The Meaning of Squinting
How to tell the difference between happy energy and the “whale eye.”
Jolanta Benal, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
Q: What does it mean if my dog is squinting? I can’t tell if he’s smiling at me or angry.
Squinting, the way you might squint when you smile, generally reflects relaxation or happy excitement. But watch the whites of a dog’s eyes for clues to a very different frame of mind. Sometimes, the whites are visible just incidentally—for instance, a resting dog may be disinclined to move his head to look at whatever’s caught his interest. More often, though, a dog showing the whites of his eyes is anxious and may even be about to snap.
Trainers call this look “whale eye.” The whole package includes tense facial muscles; the dog’s mouth may be tightly closed, or you may see teeth, with a curled lip or a snarl.
Commonly, whale eye marks a dog who’s been backed into a corner or who’s guarding a food bowl or a prize chew. Approach only if a dog bite is on your shortlist of experiences you’d like to have that day. If you need to move the dog immediately, try inviting him to go for a walk. Once he’s gone from the spot, his prize should be cleared away. And your next call, of course, is to a good behavior specialist.
Want to raise a happy dog who loves to play and cuddle — but still comes when called and doesn’t chew up your favorite shoes?
Then check out The Dog Trainer’s Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Jolanta holds professional certifications in both training and behavior counseling and belongs to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She also volunteered with Pet Help Partners, a program of the Humane Society of the United States that works to prevent pet relinquishment. Her approach is generally behaviorist (Pavlovian, Skinnerian and post-Skinnerian learning theory) with a big helping of ethology (animal behavior as observed in non-experimental settings).