Field Guide · Glossary
Whale eye
Body languageA look in which a dog holds their head still and turns their eyes far enough to one side that a crescent of white shows.
How it works
The white becomes visible because the dog is tracking something without turning to face it, which usually means they are unwilling to look away and unwilling to move. It often appears alongside a still body, which is why it gets missed: the stillness reads as settled at a glance. Not every visible white eye is whale eye. Some dogs show white simply because of how their eyes are set, and many show it while rolling their eyes in play, where the rest of the body is loose and moving.
What it looks like
A dog lying with a chew turns their head away as someone walks past, but keeps their eyes fixed on that person, showing a crescent of white at the inner corner. The head turn looks like disinterest. The eye is the part that is not, and it is the part worth reading.
Commonly confused with
- Calming signals
- A calming signal such as a head turn or a lip lick is offered outward, to defuse a moment. Whale eye is not offered to anyone. It is a dog holding position while staying locked on to something.
Related terms
In the reading list