Eyes

“eyes are the windows into our soul…”

Eyes are a subtle way for dogs to communicate and can often be missed as part of their silent communications.

Looking into the eyes human-to-human is a natural and very telling thing for us humans to do. It is not however natural for dogs to stare into each others’ eyes in the same way. Dogs have adapted to the way humans communicate and have learned that staring into their humans’ eyes is not a threat or confrontational behaviour. And that it has its advantages… But it may be wise to remember that it is not necessarily polite to stare at a dog who is a stranger to you and some dogs who are not as used to human-dog contact may react aversely.

I think the only time staring is accepted in the dog community is when stalking and play. We shall discuss this on a later module.

Soft eyes

…is a term used to describe the eyes of a dog in a relaxed and neutral position.

If there is no tension in the face, the eyes naturally appear relaxed and the gaze of the eyes appear soft.

Could you post pictures of your dogs’ soft eyes into our Stress Free facebook support group? And we can share with each other. Also if you get piccies of any of the other body language we talk about in this course. Do use our support group to share and ask questions x

Hard eye

The term 'hard eye' is where a dog gives direct eye contact to another dog or human, characterised by an intense hardened, fixed, glassy stare. Eye contact is not very polite in dog communication and is mostly used for the purpose of a warning. The dog communicates intent of further action should the party not heed the warning and move away.

If you have been on the receiving end of ‘hard eye’, it is something that you will sense. The eyes seem to glaze over and become colder, a lack of warmth.

A hard stare and freeze may be the last warning before further escalation.

Question: what other body signs would you perhaps notice with a hard eye? Answers revealed in the video…

Whale eye

This is when the whites of the eye (know as sclera) become pronounced. Whale eye is the most common term, but I have seen it referred to as ‘half moon eye’.

It can occur on either the inner corner or outer sides of the eye. In most cases, whale eye can be seen when a dog is experiencing some form of discomfort or anxiety.

The reason the whites of the eyes are visible is that the dog is most likely trying to avert their gaze to “eye side step” what is making them feel uncomfortable.

We can see it when a dog is turning their head away from what may be of concern but they are also cautious not to take their eyes off the thing of concern. This action of slight head movement whilst trying to keep an eye on things causes the whites of the eyes to become evident.

Another reason is fear or arousal - when the dog’s eyes become wider. It is also likely in such cases that there will be muscle tension and ridges in areas of the face, pulling the eyes open wider.

Certain dog breeds naturally have slightly bulging eyes, allowing the whites of the eyes to be visible at times, but this is usually not as exaggerated as a true ‘whale eye’. This is why it is important not only to observe the eyes but the dog’s whole body and body language to correctly interpret what you have observed.

Whale eye should be treated with caution. Depending on the context and the rest of the body, it may mean the dog is feeling threatened, and there is potential the situation could escalate.

Question: what other body signs would you perhaps notice with a whale eye? Answers revealed in the video below…

How can you tell the below is not whale eye?

Blinking

blinking of the eyes relies very much on the context in which it occurs and the dog’s whole body language in order to be interpreted correctly. Generally, blinking can be seen as a calming signal and may be used to negotiate with another individual. At times, blinking can occur due to stress or fear. In other situations, it may be offered as appeasement. It may also be offered to show good will, whilst trying to calm an interaction down. As you can see there are many interpretations so needs to be read within the context.

As staring is impolite in dog body language, a blink may be used as a strategy when giving selected short bursts of polite eye contact. There are different types of blinking. They may be exaggerated by using slow deliberate blinks, or they may occur frequently in quick succession.

What may be going on for this cavalier in the below?

Squinting

'Shortening of the eye' or squinting eyes

It can be used as a non-confrontational signal to indicate peaceful intentions.

Depending on the context squinting may also be used when a dog is displaying appeasement.

In the case of appeasement, the eye may be squinted almost totally shut, which is different to the subtle slight squint involved in ‘shortening of the eye’. A dog that is showing appeasement signals may also be feeling some fear and there may be either a freeze or crouch.

Look out for a big difference in body language between a dog showing appeasement and a dog squinting his eyes to be polite. A dog that is comfortable and squinting his eyes to be polite might approach, whereas a fearful dog will keep his distance. There will be further differences with regard to body movement, as the comfortable dog will have a looser body and move with ease, whereas the fearful dog may seem frozen or stiff, showing little movement.

Squinting can also signal pain or illness.

Pupils dilated

Glassy eyes.

Pupil dilation can about the dog’s emotional state.

Dilation of pupils can occur in low light conditions to assist with vision by allowing more light into the eyes. In other instances it occurs as an involuntary response due to the sympathetic nervous system being activated. Dilated pupils can indicate the dog is feeling some form of stress, fear or arousal.

Notice whether the pupil dilation is a subtle increase or does it fill the eye. First we need to identify what is a normal looking pupil in your dogs’ eyes when they are not experiencing stress or light deprivation.

What is the rest of the body doing?

Pay attention to the dog’s body movements as part of the observation. The movement seems to be at two ends of the spectrum: At one end, the dog may appear frozen or still and not move much. At the other end, the dog may seem jittery and unable to be still, to the extent that he reveals noticeably tense muscles and muscle twitches, which may be caused by a build up of adrenaline in the system, activated by the sympathetic nervous system.

Avoid direct eye contact if a dog is already experiencing some discomfort. Give the dog space, and use your peripheral vision to observe without giving direct eye contact.

Averting the eyes

When a dog averts their gaze, they may be asking for personal space from a dog or a human.

Avoidance eyes with humans: a dog who avoids eye contact is likely having trust issues. “Dogs are aware that eye contact with humans signals trust and comfort,” Schoeff explains. A dog that avoids eye contact with humans is doing his best to avoid any kind of interaction, whether negative or positive. This can be common in rescue dogs, especially those who have had a tough life before finding their forever homes.

Making eye contact with an unknown or rescue dog

Build trust with dogs you do not know by avoiding direct eye contact – especially in the first interactions. As well as being aware of your eye contact, make sure your body is positioned in a non-confrontational manner by turning your shoulder away, with your body facing side-on to the dog. It is polite to avoid staring by turning your head away slightly, using your peripheral vision to observe the dog.

Alternating the eyebrows

Lastly, eyebrow raising: when your dog raises one eyebrow—or both—while making eye contact, it’s a sign of alertness and interest, says Schoeff.