The Stare... What You Need to Know

Puppies stare at their new humans because they are so happy to have someone who loves them.  They may also be afraid the human will disappear.

Puppies soon learn that staring at a person can get them to say“how cute” or some other nice thing.

A smart dog will soon learn that there is a difference between staring and The Stare.

When used properly, The Stare can be one of your bestest tricks. After you have perfected The Stare, you can add The Tilt for added effect. 

But one step at a time.

Dogs easily communicate with other dogs but to communicate effectively with humans, you must perfect The Stare. The Stare is how you get your humans to give you what you want. I use The Stare when I want a cookie, to go outside, to go for a walk or if lunch is late.

When I want something I sit so that when Mom looks, she is instantly hit with The Stare. If she is watching the TV or working on a project, I first have to get her to look at me. When used correctly, The Stare can make a human turn to look at you. Once you have connected with their eyes, you keep The Stare steady until they speak.

Mom will say something like “what?”. Then I shift The Stare to the cookie jar, the door, the leash rack or the dinner bowl. Don’t shift too long because you don’t want your human to get distracted and forget you need something. This works most of the time.

I like to shift The Stare to the clock when I want to remind Mom that she is late with a meal or with my before bed cookie. I know, making her feel guilty is not a nice thing to do but I could starve to death waiting for a TV show to end or for her to finish a knitting thing.

The Stare also works when humans are asleep. It takes a little longer but they do respond eventually. I don’t like to use The Stare when Mom is sleeping but sometimes I need her to wake up and tell DixieLee to move so I can get space on the bed.

DixieLee has finally realized the power of The Stare.  She as added a Tail Wag to The Stare for emphasis.  She used The Stare on Mom twice yesterday (once when Mom was sleeping) and it worked like a charm.

Remember to use The Stare wisely. If used too often, your human could become immune to it. The good thing is, if they do become immune, it’s only for a little while.

Blogging is hard work so I think I will go use The Stare on Mom and get myself a cookie.

Keep practicing,

Your friend,

Zeva

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