Why Do Dogs Wink? Decoding Canine Communication

When your dog winks, is it just a random tic, or is it trying to communicate something to you? Dogs may wink for a variety of reasons, including communication, affection, submission, or to get your attention. They may also have learned to do it through training.

That said, if a dog is winking a lot, it could be a sign of an eye problem and should be checked out by a vet. Always take the dog’s other body language into account.

This article will take a deep dive into the phenomenon of dogs winking, drawing on a wide range of interdisciplinary research. This will include the perspectives of animal behaviorists, veterinarians, and neurobiologists to get to the bottom of why dogs do this.

We’ll look at the role of training, reflexes, and health in this form of canine communication. By the end, you’ll know not only the scientific reasons but also when and how to react to your dog’s winks.

What Does It Mean When a Dog Winks?

Dogs have a complex system of nonverbal communication, and winking may be part of that system.

A review on PMC explains that dogs have evolved to have a complex system of facial expressions that allows them to communicate a wide range of emotions.

This means that the subtleties of winking, as well as other expressions, can be used to convey a dog’s mood and intent. However, this also means that the meaning of these expressions can be hard to pin down and may even be culturally dependent, which shows just how complicated it can be to understand what a dog is trying to say.

The idea of “emotional contagion” further complicates the study of dog expressions because it means that dogs may be using their expressions to mirror those of their human companions in order to build and maintain social bonds, according to a paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. This means that dogs may be using expressions like winking as a way to communicate, but they may also be using them to respond to human communication.

As Positively points out, our understanding of these expressions is largely based on human interpretation, so it’s important to remember that and make sure that we’re also taking into account the full range of expressions that dogs use. While we’ve looked at the physical and neurological reasons that dogs may wink, it’s important to remember that our own biases and perceptions play a role in how we interpret the signals our dogs give us.

Through the Dog’s Eyes: Eye Structure and the Science of Winking

The way a dog’s eye is structured can help explain how winking works. While many of the parts of a dog’s eye are similar to a human’s, such as the cornea, iris, and lens, there are some key differences, including the tapetum lucidum, which helps dogs see in the dark, and the nictitating membrane, or third eyelid, which offers extra protection.

With a visual acuity of 20/75, dogs see the world in a way that is both less sharp and more sensitive to movement than humans, due to the higher number of retinal rods.

Winking is a voluntary action that is controlled by the brain, but the way a dog’s eye is structured may also play a role in how it works. Some conditions, like Horner’s syndrome, can impact the way a dog’s eye looks and functions, and therefore may also impact winking.

Veterinary ophthalmologists are eye doctors who are trained to evaluate a dog’s eyes and the neurological system that controls them. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, this involves evaluating reflexes and performing tests to look for diseases that impact the eyes and the nerves that control them.

Knowing the way a dog’s eye is structured and the way the brain controls winking can help pet owners and veterinarians better understand this cute behavior and its potential medical causes.

How to Train Your Dog to Wink: Training Tips and Techniques

Training a dog to wink is an interesting example of behavior modification in dogs. As Dr. Megan Conrad, a veterinary consultant, noted in Southern Living, dogs can be trained to wink as a trick using positive reinforcement.

This involves a verbal command and a hand signal, like the trainer winking, that the dog learns to associate with the behavior, which is then rewarded with a treat or praise.

The difference between a spontaneous wink and a trained wink is important; a spontaneous wink may be a natural or reflexive behavior, while a trained wink is a learned behavior that shows the dog’s response to training.

These training methods are successful when the trainer is dedicated and the dog is willing. Some dogs may be more likely to wink naturally, which can make the training process easier. Dog owners may want to train their dogs to wink for a number of reasons, from creating a stronger bond to showing off for company.

In doing so, they reinforce the idea that the dog is choosing to wink, which in turn shapes the way we perceive the dog’s behavior. We see the wink as a choice the dog makes rather than a reflex or coincidence.

Understanding Involuntary Reflexes in Dogs

Just as in humans, dogs have involuntary reflexes that are automatic responses to stimuli that happen without conscious thought. A paper from PMC has even looked at reflexes like the patellar and withdrawal reflexes, noting that they are important signs of neurological function. The nervous system’s ability to react to changes in the environment is what causes these reflexes to happen, allowing for quick protective and adaptive responses.

Dogs may also involuntarily wink, which can be caused by an irritant or in response to a perceived threat. This type of reflex may be mistaken for a voluntary wink, which is controlled by a different part of the brain.

In terms of involuntary reflexes, things like myoclonus or myotonia can have a big impact. A paper from PMC explains that myoclonus is characterized by sudden, brief muscle contractions, and myotonia is characterized by a delay in muscle relaxation.

These reflexive movements are different from voluntary movements, which are the result of conscious control and training. Understanding the difference between reflexive twitches and voluntary winks can help dog owners better understand their dog’s behavior and make sure they are healthy.

It also helps us understand the significance of these responses and encourages us to consider how our dogs perceive and engage with the environment as we continue to learn more about their complex behaviors.

From a Dog’s Perspective: Winking and Canine Visual Communication

Dogs have vision that is quite different from humans, with an estimated visual acuity of 20/75 and dichromatic color vision. This means that dogs see the world in less detail and with a more limited color spectrum, primarily in shades of blue and yellow, according to a study in ScienceDirect.

These visual limitations could impact how dogs perceive visual signals like winking. Because dogs rely on movement to gather visual information, they may be less likely to notice a wink if it isn’t accompanied by other, more active signs.

Eye contact plays a central role in human-dog interactions. Dogs are highly skilled at reading human emotional signals, including those expressed through eye movements and facial expressions. However, dogs’ visual limitations could make it harder for them to pick up on subtler visual signals like winking. As a review in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review points out, it’s important to understand these limitations in order to interpret how dogs respond to human visual signals.

This means that people need to be aware of these sensory differences when trying to understand dog behavior, including winking. While we may think of winking as a meaningful form of communication, dogs may not perceive it as clearly or as meaningfully. This difference highlights the importance of understanding dog-human communication from the perspective of the dog’s sensory world.

The Final Word: Why Do Dogs Wink?

Our investigation into why dogs wink has revealed a complex web of possible reasons. From more complex forms of dog-to-dog communication to idiosyncrasies of individual dogs, winking can be a way to show affection, a trained behavior, or even a sign of an underlying health problem. We’ve shown how the anatomy of a dog’s eye and its neurological control play a role in this behavior, and how training can lead to a dog winking.

Dog parents can look at the situations in which their dogs wink. Is it in response to a smile, a result of training, or a sign of a health problem? By taking these things into account, dog parents can better understand their pets.

This seemingly simple behavior adds another layer to the already complex relationship between dogs and humans. Whether it’s a sign of a dog’s health, a trained behavior, or a more complex form of communication, winking is a reminder of the special, and sometimes mysterious, relationship we have with our dogs. When we think about this relationship, we can see the depth and fun in these moments of nonverbal communication.