Struggling to get your dog to follow directions? Scientists have discovered a simple but effective way to grab your pup’s attention—by both pointing at and staring at an object.
A new study by researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna found that when owners combine their gaze with a gesture, dogs are much more likely to understand what they want. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, used a clever experiment involving dogs wearing eye-tracking helmets to see exactly where they were looking.
Testing How Dogs Follow Human Cues
The experiment took place at the university’s Clever Dog Lab, where 20 dogs—ranging from mixed breeds to Staffordshire terriers, Australian shepherds, and poodles—were fitted with special headgear that tracked their eye movements.
Each dog faced a scientist who was kneeling in front of them, with two bowls placed on either side—only one of which contained a hidden treat. The researchers then used five different methods to try to get the dogs to find the treat. These included:
- Pointing at the bowl while staring at the dog
- Pointing and looking directly at the bowl at the same time
- Only looking at the bowl
- Pretending to throw a ball in the direction of the bowl (but keeping it in their hand)
The results showed that the dogs were most successful when the scientist both pointed at and stared at the correct bowl. On the other hand, the dogs struggled the most when the scientist pretended to throw a ball, a trick many pet owners are familiar with.
Do Dogs Understand Human Communication?
The findings suggest that dogs don’t just respond to simple directional cues (like following a finger) but may actually understand referential communication, meaning they can recognize when a human is trying to tell them something specific—like “the treat is over there.”
However, lead researcher Christoph Voelter cautions that it’s still unclear how much dogs truly understand. “Is it for them more like an imperative directive to go somewhere? Or do they understand it more in a communicative way?” he said.
To explore this further, the researchers are diving deeper into a field known as natural pedagogy, which studies how humans (especially young children) learn from cues like pointing, looking, and naming objects. They hope to discover whether dogs, like children, learn and remember information better when we actively address them.
What This Means for Dog Owners
If you want to guide your dog toward an object—whether it’s their toy, their bed, or even your slippers—the best way is to both point at and look at it at the same time. This combination helps dogs focus and increases the chance they will understand what you want them to do.
So next time you’re trying to direct your dog’s attention, don’t just rely on a gesture—make eye contact with the object, too. It could be the key to better communication between you and your furry friend.
The research findings can be found in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
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