6 Reasons Why Your Maltese Stares At You

Those cute little beady black puppy dog eyes! When they look at you it seems as if they are staring into the very depths of your soul! Are they judging you, are they trying to tell you the secrets to their universe? What are they trying to communicate?

That was the question on my mind when I decided to dive into some research and talk to owners to find out.

Your Maltese will stare at you as a way of communicating with you. They will often stare at you looking for cues of what is going to come next. They stare when they want something from you, such as attention, or food, or even when they are just trying to show you admiration and affection.

So how do you tell what the different stares mean? Why is it sometimes feel uncomfortable when your Maltese stares at you so intently? ….And of all things, why on earth does he stare at you when he eats or poops! Consider this article your one-stop shop for winning the Maltese stare down!

Reasons Why Your Maltese Stares!

1. Your Maltese is Trying to Read Your Cues

One of the biggest reasons your Maltese will stare at you is to gather information about the cues you are sending him. Maltese make the best companion dogs and want to please you at every turn. They thrive on being close to you and understanding your every move. They will follow you endlessly and are often nicknamed the velcro breed just for that reason.

Maltese were one of the most notable aristocratic dog breeds of all time. Being bred to keep the nobles and wealthy company they got really good at tuning into their owners to pick up tips and clues on how to act. Dogs instinctually look to their pack leaders for guidance on what to do next, Maltese are no different, and you are their pack leader. (Check out this article to learn more about your Maltese fascinating history)

Since Maltese are very loyal and very intelligent they can and will learn quickly. Working to Establish yourself as a strong and confident leader in their presence is the key to teaching them as well as gaining their understanding and trust. When they stare intently at you they are looking to you for that confidence and guidance as the alpha member of their pack.

Because Maltese are so intelligent and loyal they often pick up on subtle things that other dogs might miss. They are good at understanding you and they can often feed off your emotions and know when something is off. They may be looking to you to figure out how to fix it.

They may also be staring at you as they try to decipher your body language and figure out what might be coming next in their daily routine.

When your Maltese stares at you he is drawn to look at your eyes because as this study shows they actually do really well at reading eye movements and facial expressions of their owners and can interpret your emotions, which will help them decide what may come next!

2. Your Maltese is Communicating Love

Another reason your Maltese is staring at you can simply be explained that he loves you!

When a new mother holds her new baby and they look into each other’s eyes it has an amazing effect of releasing a powerful hormone called oxytocin. This hormone is often called the love hormone as it helps us connect and bond with one another.

If you let your Maltese sleep with you, you may be getting more benefits from oxytocin. (Make sure to read this article before you let your Maltese sleep with you!)

Eye contact is a big thing to us humans, and dogs may be the only species that really understands that. A study shows that dogs and their owners alike both experience an increased release of oxytocin when we stare amorously into one another’s eyes. Dogs are the first and possibly only species besides humans that have been observed doing this.

So even though your Maltese may be somewhat wary and nervous with strangers, his bond with you can be unshakeable! This explains why your Maltese may just be your best and most loyal friend. This release of hormones will actually help you and your dog build a stronger bond and build more trust with each other.

Here are some other ways to tell that your Maltese loves and trusts you.

• Curls up next to you or in your lap (How much do Maltese love to cuddle? Owners tell all!)
• Greets you enthusiastically while wagging his tail
• Pushes on you with his nose
• Relaxed body language around you
• Gets excited when he sees you after you’ve been separated for a time
• licks you or wants to kiss and lick your face
• Sleeps on his back and exposes his belly when he’s close to you
• Leans against you, or lying down next to you
• Sleeping with or carrying around your dirty smelling laundry or shoes
• Wants you to play with him
• Stares at you lovingly
• Brings things to you
• Wants to lick you all the time (Find out all about Maltese kisses here!)

So next time you are feeling stressed and need a pick me up, try having a staring contest with your sweet Maltese and see if that helps you both feel a bit better.

3. Your Maltese Wants Something

Your Maltese stares might not always have loving intentions. If your Maltese is staring at you with an accompanying whimper or whining he’s most likely trying to communicate that he wants something from you.

Learning how to read your dogs body language can go a long way in helping you bond with your dog as well as helping them to be better behaved.

Your Maltese may be asking for you to let them outside to use the restroom, he may want you to play with him, or maybe he is dying for you to share some of your delicious chicken sandwich you are eating.

When a Maltese stares at you while she is eating it’s because of the ancient natural instinct for dogs (and their ancestral wolves) to look at the pack leader during meal times as a sign of submission and asking for any scraps that they are willing to share.

Either way, pay attention to not only his eyes but his ears, tail, and how his body is positioned and you may soon discover how to understand your dog’s secret language.

Other Maltese owners have said that if their pup is staring at them to get their attention then they better give them some attention! If they are on the computer or the Ipad and they don’t put it down and pay attention their dog will start getting more insistent with its stares using nose bumps, followed by strange whining noises, and possible barks in the face.

4. Your Maltese is Trained to Look at You

When you bring home a new puppy and first start teaching and training it, one of the most important things to teach them first is to look at you. Teaching them how to sit, stay, heel, settle and all the other important commands is so much easier when your dog first knows to look at you.

Dogs often recognize visual cues much easier and sooner than they can figure out what you want them to do purely by speaking the command. When your Maltese is trained to look at you are able to see your movements and interpret whether you want them to sit, stay, come, or something else.

So for training purposes if your dog looks at you a lot that will make your job a lot easier. Take advantage of all that attention and see what fun tricks you can train them to do.

This is one reason why a Maltese dog can make a great service or therapy dog. Their attentiveness and ability to be trained can help their owners with tasks they may not be able to do on their own.

This attentive stare may also explain why your Maltese looks at you while he’s pooping. He’s not doing it to gross you out, but most likely when you trained him to go poop in his spot outside you gave him lots of praise, attention and maybe even treats. He may continue to stare at you because he’s expecting more of the same.

5. Your Maltese is Confused

If your Maltese is looking at you and you’re are confused as to why, that may just be your answer as well. Sometimes we humans do funny and unpredictable things. If your Maltese is looking at you with his head tilted to one side and his ears perked at the attention he’s probably confused and wondering what you are doing or trying to communicate to him.

Another sign of confusion in your Maltese may be licking of the lips or a quick shake of his body. This could show that the confusion is causing a bit of stress in your dog.

Your Maltese may be asking for more clear directions and understanding of the behavior your are looking for from him.

Unfortunately, as your Maltese ages and becomes a senior, his confused stares could indicate something more serious such as cognitive dysfunction. If you have an older Maltese and they are also forgetting basic commands, wandering aimlessly in circles, or having accidents in the house it’s time for a visit to your vet to see what can be done.

6. Your Maltese is Confrontational

Maltese can sometimes have what I like to call little dog syndrome. They try to make up for their small size by acting more authoritative or bigger than they really are. Maltese are not inherently aggressive, but it’s still very important to socialize your dog well when they are young. If your Maltese is not well socialized as a puppy his stare could be confrontational and a warning that something bad is going to happen.

If your Maltese has an icy hard stare accompanied by a low growl or baring of teeth, proceed with caution. Maltese are unlikely to show this behavior to their owners but may do this when feeling threatened.

Situations where your Maltese might feel threatened can include:

• Resource guarding a treat, special toy, or food
• Being approached by a stranger or someone that makes them feel uncomfortable
• An unfamiliar animal that is invading his space
• Any interaction that is unfamiliar, unsettling, or startling

Other signs that your Maltese staring could lead to confrontation may include a rigid or stiff body, holding very still, tail tucked or not wagging, and ears laid back on his head.

If this is your Maltese or any other dog that you may be approaching break eye contact and back away. Give your Maltese some space to calm down and evaluate why he may have reacted that way. You will also want to work on training him to not be aggressive in order to avoid potentially dangerous situations in the future.

If you need help in training your Maltese to be less aggressive here is a good article by the Spruce Pets.

Final Thoughts

So next time your Maltese is staring you down, and your first reaction is to think about how creepy it may be, or that he’s judging you and found you unworthy, think again. Most likely that intense stare means that your dog is your lifelong companion ready to please and protect you no matter what.

If you enjoyed this article then check out more about your favorite Maltese

Everything to know about a Maltese Tail, (Docked, Curled, How to Groom) | Paws and Learn

Should I Get my Maltese a Friend (A Guide to Maltese Pairs) | Paws and Learn