Science and superstition: why you can’t look a cat in the eye. What does a dog's gaze mean? What happens if you look into a dog's eyes?

And what does this have to do with pets? Cats and dogs lick their owners' faces, not because wild animals do that. Where is the connection here at all?) Animals eat from bowls and the owner’s face has nothing to do with it. And they lick the face solely because of their great affection for a person.
For example, my dog ​​constantly licks my face - when we meet, when I wake up, but obviously not expecting to get a piece of meat from my mouth)) But because of love. Let's say she doesn't lick my husband's face, although he ate a huge steak for dinner, she can lick it, but rarely.

I don’t know whether a dog’s kisses mean love or affection, but here’s an interesting fact - my shelter dog doesn’t know how to kiss. Apparently she didn’t learn it in childhood - she didn’t have a person to kiss or lick. I don’t know if she licked other dogs at the shelter, but she doesn’t even try to me. Conclusion - dogs kiss a person because they understand that it will be pleasant for him and they learn this in childhood.

The so-called dog kisses mean the same thing as human kisses - a manifestation of love)

Dogs, of course, are man's best friends; they will never betray you and will be with you until the last minute of their life! I really love dogs, especially small ones for some reason.

By the way, I started training my dog, so to speak, so that he knew his place and didn’t come to sleep on my bed. To be honest, I don't really like it. A dachshund dog, although not big, should still sleep, at least in a chair, but not in white underwear!

This is how it turns out. Ah, I thought a little differently. But, in principle, I wasn’t upset that I didn’t quite clearly understand such kisses from my beloved dog.

plus a lot. Not an article, but a mockery :)

Wordy and obscure to those who previously knew little about dogs. The same thing is explained much better in Signals of Reconciliation. "Signals" is a short, clear and understandable guide to understanding dog behavior. And this article is water from which you need to fish out crumbs of information.

Comment on the article "How a dog sees the world - and what do dog kisses mean"

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. type of survey. dogs. and write who has what breed of dog. just one word (breed name). Yorkie and a selected mixed breed of the poodle terrier type 08/23/2017 16:27:01, I.P. Shiba Inu.

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. When the umwelts of a dog and a person collide, then, as a rule, people do not understand that a person can even buy a special dog bed and order the dog to go lie down there.

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. It's an amazing thing to spend a day being as tall as a dog. Section: Psychology of the game. The child is a dog. Maybe she just needs a living friend? not necessarily a dog (it’s more problematic), but a hamster, pig, etc.

If you pay attention to the entire thread on my question, you will see that this is a common problem in most small breeds and experienced owners solve it by introducing tripe into the puppy’s diet, which is what I am planning. How a dog sees the world - and what do dog kisses mean.

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. Dogs sleep where they can, and not where we would like them to. For relaxation, they choose places where they can lie down comfortably, where it is not hot or cold, there are relatives and Dog “kisses” seem to me to be a manifestation...

I adopted a dog from a shelter. Dogs. Pets. All these years I didn’t want a dog at all. And here on New Year’s Eve, probably, having watched enough videos about animals from If this behavior occurs, the dog should be euthanized immediately! With such tendencies, dogs often suddenly...

The dog is almost seventeen. Veterinary medicine. Pets. Keeping pets - food, care, treatment of dogs, cats, birds. The dog is almost seventeen years old. Cataract in one eye. She has been suffering from chronic heart failure for more than a year - we take pills...

Behavior correction. Dogs. Pets. How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. The world through the eyes of animals (Guillaume Duprat). It seems to me that this book will be of interest to everyone, and “You are forever responsible for those you have tamed” (Based on the work of Antoine de...

hears that I have come. The behavior of the dog is doubly surprising... It will hardly console you, but my dogs met me only in puppyhood. Then we realized that I should definitely drink some coffee, and only then there would be a walk.

In general, dogs often growl at each other, this does not mean that they will rush and bite. Usually they advise letting it be sorted out. But I understand, it's scary. Moreover, I didn’t see exactly how it growls. What do the owners of an adult dog say, is he even capable of biting someone?

Section: Guardianship (how guardianship applies to the dogs at home). The attitude of guardianship towards dogs in the house. What to do? For advice. This summer, my mother died suddenly (I don’t understand how she didn’t die of grief) and I took the dogs into my apartment.

Read up on the behavior of dogs and signals of reconciliation (there is an excellent book on this subject, called signals of reconciliation). To better understand your dog's behavior. I don’t see any of the crime you described. Except for some looseness of the dog.

The dog does not understand what you want from it. Because it is very important to forbid something to the dog and immediately show it a way out of the situation, i.e. if you bark For dogs obsessed with toys, the method of incompatible behavior helps a lot - for example, going out with a toy in their teeth.

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. Was Darwin right? And the dogs - how they bark loudly and wag their tail funny! Pug vs Jack Russell. What interests me about pugs is this: do they really have as much hair as everyone writes?

Those. The dog may already understand who is who in your family, but it feels strong and therefore behaves this way. The fight can take various forms: from simple insubordination and ignoring the owner. But I can definitely say that this behavior is not typical.

Sometimes a person does not understand how serious his dog is and what needs to be done with it. I am not going to give you advice about your dog or discuss its behavior either. You see, if your dog has never been killed/maimed by an older...

About dogs. That is why in Europe all the dogs are not only without muzzles, but they all have a massive head, a very short and upturned muzzle, with thick (winged) lips. How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean.

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. Their taste buds recognize salty and sweet, bitter and sour, and even the taste of umami (something that cats and dogs also lick each other as a sign of respect. Our Mekong sneeze sometimes licks it, well, he does it...

Section: Dogs (how long to show your dog your displeasure). Does a dog have the right to express dissatisfaction? You can express your dissatisfaction with his behavior, but be sure to show him that you understand what is happening to him.

How a dog sees the world - and what dog kisses mean. Why is the dog lying on the bed and licking your face? One person fixes the dog on the floor, the other puts drops in the ears. Or sit the dog sideways between your legs, squeeze your legs and quickly put some drops in your ears.

When a person and a dog look into each other's eyes, their connection strengthens, Japanese scientists have found. It's all about oxytocin, a hormone that helps form attachment (for example, between a mother and her newborn). Its level rises sharply when the dog and owner are in close visual contact.

To prove this, several experiments were carried out. In one of them, dogs and owners were deliberately left alone in a room for 30 minutes. Later, those people and animals who spent more time looking into each other's eyes showed increased concentrations of oxytocin in their urine. It was also noted that these owners touched and talked to their pets more during the experiment. What could be more beautiful – both for dogs and for people?

The same experiment was repeated with wolves raised by humans and very attached to their owners. But oxytocin remained at the same level. The explanation followed: most likely, wolves, even domesticated ones, perceive visual contact primarily as a threat and often simply avoid looking people in the eyes.

In addition, during the experiments, a “biological positive feedback” was discovered between dogs and their owners - an increase in oxytocin levels in one causes an increase in the hormone in the other. “Eye contact has become an important means of communication between humans during human evolution,” explains study co-author and veterinarian Takefumi Kikusui of Azabu University in Kanagawa, Japan. He suggests that during the domestication of dogs, eye-to-eye gaze became a means of communication between owner and pet, which helped them become attached to each other.

According to Kikusui, a similar effect may be found in cats. However, this assumption requires verification. It is known that when communicating, people look more at the right side of the interlocutor’s face, whose facial expressions are more expressive. Dogs are the only type of pet that does the same.

book on the topic

The book “My Dog Loves Jazz” was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen International Gold Medal – and for good reason. Marina Moskvina's amazing stories, in which the ordinary, familiar world is constantly turned upside down, are loved by both children and adults.

What are the benefits of oxytocin? It is produced in the hypothalamus and plays an important role in regulating various reactions and behaviors. Helps form attachment, recognize faces, regulates maternal instincts. It is known that dogs are often used for the rehabilitation of patients (including in psychotherapy): they help reduce anxiety and emotional stress. Treatment with dogs is called canistherapy. Many scientists attribute its effectiveness to the production of the hormone oxytocin.

For details, see M. Nagasawa et al. "Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds", Science , 2015.

Thousands of years ago, primitive people managed to tame dogs, and since then these domestic wolves accompany people on hunts and travels, perform police and army service along with people, faithfully guard their owners’ houses and delight their owners with obedience. Over thousands of years of existence side by side with humans, dogs have adopted many habits and traits of people - these animals know how to smile, be sad, feel affection and express love and joy, as well as anger and aggression. People, in turn, regularly made attempts to learn to understand their four-legged pets, and today professional dog handlers know all the characteristics and motives of the behavior of these animals and can accurately determine the emotions and intentions of any dog.

However, despite the fact that cynology has advanced far forward, most ordinary people still have very fragmentary and incipiently erroneous knowledge about the habits of dogs, which, in turn, gives rise to a lot. And one of the most famous “folk” opinions about how to behave with dogs is the statement that you should not look dogs in the eye. But why can’t you look into a dog’s eyes, and can looking eye to eye really provoke an animal into aggression and attack?

Why is it considered wrong to look a dog in the eye?

People who argue that a person should not look a dog in the eye argue that direct eye-to-eye gaze is perceived by the animal as an attempt to dominate and a challenge to fight. And if a person looks into the eyes of a dog, it will show aggression and attack to prove its dominant position. To support this opinion, its adherents use the fact that in a dog pack, staring eye to eye is a challenge to the leader and an attempt to take his place.

However, when considering the question of why you should not look a dog in the eye, you should also not forget that Dogs initially consider themselves lower and weaker than humans, so it is incorrect to transfer the habits of dogs in a pack to their attitude towards people. For most dogs, a person is initially stronger, and therefore the main one, so they do not dare to enter into a struggle with him for dominance. And if a person looks intently into a dog’s eyes, it will be the first to look away and leave rather than show aggression.

You also need to remember that the behavior of each dog is individual, because among these animals there are friendly, cowardly, and passive individuals. Therefore, staring into the eyes is not recommended only for aggressive and dominant dogs, which in some cases may actually take such human behavior as a challenge. In general, according to experienced dog handlers, You should not look into a dog’s eyes in the following cases:

Obviously, the ban on looking dogs in the eye mainly applies to unfamiliar aggressive dogs and packs of feral animals. And you also shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that by the concept of “looking into a dog’s eyes,” dog handlers mean a long, gaze, and not fleeting eye contact. Therefore, if a person accidentally meets the gaze of an unfamiliar dog, he should not panic - dogs do not react in any way to short random glances.

Is it possible to look into your dog's eyes?

Japanese scientists not only refuted the idea that one should not look into the eyes of domestic dogs, but also managed to prove the opposite. Based on the results of studies conducted with dogs and their owners, it was found that with the help of eye to eye glances, a person and a dog become even more attached to each other, and also feel more happiness from communication.

In the course of research, scientists have found that during eye contact, both animals and humans produce oxytocin, a hormone responsible for the formation of feelings. Looking into the eyes of his dog, a person demonstrates his love and protection to him, and the dog, in turn, becomes even more attached to the owner, as he begins to identify him not only with the leader and breadwinner, but also with his mother.

Let's continue to consider the topic about dog attack, as well as methods of contraceptive protection that should be followed

I recommend reading it so as not to break the logical chain. All we have to do is finish what we started and consider the methods of defense that should be taken in the event that a dog attack could not be avoided.

How to avoid dog attacks, taking into account knowledge of canine psychology

(continuation).

1. How does a dog perceive direct eye contact? Should you look your dog straight in the eye if it gets in your way?
   The question is ambiguous.
   On the one hand, in animal language, a direct “eye to eye” look means a challenge to fight. Moreover, the one who first averts his eyes, as if admits defeat. It turns out that when you meet a dog directly, you can gain moral superiority and force the four-legged dog to retreat. But this number, alas, may not work. And what’s more, it will harm the situation.
   Why? - Because this technique can only work with single yard dogs, who may consider you a dangerous opponent and retreat. If you are threatened by an attack from fighting breed dogs, then your direct gaze into the eyes will almost definitely provoke them into a fight. It turns out that you are setting yourself up. Conclusion: in my opinion, the best tactic in the event of an emerging conflict with a dog is to avoid direct eye contact. Look a little to the side, not letting the four-legged behavior out of sight. By doing this, you make it clear that you are not interested in a fight, which means you leave yourself a chance to avoid it.
2. Children are especially likely to be attacked by dogs. Children are noisy, restless, curious and do not understand that such behavior can provoke an animal into aggression. It is impossible to explain to a small child that there is no need to pet the dog, throw objects at it, or simply point guns in its direction, etc. The result can be quite disastrous.

Parents are obliged:
limit the uncontrolled presence of children - especially during dog walking;
When walking with your child, do not lose sight of him; dogs may appear suddenly; when four-legged animals appear nearby, take the child in your arms or be near him;
at a party, outdoors, etc. in places where there are dogs, even domestic ones, avoid contact with them (read the bite statistics in the previous part);
Older children need to be taught that it is better to avoid contact with a dog; and if she attacks, try not to scream, fall to the ground, curl up in a ball and cover your face with your hands;
if happened dog attack(especially fighting) on ​​a child - you cannot try to pull him towards you in order to free him - this will only aggravate the situation and increase injuries; the best thing you can do is try to cover the dog with some kind of handy blanket such as a coat, jacket, etc. or pour a bucket of water on the dog; use pepper spray.

Of course, it cannot be said that knowledge and application of the described methods will completely protect you from dog teeth. But at least it will reduce the likelihood to a minimum. And this is also not little.

How to act if it happens dog attack?
Consider:

Basic methods of defense against dog attacks.

First of all, you should understand how dogs attack, and based on this, build your defense.

Note: A dog that barks loudly at you is less dangerous - this way it lets you know that you have invaded its territory and you should leave it.
A more dangerous dog is one that attacks you silently and quickly - there is no need to create illusions here - this is an attack.
When attacking, dogs almost always look at the point of your body where they intend to grab. Having grabbed it, the dog drags it towards itself.

Large dogs usually act in two ways:

• They try to knock their prey down by striking them with their front paws while jumping. They hit either the chest or the lower back, depending on the angle of attack. After which they use their teeth, trying to grab the throat. If the object of attack is not knocked over, they bite the legs and arms; trying to get around and attack from behind.
• When attacking, they try to simultaneously grab a person with their teeth and throw him to the ground.

Small dogs act similarly, but they may try not to knock you down, but to jump on you to grab you by the throat.

1. To repel a dog's attack, arm yourself with any available means that can be used for protection or for attacks - a bag, an umbrella, removed outerwear, a stick, etc. Take a stable posture. Lower your head down, covering your neck as much as possible. While tracking the dog's eyes, dodge jumps, and at the same time use available means - hit or try to put an object into the dog's mouth. At the same time, with your back, trying not to fall, retreat to a safe place where you can hide. Note: weak spots of dogs: the muzzle, especially the nose; tracheal area - under the jaw; the spine area, starting from the base of the skull;
2. If there are no available means, and dog attack We can quickly recommend the following options:

• give a running dog a strong kick, trying to hit the trachea area, under the jaw; if it works out, there is a chance that they will leave you alone; although let us be aware that it is not easy to hit a given point on a moving dog;
• expose your hand to the dog’s bite and then step forward to deprive the dog of support; if this is not a special fighting breed, then most likely it will release the grip in order to move away and repeat the attack; you can take advantage of this by trying to strike the quadruped in vulnerable places with your foot or fist;
• in defense, put your hand up and allow the dog to make a grab, with the thumb and forefinger of your free hand, grab it by the throat under the jaw in the trachea area - and squeeze it tightly, causing pain and forcing it to retreat;
• when attacking from the front, if the dog is aiming for the throat, give it the opportunity to grab your hand, and then try to break its neck: grab the base of the skull with your free hand and pull it towards you, and at the same time make a sharp movement away from you with the hand grabbed by the dog - in an upward direction and sideways.

In general, we must take into account that every “miss” of a dog undermines its self-confidence, and every successful attack, on the contrary, spurs it on.

Sometimes it seems that dogs know how to use their gaze to get what they want, for example, plaintively asking with their eyes in the hope that the owner will give a piece of treat.

Eye contact is not a natural behavior for dogs. In the animal world, eye contact is interpreted as a threat; animals try to turn their heads to the side to avoid direct eye contact with another individual, especially a dominant one. This behavior can also be observed during contact with a person, for example, if the owner scolds the pet for making a mess in the room, the animal, according to the person, begins to feel guilty, taking a submissive pose and avoiding looking the person in the eyes. This behavior of the animal is aimed at defusing a conflict situation and not leading to a fight.

Why do dogs make eye contact?

It is assumed that dogs make eye contact with humans for several reasons. One of the main versions is considered to be attracting attention and expecting from a person the actions desired by the animal. Perhaps the animal remembered a positive experience when eye contact helped get a tasty treat, get the owner to go for a walk, or involve the owner in a game.

Another reason why dogs make eye contact is to try to figure out what a person wants from the animal. Perhaps some pets, looking at the owner, are simply trying to understand his mood or are showing curiosity, because pets attached to the owner show interest in what the person is doing.

Research by Japanese scientists conducted in 2015 gave a completely unexpected answer to the question “Why do dogs make eye contact?” It turns out that direct eye contact is a sign of affection and love for the owner. Research has shown that both dogs and humans release the hormone oxytocin when they make eye contact with each other. This hormone is produced in bitches, which influences the mother’s recognition of her puppies, strengthens the attachment to them and the maternal instinct. When a pet looks at its owner, it feels much better, feels comfortable, and a similar connection arises as between a parent and a child. This type of eye contact is called an “adoring gaze.”

In a sense, eye contact is a reward for the dog. It is even recommended to establish eye contact with your pet from a very early age, which will increase the level of trust, improve your relationship with your pet and achieve better results in parenting.

How to understand a dog's gaze

You can understand your pet’s mood by looking at it, although a more complete picture is given by a combination of gestures, for example, the position of the tail and ears. But the look of a dog can also say a lot.

Adoring look characterized by relaxation, the animal behaves calmly, and the eyes look happy, narrowing, taking an almond shape.

On excitation, which often occurs during games, or surprise can be indicated by rounded eyes.

Tester pain or the animal looks sideways at melancholy with sad and sluggish eyes.

Tension The pet can be understood by its distrustful eyes, the firmness of its gaze, while the white membrane of the eye (sclera) is visible. This look can be observed when a pet is guarding its toy or does not want to be approached too close. In this state, the animal may bite.

About aggressive behavior The animal will be told by a heavy and searching gaze, while the animal does not blink. In this case, it is better to leave the dog and not try to look into its eyes, so that it does not see a threat in the person.

Animals sometimes avoid eye contact, for example, if they are very submissive, are not used to humans, or are afraid. But many pets look at people without expecting a threat from them, so if there are no other signs of aggression, there is no need to be afraid of a dog's gaze.