this post was submitted on 08 May 2025
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Exactly.
A lot of armchair dog behaviourists will never get the chance to meet the dog they are talking about. And when teaching dog training, you have to tell owners to actually get to know their dog because they have their own individual expressions that are unique to them, or uniquely learned behaviours that you've accidentally reinforced
I think many dogs display whale or moon eyes, which in exactly the situation you described. Dogs like to check things out without moving their heads. Additionally, if we find that cute, the dog will likely develop a superstition to do that more because it's rewarding to get your attention.
This is really obvious in puppies, who mostly display innate behaviours compared to the same dog as an adult who has learned many expressions that get them what they want.
I think the biggest behaviour people misconstrue is licking. They do not notice the difference between hard licks and soft licks. Soft licks are friendly, or they taste delicious on your skin.
A hard lick means, "Can you please stop what you are doing?" It's a polite way of changing the subject. Many people misshandle their dogs and accidentally think the dog likes it because the dog licks them, so they do it more. It's such a trap for human dog interactions because their way of saying stop is confused for asking for more.