Whether you’re cooking, watching TV, going to the restroom, or doing anything, your Alsatian pooch only does one thing: eyes on you.
Staring at the owner is what these working dogs are really keen on doing. But why does my German Shepherd stare at me?
There are various reasons for this behavior of your Alsatian dog. It might be because it wants attention, love, or to get something.
Other possible causes include waiting for the owner’s command, misbehavior, fear, aggression, anticipation, or needing to poop.
This blog will explain in detail what your pet is thinking about when gazing at you fixedly and some tips to stop that behavior.
Why Does My German Shepherd Stare At Me?
There’s no certain answer to that stare. Dogs have plenty of incentives to give us their gaze. But in most cases, they’re probably waiting for our communication and interaction.
Seek Attention
- These animals hate being alone, so they look at you to draw attention. (Pixabay)
Usually, pets keep looking at you to grab your attention. Say you have a delicious meal that smells pleasant, and the pooch hasn’t had dinner. The animal uses her state to hint to you that it’s time for her meal, too!
German Shepherds are smart enough to know that their gaze of pity can melt you, making you give them hugs or head rubbing.
Other rewards these animals may desire are an untimely, undeserving treat or simply a nap in your arms or on the sofa (where you rarely let them climb).
Even when they have two masters, their favorite person tends to receive this fixed look more often.
To Show It Wants Something
In some cases, when the dog expects you to make or get something for him, it stares. That’s also why he will usually gaze at you when you’re eating.
Notably, the intelligent dog will take advantage of this tactic more often if you gave it the desired thing before.
Thus, one of the ways to fix that habit is to turn a blind eye to its eyes and reward it if it successfully kicks that habit.
Fear
Sometimes, your pet uses his eyes to draw your attention toward something scary, letting you know he’s insecure.
Also, when feeling afraid, the owner’s presence can calm it. That’s why your dog would love to keep you in his sightline and join your every move instantly.
If you don’t want your pet to deal with too much fear and protect its mental health, minimize punishments.
Also, ensure to offer a rewarding gesture or meal whenever you notice a praiseworthy behavior from it.
Aggression
- At times, your pet’s eyes also indicate anger. (Source: Flickr)
Though German Shepherds dislike being lonesome, they sometimes need their own space. And the stare means that it’s asking you to leave.
If that’s the case, you’ll see other hints of aggression, such as biting, baring teeth, or growling.
Notably, these signs most commonly appear when two dogs are going to fight. Once you’re pretty sure your pooch is facing anger, the most brilliant practice is never to stare back.
Since German Shepherds tend to regard fixed gazing as an aggressive act, your eyes might cause even more hostile behavior like biting.
Love
A study (2015) suggested that the oxytocin levels of either humans or dogs increased when their eyes met.
This ‘love’ hormone also surges during orgasm and hugging and can spark social bonding. So, your eyes are probably inviting its sightline.
Some additional behaviors include following your orders, protecting, licking, or nuzzling you, getting excited to see you home, and letting you pet its belly.
Anticipation
When you visibly show that you’re about to do something the pooch’s favorite, he will watch you thoroughly until what he expects occurs. Simply put, he’s probably waiting for something good.
That’s why you’ll notice his eyes when you’re going out for a walk, preparing a delicious meal, or grabbing his favorite toys, like balls or sticks.
Wait For A Command
- The flare for working makes their eyes constantly stay focused on the owner. (Source: Pixabay)
Typically, people train German Shepherds for various working purposes. It makes engaging with the trainer’s demands become their habit.
Thus, when you make a minor move and your dog stares at you, he’s probably waiting for your order and next gesture.
Also, another possibility is that you’ve issued so many commands that they’re confused about in what order they have to do those tasks.
It’s Pooping
When pooping, animals put themselves in a susceptible, easy-to-attack position, which enemy predators can exploit to hunt them. Thus, their eyes adhere to you to ensure you’re keeping an eye on them.
When the pooch needs to pee, it stares at you to inform you of its next moves: go outside and pee. That’s when you need to open the restroom door or so.
Misbehavior
No pet acts well all the time. When raising animals, you’ll have to let them know what’s considered misbehavior and train them to fix it.
After doing something wrong, the dog tends to carefully watch your facial expression, eyes, and gesture and see your reaction.
Instead of punishing your miserable pooch, it’s better to focus on emphasizing good behaviors.
How Can I Stop My German Shepherd from Staring at Me?
We will suggest the most effective tactics to limit your pet’s staring times that many dog trainers have successfully adopted.
Ignore It
The first method is to close your eyes to the pet’s gaze. Because most of the time, it stares at you to draw attention, you can avoid giving what it looks for and stimulate the behavior by ignoring its sightline.
We know it’s hard to resist your pet’s cuteness, but you should ignore it every time it looks fixedly at you and refuse to show any attention.
Only that way can this method be effective. You don’t need to ignore it entirely but for long enough to teach it to behave well for rewards, not by staring.
Don’t Reward It
It’s not a good idea to stop the behavior by rewarding it, as you may induce your pooch to be greedy and selfish.
Only when she starts to behave nicely should you offer her a present. This way, she’ll know how to act in the future.
For instance, if it approaches you after smelling your delicious meal, don’t give it any food to discourage the behavior.
Give It Exercise and Attention
- Outdoor exercises will drive his sightline away from you. (Source: Pixabay)
German Shepherds are an exceedingly active breed, so it’s a good idea to distract their attention-drawing behavior by training and taking them out for exercises.
We recommend playing fetch with your dog because it requires a vast physical resource and lots of sprinting during the game.
Seek Advice From A Pet Behaviorist
If all the techniques above fail to work, and your dog continues to keep that behavior, it’s probably time to seek help from a pet behaviorist.
Sometimes, you just can’t figure out what’s the incentive behind the pooch’s sightline simply because you don’t have enough experience to diagnose. That’s when a dog expert will bring his advice to the table.
Does Staring Benefit Humans and Dogs?
Though it might make you cross and uncomfortable, it’s true that you always fascinate your pet, expressed by his fixed gaze.
Instead of discouraging or punishing that human-centric focus, we advise you to make it beneficial for both you and your dog.
First, consider what signals to show him. For instance, be more clear and consistent when striving to deliver your intentions to the pet.
Second, dogs with a human-centric focus are more effortless to train. Once they look at you, rarely a surrounding distraction can get in their eyes.
Third, capitalize on that intense sightline to boost your pooch to perform sports better.
Games like Agility or AKC Rally call for excellent teamwork. Consider involving them in the training routine to improve your mutual interaction.
The attentiveness will help the animal learn quicker and deliver superb performances.
Why Does My German Shepherd Watch My Every Move?
This dog breed is well-known for its intelligence and loyalty. Generally, German Shepherds will be adept at accomplishing tasks and committing themselves to the missions.
Their sensitive noses, solid determination, and strong desire for mental stimulation and exercises make them always ready for your commands and adhere to you.
Sometimes, your adorable animal follows you due to emotional reasons. She’s probably missing you, having separation anxiety problems, or feeling insecure.
Conclusion
Indeed, it’s not challenging to explain why a committed, loyal dog stares devotedly at the master.
In most scenarios, staring is a full-of-love behavior. Many trainers even teach their animals to look at them when waiting for their cues.
So, with a bit of observation and knowledge, you can easily answer the question, “why does my German Shepherd stare at me?”.
We hope you soon achieve your pet raising success and be happy with your animal for years after. Thank you for reading!
See more
German Shepherd Body Language: How He Communicates With Humans
Why Is My German Shepherd So Skinny? [And How To Solve The Problem?]
Why Does My German Shepherd Whine? 8 Potential Reasons
Why Is My German Shepherd Shedding So Much?
