Huskies are famous for their beautiful eyes, and their expressive faces. You may find your husky using those striking eyes to stare at you quite often.
Some owners find this adorable, while others find it disconcerting. You may also feel differently about the stare based on the reason they are staring.
The 8 reasons huskies stare at their owners can be summed up into 3 categories. They stare at you because of what they are feeling, because they are paying attention to you, or because they want something from you.
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Is Staring Normal For Huskies?
Yes, staring is perfectly normal, and healthy, for huskies. In fact, it would be abnormal if your pooch never stared at you.
Huskies stare at us as a way of communicating something. They are intelligent and very social, which means they are also highly communicative.
In addition to staring, you may notice other behaviors that clue you in on the message behind their gaze.
You can learn to read your husky’s stare to understand what they are trying to tell you.
8 Reasons Why Your Husky Stares At You
There are 8 common reasons why huskies stare at you. To better understand their reasons for staring, we can organize these reasons into 3 main categories.
These are feelings-based, attention-based, and needs-based.
The reasons huskies stare are:
- Love (feeling)
- Excitement (feeling)
- Fear or anxiety (feeling)
- Paying attention to you (attention)
- Seeking your attention (attention)
- Hungry (needs)
- Need to walk or potty (needs)
- Wants to play (needs)
Feelings-Based Reasons Huskies Stare
Huskies are highly intelligent, and just like us, huskies use their eyes to communicate feelings and emotions.
The most common feeling-based reason huskies stare is to express their love for you. However, they can also stare due to excitement or fear.
1. Love
When you love someone, you find yourself locking eyes with them. We stare at our babies from their earliest moments. We gaze into the eyes of our lover, and feel a rush of warmth.
The feelings associated with this loving gaze are triggered by oxytocin. Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone. It’s released when we bond with those close to us and deepens our emotional connection.
According to this study on Science, this effect isn’t limited to humans. When we lock eyes with our dogs, both of us get a rush of oxytocin.
This is why you feel so close to them when making this type of eye contact.
2. Excitement Or Happiness
Huskies will also stare at you when they are happy or excited. If they are happy and relaxed, they’ll look at you with a soft, relaxed gaze. Their body language will also be relaxed.
If they are excited, you can expect their tail to be up and wagging, along with a happy or relaxed posture.
3. Fear Or Anxiety
Your husky may stare at you if they are scared or anxious as well. If they are staring at you in a pleading way, they are asking you for protection or comfort.
You may notice that their ears and tail are down. Their body language will be stiff. They may also pace, shake, pant, or drool. Their eyes will typically be wide, with the white part of the eye showing.
Attention-Based Reasons
Your husky may also stare at you because they are paying attention. They can stare because they are paying attention to you, or because they are curious about what you are doing.
4. Paying Attention To You
It’s a good thing for your husky to stare at you in some situations. For example, when you are training them, it’s important for them to pay close attention to you.
Your husky may also stare at you because they are watching what you are doing, or looking for cues about what you will do next. For example, if you put your shoes on, they may watch to see if you are going out, or taking them for a walk.
If your husky is staring at you with their head tilted, this is a sign that they are paying close attention to you, and likely trying to figure something out.
Huskies are very curious, so it’s no surprise that they stare at you to understand you and what you are doing.
5. Seeking Your Attention
Your husky will also stare at you when they want your attention. Perhaps they want you to talk to them, or give them some pets.
Huskies are needy. They need lots of quality time with their owners. Separation anxiety is common because they develop such a close relationship with their family.
If they are asking for your attention, they may also come to you, or paw at you lightly. They can also bark playfully or even whine to get you to pay attention to them.
Needs-Based Reasons Huskies Stare
Huskies will also stare to let you know they need something. They may be asking for a meal, a walk, a potty break, or playtime.
If your husky is asking for something, the stare will often be accompanied by other signals, like staring at what they want as well.
6. Hungry Husky
If your pooch looks back and forth from you to their empty food bowl, they are requesting to be fed.
They may also walk to their bowl, paw at it, or whine softly to let you know they are hungry.
7. Wants A Walk Or Potty Break
If your husky wants a walk, they may stare at you, and then move towards the door. They may also look from you to the door. They may whine softly, or go to their leash.
These behaviors can be accompanied by a wagging tail or a signature husky smile.
Your husky will also stare at you when they need to go out to potty. They may stare at you and then look at the door, or whine softly. They may offer a light tail wag as well.
If they haven’t been out to potty for a while, this may be why they are staring at you.
8. They Want To Play
Your four-legged family member can also stare at you when they want to play. This is often accompanied by a wagging tail, a playful bark, or a smile. They may give you a play bow as well.
If your husky looks excited and playful, there’s a good chance this is why they are staring.
Concerning Reasons Huskies Stare
In most cases, your husky is staring at you for a benign reason. However, there are a few concerning reasons why your husky may stare at you, another person, or another animal.
These include illness or injury, aggression, or prey drive.
Illness Or Injury
If your husky gives you a pleading stare along with a whine, something might be wrong. Huskies are skilled at hiding illnesses or injuries. In fact, it’s part of their natural instincts.
In the wild, a dog who appears to be sick or injured is an easy target for other dogs and predators. They will often hide signs there’s a health issue to avoid appearing vulnerable.
However, your husky trusts you and depends on you to meet their needs. This means you can expect them to let you know if something is amiss.
Other signs your husky is alerting you to a problem are lethargy, stomach upset, fever, and loss of appetite. If they are injured, you may notice wounds or them limping.
Aggression
Huskies are not considered an aggressive breed. However, any pooch can be aggressive under the right circumstances. If you notice your husky giving a very hard stare to a person, another dog, or another animal, they may be showing signs of aggression.
They may growl or snarl. Their ears will be up, and their tail will typically be upright and stiff. Their body language and posture will also be very stiff and rigid.
Prey Drive
Huskies have a very high prey drive. This can lead to trouble, particularly with smaller animals, if they aren’t properly trained and socialized as puppies.
If you notice your husky staring at a smaller animal as if they can’t take their eyes off it, they are probably tracking it. They may also stalk the animal, lunge towards it, or chase it.
Final Thoughts
Your husky can stare at you for many reasons. It’s usually a good or neutral sign. They may be expressing their love, simply paying attention to you, or asking for something they need.
Rarely, they can stare because they are aggressive or because they have a high prey drive.
FAQs
Should I Stare Back At My Husky?
This depends on the situation. Staring can be an excellent bonding opportunity.
However, if your husky is staring due to aggression, fear, or discomfort, it’s not a great idea to meet their stare. This can be seen as a challenge.
Why Won’t My Husky Look At Me?
You may notice your husky staring at you, but turn away when you look at them. They may do this because they are shy. Huskies are normally very friendly and outgoing, but they can still experience some shyness.
The other reason your husky may look away is that they did something wrong. Researchers claim that dogs don’t feel “guilt”, but many owners believe they do. If they lower their gaze or turn their head away and seem to look ashamed, this may be the reason they won’t look at you.
