Dogs are adorable creatures that can make our life so much better. Nonetheless, they can be capable of very odd and quirky behaviors that just don’t seem to make any sense. One of these is looking at you intensely while you are sleeping.
“Why does my dog stare at me when I sleep?” is not an easy question to answer. The most common reason for a pooch to do such a thing is to try and get his owner’s attention. He wants to do something with you (like go for a walk) or he needs you to do something for him (like give him food), but he doesn’t want to be disrespectful and wake you up.
So he will limit himself to staring at you, hoping that his intense gaze will eventually make you come back to your senses. This is not the only reason why your dog stares at you when you are sleeping. There can be other meanings behind this behavior, most of them can be easy to spot, while others can be quite tricky. In this article, we will analyze in depth why your pooch might be staring at you while you are asleep. By the end of the post, you will be able to understand which reason is most suitable for your pooch.
Reasons Why Your Dog Stares At You When You Sleep
As we said before, there can be various reasons why your dog is staring at you while you are sleeping. In order to understand which of these explains your dog’s behavior, you need to know your pooch very well. Dogs behave instinctively most of the time, but they also have their own character that makes them react in their own unique way. Dogs have distinctive personalities, just like humans, and for this reason, they can behave in very different ways. The most common explanations for your dog staring at you while sleeping are:
1. He Wants To Get Your Attention
Your dog could be staring at you because he wants something. He might need to go out for a walk or maybe he’s hungry and wants you to give him his food. By looking at you in that way he wants to be sure that you will give him all the attention he wants as soon as you open your eyes. Your pooch knows that you probably wouldn’t be very pleased if he came to wake you up abruptly. That’s why he prefers to wait and be sure to have your attention the instant you move an eyelid.
2. He Wants To Protect You
Your dog could be staring at you while you are sleeping because he wants to protect you. He could have heard a strange noise and wants to be sure that nothing bad happens to you. Your pooch considers you the leader of the pack and he feels it is his duty to keep you safe. Some breeds are more inclined to have this kind of behavior because they were specially bred to protect their owner. For example, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, and Boxers are renowned to be very protective towards their pack.
3. He Is Afraid
Your dog could be staring at you while you are sleeping because he is afraid of something. He could have heard strange noises coming from outside and he might be looking for a safe place to hide or someone to protect him. If you think this is the reason why your dog stares at you, try to notice if he does this after he’s heard a particular noise. This won’t be that easy to understand, since you can’t be in a sound sleep while it’s happening but you need to be at least slightly vigil.
4. He Is Admiring You
Your pooch could be staring at you while you are sleeping simply because he loves you and he is bonding with you. After all, you are his leader and it is perfectly normal that he feels admiration towards you. The breeds that are most likely to show this kind of behavior are Border Collies, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers. They have a unique way of connecting to their owners and sometimes they just can’t take their eyes off of them.
What To Do If Your Dog Stares At You While You Sleep
So if you wake up and see your dog staring at you, don’t freak out! He probably doesn’t even stare at you for very long, and it is just your impression more than anything else. Your pooch could have heard you stirring in bed and wants to make sure you are ok or check if you are ready to get up.
Conclusion
Having a dog that stares at you while you’re sleeping is not at all unusual. Most dog owners don’t even realize that their pooch is looking at them intensely at night, so they just assume that this doesn’t happen. The most common reason why your dog is staring at you is that he wants to get your attention. He doesn’t want to wake you up, but at the same time, he wants to be sure that you will see his irresistible face as soon as you open your eyes. This way he will be able to get the food he needs or go for a walk.
The other reasons include the need to protect you from possible dangers, being afraid of something, and just looking at you in admiration because you are his leader and best friend. If you find your pooch staring at you while you are asleep there is no need to try and make him stop this behavior. It won’t have any negative consequences and whatever the reason behind it is, remember that it is a way for your dog to bond with you.
Just be sure that he’s not behaving that way because he hasn’t been fed enough or because he has some other kind of discomfort. Other than that you should be proud of your dog if he is staring at you while you are sleeping because this probably means that he really likes you.
