You have your dog out for a walk and suddenly, they start to give the telltale signs that they have to take a poop. They began sniffing around at some grass, turning in circles and revisiting areas to find the perfect spot. Before you know it, they cop a squad and it’s time to poop right then and there!
At this point, you may feel somewhat uncomfortable, especially if you are in a public area. You look for a bag so that you can clean up after your pet responsibly and then you notice it… Your dog is staring at you! The entire time that your dog is taking a poop she never breaks eye contact.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, everyone who is a dog owner has, at some time or another, found themselves in a staring contest with a pooping dog. We know that the dogs eyes are the windows to their soul and they do love us, but let’s face it, we aren’t that interesting that they should stare at us the WHOLE TIME!
In 2009, a studies in Hormones and Behavior tried to determine why the sustained eye contact occurred between humans and dogs. This study was for general purposes and not specifically to determine why they stared at us while they took a poop. What they found is that the mutual gaze produced a psychological response that was similar to what occurred between mothers and infants.
In other words, if your dog is staring at you, it may mean that they think of you as being their mother!
It may also mean that, like a child, they want something.
A dog behavior expert and trainer, Madeleine Friedman, also things that dogs might be looking for a reward for doing what they do best, taking care of business outside. After all, you took time to train them to do it!
When we first get a puppy, we praise them up one side and down the other when they do their business outside. That is something that goes away over time, however, because once they are house trained, we don’t typically congratulate them for doing their business in the grass. The dog may fondly remember the positive reinforcement and want more of it.
The dog may also be looking for a blessing.
Nick Jones, a trainer and dog behaviorist with Alpha Dog Behavior in London had the following to say:
“Perhaps if an owner had previously scolded their dog for pooping in the wrong area, this could cause anxiety in the dog as a result.”
He also thought it may be associated with instinct…
“The pooping position is a vulnerable position for dogs. The feeling of being vulnerable is left over from their wild ancestor, the wolf, who still has to fend for himself in the wild. I think dogs are making sure we have their backs while they’re in that vulnerable position for an extended period of time.”
Dr. Sonja Olson, of BluePearl Veterinary Partners feels that it may also be an attempt by your dog to communicate.
“By making eye contact, your dog could be asking permission for something. Or your dog could be asking for privacy. All this can vary according to breed, your relationship to the dog and other factors. Or maybe it’s you that’s initiating and holding the eye contact.”
Now this is something we can get behind. After all, if we are watching our dogs too closely, including where they decide to take a poop, it may just be too much for them. Perhaps they, like us, just need a little bit of space so that they can take care of business.
It may even be why a dog follows us to the bathroom, as a form of payback!
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