animal eye contact

[sasuke2910]

i've heard that making direct eye contact with animals provokes conflict, i've also heard that it creates a bond of friendship, what do you think

[ST-84 Sahelanthropus]

[___]

LOL! 0_0

I would think it would be a direct challange to their authority.

[ST-84 Sahelanthropus]

They have no authority.

[___]

? Of corse they do, over others of their kind.

[ST-84 Sahelanthropus]

{[Cough]}

I thought you meant over us.

[Blackout]

I don't have much room to speak, if me and either of my cats make eye contact they'll look lazily at me then look away as if saying, "What?"

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

well, I can mainly just speak for canines cuz they're the animals I know the most about...
usually if you stare at a dog it can make them feel nervous and kinda self-conscious...it can also cause them to growl and maybe bark at you.
but also, some might not take it as any challenge or anything and they'll just look at you and look away.
I'm around both. my mini dachshund gets nervous and will growl and/or bark, but she won't get actually vicious. my two chocolate labs will just look back at me and eventually look away.

[[D.E.M] zetsumei]

im not 100% sure of this, so plz dont hang me if im wrong
but i think most canines see direct eye contact as a aggressive thing

[SeiRruf IS, FurryLAE.]

^^ i agree with D.E.M. lol
however, i guess it depends on the animal, because the couple of dogs ive looked directly into their eyes, behaved differently.
some just stare back like they want to kill you, and some smile and start wagging their tail.

[PhantomStone]

same here, i think it's diffrent with each animal, some pets who are teritorial don't look in the eye and others who are goof balls go a head lol

[Mr. Meerkat]

I have heard of something like that i am not fully sure about it though but i hope that it is true

[Thaddeus Q. Wolfe]

it all depends on the situation, if it's quiet time and every one is lazing around than its bonding, if however you're facing a strange animal than it is a threat to their percieved heirarchy. newcomers are always bottom rung, with every thing.

so, if you are chilling at you're friends house and his or her dog comes up and starts to stare at you, stare back and don't look away. If he/she looks away first than that means you just put yourself above them. if you start the staring contest, be prepared to be bitten.

[SpiritW0lf]

I have read that in wolf packs, it's all about eye contact, body language, and hierarchy. But recently (I'm sure not recently like a year ago, but you get the point), professionals say it's the wolf's teeth that trigger the fight, not just the eyes. Hmmmm...not really a good example, lets try something else:

Scientists say that most species of monkeys feel challenged and get aggressive when stared into the eyes. Scientists have also noted that some species of monkeys get aggressive when they are showed teeth. Even more intriguing is that some species of monkeys react to both, while others species of monkeys don't react at all!

Personally, I love staring into a bird's eye, or our dog's eye. But if you were to tell to me to look at dog, who is obviously uncomfortable, I wouldn't chance staring into his eyes. I can easily tell when a dog is uneasy, I'm sure most people can; it's what we do with that information that should tell us to stare or not to stare. In past experience, dogs have become more attached to me when I let them approach me with my eyes NOT staring at them. I only make eye contact when dog has become noticeably comfortable with me. 

The eyes are the gateway to the heart really.

[Raccoomotion]

i've heard that making direct eye contact with animals provokes conflict, i've also heard that it creates a bond of friendship, what do you think

The type of eye-contaction reaction is not law it is a variable. If you want to know what of this two is true you mußt ask the Animal!!!
Besides it is also by humans, some humans react angry  > at eye contact other love it :-* . This is why I hate biologic at school, it is so much nonsense that a human aren't a animal like al others. **censor** you TEACHERS!!!

I hope you understand what I mean? Maybe if you don't please tell me that personality I will try to write it in a other way, alright?