Do you find it weird that your dog keeps staring at the door for an extended period? If this is a behavior that your dog has recently developed, here are some likely explanations for his behavior.
Why does my dog keep staring at the door?
Dogs keep staring at the door because they could be suffering from Canine cognitive disorder, focal point seizure, compulsive behavior, or separation anxiety. It could also be that he’s expecting someone, wants to go somewhere, or seeking attention.
There’s more to this and find out below why does your dog sit and stare at the door.
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Symptom (CCD)
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is a behavioral symptom in old dogs. This condition alters a part of a dog’s brain and also causes a decrease in responsiveness to stimuli.
Just like humans, Dogs develop various health conditions when they hit a certain age. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is a common condition they tend to develop. This health condition can cause your dog to act strangely.
Dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction tend to display abnormal behaviors like constant staring at the door or wall.
As your dog’s brain begins to malfunction due to CCD, how your dog views the world will begin to change. His ability to process real-life activities will wane.
So if your dog keeps staring at the door for no logical reason, it could be a sign that it may suffer from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction.
A dog with CCD will also tend to display the following behaviors:
- Disorientation: Dogs with CCD act disoriented and often change how they interact with their owners. If your dog can’t find his way around your house or keeps forgetting the location of his food dish, he could be suffering from CCD.
- Change in Sleep Cycle: Dogs with CCD change their sleep and wake cycle. They tend to stay awake at night but sleep during the daytime.
- Less Engagement: Canine Cognitive Dysfunction causes dogs to pay less attention to what makes them happy.
- House Soiling: Another symptom of CCD is house Soiling. If your dog has been potty trained but still or suddenly soils the house, he could have CCD.
The above symptoms can be seen in dogs with CCD. So if your dog keeps staring at the door, you should look out for the above symptoms. If he shows signs of these symptoms, visit a veterinarian.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a common psychological problem in dogs. This form of anxiety arises when a dog is separated from their owner or someone they feel attached to.
Most dogs with separation anxiety go as far as staring at the door for hours until their favorite person is back.
If your dog keeps staring at the door, he could be missing someone.
Do you have a family member or friend who your dog is close with?
If yes, then your dog is missing their presence and awaiting their return.
Please take notice of the time your dog begins his staring behavior. If it’s after a family member leaves the door, then your dog is probably missing them hence the constant staring.
To be certain that your dog stares at the door due to separation anxiety, here are some behaviors he will tend to display when he isn’t staring at the door:
- Pacing
- Destructiveness
- Whining
- Barking and howling
- Escape behavior
- Coprophagia: This is the practice of eating stools. Most dogs show separation anxiety by defecating and eating their stool in their owner’s absence.
You should note that some dogs with separation anxiety don’t display behaviors like pacing, whining, and barking. They only sit close to a door and wait for the return of the person they’re expecting.
Focal Point Seizure
Focal point seizure is a medical condition that affects parts of the brain of most dogs. This condition causes a dog to freeze in a position for minutes.
Seizures in dogs are usually associated with symptoms like dramatic movements, shaking, convulsions, and more. However, most dogs with frontal point seizures tend to show subtle signs like temporary loss of consciousness.
You may think your dog is constantly staring at the door, but he may be experiencing a seizure that causes him to freeze in a position for minutes.
Focal point seizure is a hard-to-diagnose medical condition in dogs. If you have noticed your dog’s weird behavior of staring at doors, walls, or into space, you should visit your veterinarian.
Here are other behaviors displayed by dogs with focal point seizures. If your dog displays any of the following behaviors, then the reason he stares at the door is that he suffers from focal point seizures.
- Involuntary Limp Jerking
- Repetitive facial muscle movement
- Motionless staring
- Hallucinatory behavior: this includes actions like fly biting
- Aggression
- Behavioral Abnormality
He Wants To Go Somewhere
When last did you take your dog out for a walk? If your dog constantly stares at the door, it could be as a result of loneliness and the need for outdoor activities.
Dogs can’t communicate with human language. And so their behavior tends to speak for them.
As you know, dogs are happy animals. They need fun and exciting activities to keep them happy. If you haven’t taken your dog out for a long time, this will trigger him to exhibit unusual behavior, like staring outside for a long time.
Another reason for your dog’s behavior of staring at the door could be because he wants to go somewhere.
Have you recently taken your dog to a place where he had lots of fun?
This could be why he keeps staring out. He must have remembered the experience and wants to try it again.
If there’s something fun outside your house, it’s only normal for your dog to keep staring at the door.
Compulsive Behavior Disorder
Compulsive behavior in dogs is when a dog repeats an action without reason. A dog with compulsive behavior disorder will have an irresistible urge to perform an action repeatedly.
If your dog keeps staring at the door, he may be suffering from compulsive behavior disorder. Dogs with this disorder tend to display different behavior.
Most dogs with compulsive behavior have the habit of constantly chasing their tail or licking their feet.
Compulsive behavior is a generic health condition in dogs. However, it has been discovered that high anxiety, lack of attention, and lack of physical activity can cause compulsive behavior in dogs.
So if your dog keeps staring at the door, it could result from compulsive behavior disorder caused by the lack of fun activities in his life.
If you haven’t been paying more attention to your dog, it can result in a disorder that causes him to develop unusual behavior.
He’s Expecting someone
If your dog constantly stares at the door, he could be expecting the return of someone. Dogs are like humans. They can get emotionally attached and can become sensitive to lots of things.
Just like you stare at the door when it’s time for a person’s return, dogs also do the same. If it’s time for a person’s return, it’s only natural for your dog to stare at the door in anticipation of their return.
Dogs are aware of time. They use pattern recognition to tell when it’s time to eat, sleep, and play. With this knowledge, they can also detect when a loved one will return.
He’s Seeking attention
Dogs do lots of things to get the attention of their owners. Most dogs go as far as jumping on you, barking at you, or nipping at your clothes to get your attention.
If you haven’t been paying much attention to your dog, he will likely behave in a way that grabs your attention.
Your dog must have noticed you pay attention to him whenever you catch him staring at the door. And so, to keep your attention, he will tend to repeat this behavior.
Excessive attention-seeking behavior is a real thing. And most dogs will do anything to get the attention of their owners.
4 Ways To Stop Your Dog From Staring At The Door
If you suspect that your dog’s behavior of staring at the door is not a result of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, Separation anxiety, or compulsive behavior, then you can make efforts to stop his behavior.
Staring at the door isn’t a negative behavior, but it can be disturbing.
Here are four ways to stop your dog from staring at the door.
Give Him Something for Distraction
To stop your dog from staring at the door, you can give distract him with his favorite toy. Giving him a toy will make him forget about staring at the door.
Play With Him
As you now know, loneliness and lack of physical activity can cause dogs to develop unusual activity. To stop your dog’s behavior of staring at the door, you have to initiate play with him. A dog who’s busy playing won’t have time to stare at the door
Train Him To Stop
You can stop your dog’s staring behavior by teaching him cues like “Come Over Here,” “Sit,” “Stop,” or “Catch .”These commands will distract him and make him stop.
Reasons Why Your Dog Keeps Staring At The Front Door
What if your dog only stares at the front door? What are the reasons for it? Here are two reasons he does it
There’s a Noise Outside
The reason your dog keeps staring at the front door could be due to the noises he keeps hearing.
How noisy is your environment?
Are there kids who play outside your door?
If yes, your dog is probably staring at the front door because he keeps hearing the happy noise.
He wants to Go Out And Play
If your dog keeps staring at the front door, it could be because he wants to go out and play.
Most dogs feel they need more time to feel satisfied with their playtime. And so they keep staring at the front door, hoping you take them out to play.
Now you have answers to your question: why does my dog keep staring at the door, do not delay if you think your pooch needs medical help.
