Dog Side Eye: What Your Dog’s Sideways Glances are Saying?

Dogs can’t tell us what they’re feeling or what’s going on in their minds, but if they could, life would be much easier. So they communicate nonverbally through their body language, like wagging their tails, curving their bodies, licking their noses, and giving you a side-eye.

Dog side eye is a cute expression you might want to snap for social media, but it often indicates that your dog is stressed, annoyed, or afraid. A lot of dog parents and new owners are left scratching their heads over this behavior, so I wrote this guide to shed some light and put their minds at ease.

To a dog’s side eye, some folks call a ‘whale eye,’ but it actually differs from the former. Below, I’ll explain how, and also help you decode this often misunderstood expression, what it really means, how to spot them, and most importantly, how to respond when your dog displays a side eye. So let’s get deeper.

What Does Dog Side Eye Mean?

When a dog gives a side eye, it holds its head steady while moving only its eyes sideways to peek at something or someone, telling us something is bothering them. This unique way of looking isn’t always meant to make eye contact; rather, it indicates discomfort, fear, playfulness, or anxiety in dogs. Most dogs commit some awkward activities, and the side eye is one of them, often considered (mistakenly!) cute, funny, or sometimes scary. Let’s unpack this further…

Why Do Dogs Give Side Eye?

Curiosity jumps in when seeing a dog side eyeing. You must have noticed this in your dog and at first, might go curious with a slight smile saying—wait, WHAT!? Why is he doing so? Does it mean that he’s about to attack or is plotting something? Well, the meaning of a dog’s side eye changes depending on how they’re feeling at the time.

Dog side eye signals that your pup wants to tell you his feelings and inner thoughts without making direct eye contact. Here’s what your pup might be saying:

• Nervous or threatened: Your dog can do so when you take him to a new place where he has never been before. Or when he sees something scary or suspicious or feels danger. Giving him his favorite food or maybe some hugs can kick away his nervousness.
• Did you take his food? If you steal your dog’s food in front of him, he may give you the side eye. So, don’t do so if you don’t want him to growl and give you a side eye.
• Curiosity: When a dog sees something he’s never seen before or hears an odd sound he’s never heard before, it sparks his curiosity to see what it is. Then they give a side eye to glance at it before going over to check it out.
• Stress or anxiety: If you leave your dog home for the daylong, they can become stressed and anxious, worrying about where you’ve gone. When you back home, they might give you a side eye. Their face might appear like they’re tryna say “Why did you leave me, Mom!” with their cute sad face and floppy ears.
• When Preying: When working dogs, like Cocker Spaniels, decide to prey, they often give a side-eye to their target without moving their bodies, then pounce at just the right moment.
• Wariness: Dogs give a side eye when they’re wary of something, like when peeking at a threat while keeping their head still and non-aggressive appearance.
• Warning: Dogs love their toys and food, and when they guard them, they give side eyes to warn others to don’t even think about stealing their stuff.
• Playful: Sometimes, dogs give side eyes to grab their owner’s attention and ask to be taken outside to play, run, or get a treat.

And sometimes, it’s just a glance without any reason. It’s pretty important to understand why your dog is giving a side eye so you can act accordingly and ensure he is safe and has no aches. Don’t be afraid when your dog gives you a side eye, just take him outside, laugh, and enjoy his actual loving personality.

Are Side Eye and Whale Eye the Same?

While people often use these terms interchangeably, they’re actually slightly different and sometimes, can be hard to tell apart. However, easily determineable by knowing the situation. The side eye is a subtle glance, while the whale eye (or half-moon eye) is more pronounced, showing the whites of your dog’s eyes more dramatically.

Side eyes are not usually so open and the whites of the eyes are partially visible. A sideways glance can mean different things including curious, suspicious, or mildly annoyed based on the situation and their other body signals. One example of doing so is when they meet a new guest, they sit a bit far away to keep an eye out for unfair activities.

On the flip side, whale eyes are widely opened, and the whites of the eyes are clearly visible around the iris. It’s also considered an extreme version of the side eye. A whale eye indicates that your dog is scared, angry, or threatened, which should be taken seriously and acted upon accordingly. When a dog gets groomed for the first time, they might give a whale eye due to discomfort or anxiety because it doesn’t know what’s gonna happen.

Reading Your Dog’s Facial Expressions

Dogs communicate with body language, often using their face to express their feelings or intentions. They give different facial expressions to tell you something and you, as a dog parent, must learn their body language. It’ll create a strong bond b/w you both guys as you will understand each other.

Your dog’s face can tell you volumes about their well-being. Whether they’re feeling stressed or playful, their facial expressions are an open book, only if you know how to read it. By learning these non-verbal cues, you’ll understand a dog’s body language as if it were your native language.

Responding to Your Dog Giving Side Eye

Let’s say you just got back from work, dropped off your bag, plopped down on the couch, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, you caught your dog side eyeing you. First off, assess why is he doing so, which you can easily do if you have read the all above.

If your dog looks stressed or so sad, avoid approaching and touching him. Next, you are required to follow the following steps!

Allow Some Space

One of the most common reasons behind dog side eyeing is discomfort or while protecting something. When he is doing so, slip away from his gaze, let him be free, and relax. Your dog should then calm down. If he still doesn’t, move on to the next steps…keep hustling until your dog is calm and happy.

Find What’s Bothering Him

Now suss out what’s causing him to give that cautious look. Did a new pet occupy his nap spot? Did someone take his favorite toy or the bone? Is his blanket missing? And some other things you think are possible. Once you’ve found the root cause, head on to keep that bothering thing at bay.

Fix the Problem

Now it’s time to bring the smile back on his face by removing the problem that made him show the side eye. If it was because a new pet occupied his bed, train your new pet not to do so and to sit on her own bed instead.

Give him a bone or bring his missing blanket and favorite chew toy back if someone stole it. If your pooch had a problem other than these, identify the root cause and fix it as soon as possible for peace of mind.

Stay Positive, Not Punishing!

The dog’s side eye can sometimes seem odd a bit and funny. Don’t go wild if you hate the side eye. 99% of the time, there’s a reason behind showing the side eye. Get to the bottom of what’s behind that and fix it on time.

Giving side eyes often indicates stress or discomfort, and if you scold your dog for it, it can lead to increased fear, anxiety, or even aggression.

So don’t be punishing, stay positive. That’s how dogs communicate. Be gentle, understand your dog’s eyes expressions, reward calm behavior, and help them feel secure.

Telling Apart Various Dog Eye Expressions

Dogs give more than just side eye and whale eye expressions; they have a bunch of other eye expressions too, which are also crucial to know to better understand your pooch. Here are some of them with their meanings:

• Puppy dog eyes: Dogs make their eyes look bigger by raising their eyebrows. They do so when they seek attention from others.
• Soft eyes: When pups give soft eyes with relaxed eyelids and sometimes squinting, it’s a clear sign your dog is comfortable in their environment and content.
• Hard eyes: When they are on high alert and may feel aggressive or guarding something, they give hard eyes by wide opening their eyes.
• Avoiding Eye Contact: It’s when you look at your pup, but he looks back and forth and doesn’t make eye contact. It’s a sign that he is shy or discomfort.

While these are the usual ones, dogs have even more types of eye expressions. I thought these should help you understand what your dog wants to say when he shows different eye expressions, so I shared.

Dog Breeds that Display Side Eye Most Often

There are dozens of hundreds of dog breeds, and for sure all come with different physical appearances and behaviors, right? So they don’t express intentions in the same way. Some breeds are eye-expressive like Show Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Siberian Husky, and pretty much more because of their physical appearance and behaviors.

Dogs With Physical Appearance

Some breeds naturally have bigger and wider eyes, and often feel like they are giving a side eye, even when not. These breeds include Pug, Chihuahua, and Boston Terrier. If you got one of these breeds and you feel like your dog is giving you a side eye, you’re probably wrong, it might be just his facial look.

Yet, don’t always think that it’s just his look—sometimes, it might actually be a side-eye. When you notice a side-eye in your dog, check the reasons I’ve mentioned above. If one of them fits right, fix the problem ASAP!

Dogs With Eye Expressive Behaviors

Environment-sensitive and guard dogs, like the German Shepherd, Dogo Argentino, and Appenzeller Sennenhund, often give side eye glances as part of their protective behavior when guarding something or are threatened or unsure. These dogs express their unease by showing a side eye, often before clearer signs of stress or aggressive behavior.

Spotting Friendly vs. Cautionary Dog Side Eyes

It’s easy peasy to spot whether it’s a friendly or warning side eye. If your dog’s body is loose, relaxed, with a wagging tail, and they look playful, it means your friend is giving you a friendly side eye—saying, “Come, Mom! Let’s play together!“

In contrast, if your dog is giving side eye while raising his hackles, flattening his ears back, stiff his tail, and making direct eye contact, it’s a clear warning side eye. In this case, it’s best to keep out of their line to avoid getting pounced on.

I recommend pet parents look at the whole picture—your dog’s body language tells a complete story.

Why Dog Body Language Matter

I recommend you learn your dog’s whole body language so you can interpret his every expression, not just the sidelong glances. This will help you understand his needs, avoid potential conflicts, and build a stronger bond by recognizing when he is feeling happy, anxious, stressed, or fearful. This is a must for providing him with a safe and comfy environment.

You know, if your dog realizes you truly understand them and respond appropriately to their needs, they’ll be over the moon! Their love for you will undoubtedly increase as a result.

Wrapping Things Up

A dog’s side eye can convey many emotions depending on the context—sometimes it means positive and sometimes negative. If your dog is giving a side eye with a relaxed and positive body posture, that’s a friendly and harmless glance. But if your dog is giving a side eye with scared or uneasy body language, it means he is feeling stressed or anxious.

As a responsible and attentive dog parent, it’s quite important for you to understand why your dog is giving you a side eye. Acting appropriately can bring the smile back to your pup’s face, and you’ll both end up with an even stronger bond.

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