# Staring into the eyes of a cold hard dog



## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

This morning, waiting on line at the village post office, Morgan's ears prick up and her posture gets tense. I look and there's this woman who's locked eyes with her. She looked a bit spacey, wearing a workout outfit so I figured she was coming down off her endorfins or was buzzed on an energy drink or something.

I asked her nicely, 'Please don't stare at my dog. She's a hard dog and I don't want her to snarl at you.'

The woman keeps staring and says 'She has such pretty eyes.' OK, so it's not endorfins or energy drinks.







at 9:30 in the morning. 

So I pet my dog and pull her head up against my leg, let her know I have it under control and tried to explain my dog. Then I gave up and spent the rest of the day wondering:

Does this happen to anyone else???


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## VectorSketcher (Jul 20, 2008)

Yes, we get this constantly with Riddick, my 3 yr old GSD. He has yellow eyes, and we are always getting the same comments over and over, either people love his yellow eyes and must stare into them, or they are freaked out over how yellow they are and think he is evil (of course his size doesn't help this situation out at all ). We get this almost every time we go outside. So your not alone, and I am glad to know it happens to others as well!!


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Oh gosh, once with William, my spaniel mix, a lady came out of the blue, grabed him by the jowls, bent down to stare into his eyes only inches away from him!!! It all happened so fast, and I was so taken aback, that I just stood there in surprise and shock, and couldn't think of anything to say. Now William was a gentle soul, and all he did was try to avert his gaze, as he did not want to take this woman up on her challenge. 

"Someone told me this is how you make friends with dogs" she explained to me. 

That someone was either an idiot, or wanted her dead . . . 

I explained to her that staring in a dog's eyes is a challenge for domination, and will not win her doggy friends. She will either push them away into submission, or get her faced ripped off.

She stood up, stared at me, and walked away. 

Yeah, people are weird!!!


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

Yea my stupid neighbor went up to the fence near where we have the germans' kennels while they were in there and he stood there in this real defensive stance and just stared hard at Jessie. I was just looking at him like 'oh you want to see what she'll do huh? well you'll see' and sure enough Jessie turned into the Hungarian Wolfdog that's in her pedigree way back, total White Fang, snarling like a demon ready to rock the kennel and knock it over. And then I called out "Jessie! Be quiet!" and she started wagging her tail at me and yipping. LOL.

And then yesterday I think it was, the same guy had a friend visiting and their dog was visiting too and they let him out to run along the fence and sure enough Jessie was ready to eat him. I had to call her five times before she came and did an emergency sit and lie down but she was ready to hop the fence have some sushi!

I feel like telling that guy, 'hey you should probably pitch in for the extra security your house gets cuz of these guys cuz your little pipsqueak chihuahua is afraid to even come off the deck!'

anyway, just venting.


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## midnight804 (Jun 13, 2008)

people who stare at unknown dogs are dumb. my dog (non gsd) will not tolerate random people staring at him...I keep a squeeky in my pocket when were out and about so if he gets in staring contest with a person I can break the concentration. 

People think its cute or funny when he stares back at them and I'm always having to explain that it is really dog language for "you wanna fight!!" and that its not his fault because they started the staring contest. I tell everyone who does it not to it again because some one elses dog may not be well trained and controleld like mine and thats a fantastic way to get yourself bit on the face real bad. staring at large strange dogs is foolish.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

> Originally Posted By: CastlemaidThat someone was either an idiot, or wanted her dead . . .










that was a gullible woman! 

This was just so weird becuase everyone says Morgan has that look that says 'Don't give me a reason to hurt you.' I don't think she has particularly pretty eyes, they're very dark, what a shepherd should have and she does have cute pencil line eyebrows but I wouldn't say her eyes are her best feature! 

When she was 2 or 3, Morgan would have tried to take her face off and I'd have been nursing a torn shoulder!


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## Powell (Oct 13, 2006)

A few years back when I first saw Wolfgang, the GSD that was given to Pets INC.... I walked into the adoption center....our eyes locked...... he knew.... I knew..... and so goiod he got adopted by a great guy. 

Powell


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

People stare at Anton as well. He's acting not like he doesn't like it but like he doesn't care to bother with engaging into eye contact or any interaction with strangers. He's not afraid, everybody can pet him all over but he just seems so indifferent to any affection from strangers, and strangers are disappointed. He's not like that with friends and people he knows and likes, though. 

I was asked the other day by a nice lady in the park who stopped to say Hi to Anton why he didn't look into her eyes. I said that he didn't find her interesting enough and asked her to give him a treat. Sure enough Anton was sitting pretty and making an eye contact for a treat and then returned to his own business. I don't know if it's a normal behaviour or I should try to make him more friendly to people.

Yana, on the other hand, absolutely hates any eye contact. She's a fearful dog and it scares her. And of course, she has those very light big bright eyes that are the main focal point for everybody...


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## Mary Jane (Mar 3, 2006)

Somehow, random strangers don't appreciate that dogs distinguish people they love from everybody else. Training look at me is part of building a bond with your dog. That sustained and loving eye contact is simply not something that many dogs just produce for a person walking by.

Mary Jane


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## Karin (Jan 4, 2008)

Heidi doesn't like certain people staring into her eyes either. She'll start barking at them and acting like she's scared and/or mad. What irritates me is that when I tell people that she doesn't like to be stared at, they'll just keep doing it. It's very annoying! And yet, Heidi will stare at me and others that she likes for a long time with no reaction, other than a very calm, steady gaze. It doesn't seem like she's trying to be dominant when she does that, but sometimes I wonder what is going on in her mind.


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## Liljah (Jan 20, 2008)

Everywhere we go, people HAVE TO stare Shane DIRECTLY in the eyes! Which of course, he thinks is a challenge, so they are surprised when he barks at them! It not just a stare and look away, it is staring and continuous staring...as if they are witnessing a train wreck. IT IS JUST A DOG PEOPLE! I feel making a sign and hang around his neck that says "PLEASE DON'T STARE AT ME...I DON'T LIKE IT!" 

When I see people staring at him, I know I have to break his focus. So I tell him to "leave it" and he is ok to go. But still, I don't get why people stare, it is as if they never seen a German shepherd before.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

This happens in the elevator, of all places!







We live in a highrise currently, and on the 12th floor. Always, someone gets in there with Grimm and I, and German elevators are TINY, like a phonebooth almost!

They lock eyes with Grimm. And stare. And stare-- and at this point, I use my leg to block what I KNOW will eventually happen. Grimm will eventually break into a grin, suddenly rocket forward, and BLAMMO!!! Slobber-kiss the person's hand with wild enthusiasm. While it isn't aggression, he can only control himself so long during the staring thing.







I use "Leave it" firmly at this time, plus the leg-block thing. 

People are usually using their hands to carry bags of groceries in the elevator, and 87 lbs of GSD beefitude rocketing forward at breakneck speed atcha with prehensile slapping mile-long tongue does get people riled!


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## Halen (Feb 16, 2007)

I had one guy get down on the floor & lock eyes with Apollo because Apollo wasn't crazy about him (I guess he thought he'd get down to his level). I told him not to stare at him, dogs don't like it & they see it as aggression. He stopped staring, Apollo laid down, relaxed and proceeded to ignore him!


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

People stare at Brady all the time and comment at how huge he is.
I don't see it (I know he is big) but to me he's my baby.

People just don't understand dogs unless they have them.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I disagree, even people with dogs do not understand them. Way too many people have dogs and have no clue what makes them tick. And then they wonder why out of the blue, "Precious" turned ugly and bit someone. These dogs end up in shelters and euthanized because their clueless owners never bothered to figure out that they were feeling uncomfortable. They may have even thought it was cute. 

And every time a dog attacks a person, people stare into the eyes of innocent dogs to try and read whether they will try to attack them. People read people by looking them in the eye, and they do the same with dogs. 

So we have to be hypervigilent and teach children not to look a dog in the eyes. Adults are on their own. They can hear it a hundred times, and the reasoning behind it, and demonstrations, and they will STILL look your dog in the eyes. But if we teach children not to do that, maybe 50 years from now the number of dog bites will be significantly reduced.


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BrightelfThey lock eyes with Grimm. And stare. And stare-- and at this point, I use my leg to block what I KNOW will eventually happen. Grimm will eventually break into a grin, suddenly rocket forward, and BLAMMO!!! Slobber-kiss the person's hand with wild enthusiasm. While it isn't aggression, he can only control himself so long during the staring thing.


Brightelf...I totally understand where you are coming from. My Phoenix is the same way. He assumes when someone is staring at him, they want his undivided love and attention. And with the world's longest tongue, they usually get it whether they want it or not.

My Dakota was the opposite. He felt a stare was a challenge and one he was up to meeting. He was a big boy at a lean 120lbs and many times I had to advise folks to not stare at him.


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

With my dog, people always come up and say how pretty she is... until she starts growling at them (lol)!


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