Henlo Frens!
Today is a cloudy day in the mountains, but beautiful, nonetheless. There's something about the mist on the mountains on a slightly rainy day that makes it feel like you're on a journey with Frodo and the One Ring...
But I digress like my younger golden has seen a squirrel.
Have you ever looked at your dog for a split second only to see them wink at you? I certainly have. I will look over at my husband and say "Did you see that? She winked at me!"
I like to think of this as my dog's secret handshake to me. But really, I figured there had to be a theory about this. So, like our youngest, I began digging...
Just not on the lawn.
In an article by Jennifer Nelson for Southern Living Magazine (linked at the end), Dr. Megan Conrad, DVM, states that a winking dog can be an intentional dog or an unintentional one. In other words, they may mean to do it, or they may not - just like us.
It is suggested that winking may be a sign of affection. It may also be a mimicking of what we may do with our dogs by winking at them. Dogs are smart creatures. They are capable, to a degree, of learning our behaviors.
For example, I had a tuxedo cat (very fancy) growing up named Ezmo who, in her later years, figured out that we got our food from the refrigerator. She developed the communication of scratching on the fridge when she was hungry - which was all the time.
There are other circumstances where a dog may be winking for negative reasons, such as foreign matter in the eye, a dry eye, an infection, or a blocked tear duct. If you suspect your dog may be winking due to a health issue it is important to see the vet as soon as possible. Redness or discharge can be a sign of internal issues, as well.
A wink as a learned behavior can be endearing. When my Samantha winks at me I go all Fonz on her and make sure she knows I "get" her. Silly? Oh yes. Satisfying? Absolutely. She's my BFF.
Does your dog wink at you? Let us know in the comments! ;o)
Have a great day and keep it fluffy, friends!
- S
https://www.southernliving.com/culture/pets/why-do-dogs-wink-at-you#:~:text=%22Winking%20can%20be%20a%20sign,to%20another%20human%20or%20dog.
**No AI was used in the generation of this blog post.**