Why Does My Dog Wink? Learn the Causes of Dog Eye Winking.
So, the other day, I noticed something kinda funny with my dog, Max. He started winking at me! Not like a one-time thing, but pretty regularly. It got me thinking, "Why does my dog wink?" I mean, is he flirting? Is something wrong? Time to do some digging.
My Dog's a Winker! What Now?
First thing I did? I watched him like a hawk. I mean, REALLY watched him. I wanted to see if the winking happened only in certain situations.
- Was it when he wanted a treat?
- When we were playing?
- Or was it just random?
Turns out, it seemed kinda random. Sometimes he'd wink when I was talking to him, other times when he was just chilling on his bed.
Time to Hit the Books (or, you know, Google)
Next, I did what any modern dog owner does: I Googled it. Typed in "why does my dog wink" and bam! A ton of stuff popped up. I skimmed through a few articles, avoiding anything that looked too "science-y."
I discovered a few common reasons:
- Submission: Apprently, sometimes dogs wink as a way of showing they're not a threat. Like, "Hey, I'm cool, you're the boss!"
- Attention-Seeking: My dog definitely loves attention, this seemed like a pretty solid possibility.
- Playfulness: Maybe, he's just being a goofball.
- Eye Issues: Ok, this one worried me a little. Some articles mentioned that winking could be a sign of eye irritation or infection.
Observation is key
After reading all of that, I wanted to eliminate the possibility that my dog has something wrong with his eye. I went and look closely to his eye to see if anything wrong and check for these signs.
- Redness:I checked if the eye that is winking looks red or irritated.
- Discharge: If there are any discharge around his eyes.
- Excessive Tearing: If the eyes are watering too much.
The Verdict (For Now)
After, checking my dogs eye condition and observing my dog for a few days, I think it's is a combination of attention-seeking and just being a bit of a ham. His eyes looked perfectly fine , no redness, no gunk, nothing. And he definitely seemed to do it more when he wanted something, like a walk or a belly rub.
But, I'm still keeping an eye on him (pun intended!). If the winking gets worse or he shows any other signs of eye trouble, it's straight to the vet. For now, though, I'm just gonna enjoy my winky dog and his quirky little ways.
