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Dog Who Feels 'Awkward' When Owner Stares Leaves Internet In Hysterics
"Avoid eye contact," is a universal piece of advice when dealing with a lot of animals, both wild and domestic, as some animals take eye contact as a form of aggression.
One woman on TikTok has documented how her dog reacts to her staring at him, and the results are interesting.
In the video posted by @datdissgrace, which has over 3.4 million views, she can be seen intensely staring at her dog, an Australian Kelpie mix, as he looks awkwardly back.
Stock image of a Jack Russell. A dog who feels "awkward" when his owner stares at him as gone viral on TikTok. Damedeeso/Getty Images"My dog starts to feel awkward when I stare at him so we're gonna see how long it takes before he starts getting weird," she says in the video.
After several seconds her dog gives her the side eye and does what appears to be a sneeze. He looks away, then back at her, before "sneezing" again, and rolling around on the floor.
"Not very long lol," reads the caption.
If you're a dog lover, it's hard not to stare at every dog that walks by, and it can feel like you've made a little connection with that dog if they stare back.
"Prolonged eye contact can have different meanings for dogs, depending on their individual temperaments," say the American Kennel Club (AKC). "But a dog, especially one who struggles with reactivity or is wary of people, might be alarmed by a stranger staring at them."
It's important to avoid staring or interacting with dogs that are clearly marked as service dogs, as they might get distracted and not be able to care for the human properly.
"Try to avoid distracting service dogs while they are working, as this can have unexpected consequences," recommend the AKC. "It's important not to call out to the dog or stare at the dog and handler as this might make both the human and dog uncomfortable or prevent the dog from doing their job. You wouldn't want the dog to lose focus and miss a cue, possibly inadvertently putting their handler's health or safety at risk."
You can train your dog to look at you to help them with issues like anxiety, or aggression, especially if your dog is easily distracted by other people, dogs, or objects.
"Once your dog knows 'watch me,' you can cue them to make eye contact with you as you lead them past a trigger. This can be helpful to support dogs maintain self-control in stressful situations," say the AKC.
Despite the idea that staring at dogs might not be the best thing to do, users on TikTok loved the sweet video.
"I'm pretty sure eye contact can signal aggression to dogs so i think he 'sneezes' so u know he's not angry," commented one user on TikTok.
"Nothing was going on upstairs before he noticed you were looking at him," said another.
"This dog is as awkward as me in any social setting," wrote a third.
Newsweek has reached out to @datdissgrace via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.Com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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More info 10 Product FeaturesDo You Let Your Dog Lick Your Face? It Can Make You Sick.
Q: My dog often tries to lick my face. Should I allow it? What are the health risks?
A: The odds of getting sick from a friendly lick across the face are very low. But the fact is that all dogs will be dogs from time to time — that is, chomp down on goose poop by the sidewalk, lick their nether regions multiple times a day and bring home the odd dead critter. That's the same mouth you'll be getting up close and personal with.
So there are good reasons the official answer from many experts is "don't do it," especially for people who are immunocompromised. Infections acquired from pets are likely underestimated and underrecognized due to general, flu-like symptoms that tend to resolve on their own.
Serious bacterial infections from a dog lick have been described in the medical literature. For example, a rare but potentially deadly pathogen — Capnocytophaga canimorsus — can be especially risky for the elderly, those who consume a lot of alcohol or among those who are immunocompromised, such as those without a functional spleen.
Capnocytophaga infections are most common after a bite, but can occur without getting bitten.
While these risks sound scary, it's important to remember that they are extremely rare, said Sonya Krishnan, an infectious diseases specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Some researchers have estimated the incidence rate of Capnocytophaga sepsis to be around 0.5-0.7 cases per 1 million people per year. And as Krishnan pointed out, that's around the same odds as getting struck by lightning.
How can I reduce my risk?
Even if you do follow the expert advice, there may be times when your dog will just go for it mid-snuggle and catch you unaware. To reduce the chance of issues, keep your dog up to date on their vaccines, such as rabies, said Krishnan. (Getting rabies from a dog in the United States is also very unlikely.)
"Your skin provides a strong barrier to bacteria entering and causing infection, so there is little risk of infection if a dog licks your skin," Krishnan said. However, keep your pup away from open wounds, she added, such as pimples and cold sores. It's also safest to avoid mucous membranes such as your mouth, nose, or eyes.
It should go without saying, but getting licked by a stray or unfamiliar dog is a worse idea than letting the family dog lick you.
And another concern with bringing your face near any dog is biting.
We'd all like to believe our own sweet pupper could never be so guilty. But one study of about 1,300 children treated for dog-bite injuries found that 37 percent of those admitted to the hospital were bitten by a family dog.
Most dog bites among older children and adults occur on the hands or lower limbs but can happen more frequently to young children on the head and neck. Because of this, it's critical not to leave infants or young children unattended with the family dog to avoid injury, even if accidental.
If you or your children get bitten by a dog — yours or someone else's — clean the area thoroughly and immediately call your doctor. In certain cases, they may prescribe prophylactic antibiotics or, with serious injuries, need to repair the wound surgically.
Perks of pup snuggles
None of this is to say that you shouldn't fully bask in the joys of loving your dog. Many studies have found that living with a dog has health benefits, including alleviating loneliness and enforcing exercise through daily walks. For many people, dogs are what got us through the pandemic amid so much pain and loss — myself included.
Possible immune protection may be especially strong in childhood, as studies have shown that babies living with dogs in the home are less likely to develop food allergies and respiratory symptoms and infections.
Plus, when we bond with our dogs, the owner and the pet both get a boost of oxytocin — the "love hormone." This can occur after petting or talking to our dogs. No licking required.
What I want my patients to know
Make sure you take care of your pet as an extension of taking care of your own health. Even the sprightliest pup needs preventive health screens just like a human does: After all, our states of well-being are connected. It's important to get your dog's stool tested regularly, give them an anti-parasitic medication monthly and familiarize them with having their teeth brushed regularly with some canine toothpaste. If you have any concerns or questions, check in with your veterinarian.
Meet the doctor: Trisha Pasricha is a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a medical journalist.
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