What Are Puppy Dog Eyes?
Puppy dog eyes are an expression where a person’s eyes appear bigger, wider, and more innocent looking. It involves opening the eyes slightly wider than normal and raising the inner eyebrows up and together to give a sad or pleading look (https://earthsky.org/earth/puppy-dog-eyes-dog-communication-evolution/).
The term “puppy dog eyes” comes from the resemblance this facial expression has to young puppies and dogs when they want attention, treats, or are feeling sad. It creates the illusion of larger, glossier eyes which triggers an innate nurturing response in humans (https://be.chewy.com/why-is-your-dog-giving-you-puppy-dog-eyes/).
When someone makes puppy eyes, it gives their eyes a sweet, childlike, and submissive appearance. This can evoke feelings of empathy, making it harder to deny requests or ignore their apparent sadness.
Why Do We Make Puppy Dog Eyes?
Experts believe that humans and dogs evolved the ability to make “puppy dog eyes” to forge bonds and communicate with each other. According to National Geographic research shows that dogs developed a special muscle that allows them to raise their eyebrows and make an exaggerated facial expression that humans interpret as sad or pleading. This facial expression triggers a nurturing response in humans. Likewise, humans learned to make big round eyes and tipped heads to mimic dog expressions and create connections.
From an evolutionary perspective, this cross-species communication enhanced the relationship between people and dogs. Humans who could read dog facial cues likely worked better with dogs for hunting, protection, and companionship. And dogs that could appeal to humans may have received better care and resources, improving their survival rates.
On a psychological level, making puppy dog eyes taps into innate human tendencies for empathy and caregiving. Big eyes and exaggerated eyebrows make dogs appear young, innocent, and needing protection. This can elicit a surge of oxytocin in humans which promotes social bonding. The sad facial expressions pull at our heartstrings. So when dogs or humans make puppy dog eyes, it feels nearly impossible to deny them attention and affection.
When to Use Puppy Dog Eyes
Puppy dog eyes can be an effective expression when you want to lighten the mood, ask for forgiveness, or request something innocently. Using them in a playful, loving way with friends, family, or a significant other can help create a sense of warmth and connection. However, be mindful of overusing puppy dog eyes, as it can come across as manipulative if relied on too often.
Some appropriate situations for making puppy dog eyes include:
- Asking your partner for a bite of their dessert
- Apologizing for being late to meet a friend
- Trying to get out of an unimportant chore
- Begging to stay up late or have dessert before dinner
- Making amends with someone you care about after a disagreement
In general, use puppy dog eyes in lighthearted moments when you want to get across sincere innocence or playfulness. Be careful not to overuse them or rely on them when sincerity is required.
How to Make Your Eyes Look Sad and Innocent
The key to making convincing puppy dog eyes is to make your eyes look soft, sad, and innocent. Here are some tips to achieve this look:
Widen your eyes slightly so the whites of your eyes are more visible. This creates a childlike and innocent look. Relax your upper and lower eyelids so your eyes look a little droopy and sad.
Raise your eyebrows up into a subtle arch, which gives your eyes a more endearing shape. Don’t raise them too high into an exaggerated surprised look.
Look upwards slightly by tilting your chin down a little bit. Looking up makes your eyes seem larger and more vulnerable. But don’t tilt your head too far or you’ll look silly.
Try to relax the muscles around your eyes rather than scrunching them. The gentler look will appear more sweet and innocent.
You can practice this puppy dog eye look in the mirror to see what subtle adjustments give you the most authentic doe-eyed expression.
According to a study from ZME Science, widening your eyes and looking upwards are key to imitating the puppy dog gaze that humans find so endearing. With practice, you can perfect this pleading, innocent look.
Tilting Your Head Slightly
One of the main components of making effective puppy dog eyes is to tilt your head slightly to one side. This makes you look more innocent and helpless, like a curious puppy (https://www.kingsdale.com/head-tilt-in-dogs).
Tilting your head helps convey that you don’t quite understand the situation. It makes you appear less confrontational and more open to compromise or letting the other person have their way. A slight head tilt of about 10-20 degrees is ideal. Any more and it may come across as unnatural.
Turn your head gently to one side and look up through your lashes. Let your lower lip protrude just a bit in a small pout. This combined head tilt and lip pout gives the impression of an innocent puppy begging for a treat or attention. It’s hard for most people to resist!
When done right, a subtle head tilt taps into people’s natural instincts to want to protect and care for you. Just don’t overdo it, or your puppy dog eyes may start to look like manipulative theatrics.
Pouting Your Lips Subtly
Pouting your lips slightly can add to the overall sad puppy dog look. As described on the TV Tropes page Puppy-Dog Eyes, “a trembling pouty lower lip” is a key component of making the pleading eyes gesture (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PuppyDogEyes). When done right, a subtle lip pout creates a hint of a frown and a look of innocence. However, take care not to overdo it and turn the pout into an exaggerated frown or duck face.
Try relaxing your lower lip and letting it protrude just slightly beyond your upper lip. Keep your mouth closed, with lips gently sealed. Avoid tightly pursing or pressing your lips together, as that may look more stern than sad. Aim for your lower lip to stick out just a little, enough to look meek and sweet when paired with the mournful puppy dog eyes.
Additionally, consider lowering the corners of your mouth ever so slightly to enhance the pout. But don’t pull them down too much into a full frown. Keep the pout subdued for best results. With some practice in front of a mirror, you can master the subtle lip pout that adds impact to your pleading puppy expression.
Speak With an Innocent Tone
Using a higher vocal pitch and simpler words and grammar when doing puppy dog eyes can enhance the innocent effect. Speak softly and gently, almost in a begging or pleading tone. Say things like “Can I please have a treat?” or “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry” in a sweet, childlike voice. The power of the puppy dog eyes often comes from trying to seem as innocent, harmless, and unthreatening as possible through your tone of voice.
As an example, in the Disney animated film “Lady and the Tramp”, the cocker spaniel Lady uses big, sad puppy dog eyes and a soft, high-pitched tone of voice when asking “We are friends, aren’t we?” This helps convey the sadness and innocence behind her request.
When Not to Use Puppy Dog Eyes
While puppy dog eyes can be an effective way to get what you want in certain situations, it’s important to use them ethically and avoid manipulative behavior.1 Here are some examples of when you should avoid using puppy dog eyes:
In professional settings like work meetings or job interviews, puppy dog eyes would be inappropriate and unprofessional. You want to be taken seriously in these contexts, so stick to direct and assertive communication. Flirty bat-your-eyes behavior could undermine your credibility.
Using puppy dog eyes to pressure a partner into physical intimacy when they aren’t interested would be manipulative and unethical. Non-verbal cues like puppy dog eyes should never override a verbal “no” from someone.
Asking your parents for more allowance money or privileges using puppy dog eyes as a teen would likely be seen as immature. Have an adult conversation about needs and responsibilities instead.
Relying on puppy dog eyes rather than direct communication to get what you want from friends or authority figures can breed resentment over time. Use them sparingly as a playful gesture, not as your go-to persuasive tactic.
The bottom line is to avoid scenarios where puppy dog eyes could exploit vulnerabilities or coerce desired behavior. While they can be used playfully, keep it ethical by respecting context, consent and healthy boundaries.
Cultural Differences
The meaning and usage of “puppy dog eyes” can vary between cultures globally. Though the expression may be commonly used in English-speaking countries like the United States, its connotation is not universal. According to research, the facial expression which evokes “puppy dog eyes” is deeply rooted in evolution, as dogs evolved expressive face muscles to better communicate with humans (source). However, different cultures attach unique social meanings to the expression.
In Western cultures, “puppy dog eyes” connotes an innocent, pleading, or flirtatious look. However, in other cultures the expression may signal deference, submission, or even have negative connotations like weakness. Context plays an important role. Factors like relationship dynamics, social setting, tone of voice, and accompanying body language impact the meaning behind “puppy dog eyes.” Being aware of varied cultural interpretations helps avoid miscommunication when using this common expression.
Practice Makes Perfect
Getting better at puppy dog eyes takes practice and you’ll likely feel silly at first. But don’t get discouraged – the more you do it, the more natural it will become. Here are some tips for improving your puppy dog eye skills:
Look in a mirror and pay attention to your facial expressions as you try to make sad eyes. Relax your brow, open your eyes a bit wider, and relax your mouth. Avoid scrunching your nose or furrowing your brows too much.
Take a selfie or have someone take a picture of you doing puppy dog eyes. Look at the photo and see what you need to adjust. Use the photo as a reference as you continue practicing in the mirror.
Watch videos of dogs making sad faces for inspiration. Notice their facial expressions and see if you can mimic them.
Practice puppy dog eyes on friends and family and ask for feedback. Have them rate your sad eyes on a scale from 1 to 10.
Start by making puppy eyes for short periods of time, then work up to longer durations. Remember to blink periodically to keep your eyes looking natural.
Pair your sad eyes with other cues like a small pout, tilted head, and high-pitched vocal tones.
Remember that the sadder you look, the cuter it is, so don’t be afraid to ham it up. With regular practice, you’ll be a pro at puppy dog eyes in no time!