-hearted on the dogs as they can pretty much outsmart us for underestimating their intelligence.

 

LOL Dogs do outsmart us so many times!!! I swear my girls all huddle together to plan their triple attack of Mommy when they want something like a treat or scraps...

 

I believe that's why it's called the pack mentality. I truly hope that that level of intelligence hasn't been attained by my pack. Had they so, I would've been bankrupt a long time ago. Just imagine losing your mind to the stare-a-thon because he/she is just too cute to resist.

 

Yes we do in fact we are having the dinner table stare issues. Its so hard to ignore I feel like their eyes are piercing through my head!

 

Yes! I get that a lot with my dog. When I get the doggy stare I will have to say in a firmer voice, "Zoey, I said come!" She finally listens, but goes really slow. She knows that if I were to turn my head, or not tell her to come a second time, she would take over and run around. Those dogs are silly are really do have their own personalities!

 

I always get the stare when I want to walk him and he notices that the pavement is wet after the rain. He hates to get his little paws wet. I also get the stare when the pavement is too hot because of the sun. He just stands there, giving me a stare until I give up and agree to carry him to the park.

 

Oh yes, I get that doggy stare quite often from my little boy! He knows exactly what I'm asking him to do and most of the time he has no problem doing it. But, when he's not ready to come inside or go to bed, he sits his butt down on the ground and gives me the stare. Sometimes if he breaks the stare and looks away, I'll ask him to do something else to distract him and then ask him again to come inside or go to bed. This usually helps. Other than that, I just stare back until he looks away and accepts that I'm the boss and he's coming inside and going to bed whether he wants to or not!

 

Even more often than the stare, ours would give us the "plop", they would just sit down on the ground, or lay down, and be like "yeah, I'm not going anywhere. too bad".