This is what your dog says when he looks at you

"The eye is the mirror of the soul." And in the case of your pet, it's also one of the most important means of communication. Research shows how adeptly it handles it.

Is there a look you can’t resist? Are puppy eyes enchanting even in photos? Can your dog’s eyes persuade you to do anything? Well, there’s a reason for that! A study involving 1000 participants confirms how much those expressive glances can convey.

In the study, 58% of the owners of 1,000 dogs said they could understand their pet just by looking at it. And there are physiological reasons for this.

The aforementioned puppy gaze evolved specifically to enable domesticated four-legged companions to communicate their needs with us more accurately. They use their inner eyebrow muscles to make their eyes appear larger and more emotive. Interestingly, many other species, such as foxes or coyotes, can also retract their eyelids in a similar manner, but none have developed this ability to such a sophisticated level as dogs. This is precisely why Juliene Kaminsky, director of the Dog Cognition Study Center, who has delved deeper into canine behavior and facial expressions, attributes this ability unequivocally to the legacy of domestication.

Another fascinating fact is that the muscle in question is similar across all dog breeds, yet it’s much less developed in wolves, which are considered their close relatives.

According to another study, besides the eyebrow muscles, the development of another muscle, which moves the eyelids towards the ears, thereby widening the gaze, also contributes to achieving the desired effect. This muscle is not as well developed in Siberian Huskies as it is in other breeds.

It has a big impact on us

Because the round eyes make the dog extremely charming, they also have a significant impact on the emotions of the owner. Studies have shown that their effect increases the level of oxytocin in the human body. This hormone is commonly referred to as the love hormone because, among other things, it is responsible for forming bonds between mothers and their children. Additionally, it helps deepen other relationships, such as romantic or dog-owner relationships.

To add further to the treasury of interesting facts, dogs exclusively employ this powerful weapon against humans. They never attempt to influence their fellow species in this manner.

What does your dog say with his eyes?

Now that we’ve examined the anatomical background and the impact of the meaningful gaze on us, it’s even more interesting to focus on what your pet can express with it.

In short: anything. To narrow it down somewhat, let’s revisit the observation that they only employ the power of their gaze towards us. Therefore, they actually want to satisfy some need, desire, or requirement using it. They might want to play. They might crave a bite of that tempting-smelling chicken drumstick of yours. Or, perhaps they want to go for a walk.

However, our pets are extremely clever, and they often try to manipulate using this method. Nothing demonstrates this better than the fact that they usually appear by the table with their big puppy eyes.