Show eye

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A border collie maintains eye contact with the herd

Showing the eye or Eying (from English eye = eye and to eye = gawk, stare) is a special technique of some herding dog breeds to keep cattle herds under control.

origin

Eying takes advantage of the wolf's inherited stare at the prey shortly before the strike. In the herding dog this gaze has become an end in itself, without the hitting associated with the wolf. The cattle to be herded nevertheless react instinctively and try to get to safety. This threatening behavior on the part of the dog is sufficient to keep the animals being kept in check.

Forms of Eying

In the English herding dog culture, a distinction is made between different types of eying. But that says nothing about the herding qualities of the dog in question, only about his individual way of working. So, in principle, no type of eying is “better” than another. Individual dogs aren't locked into a single style either. In particular, “loose-eyed” dogs can switch between “Medium Eye” and “Anti Eye” if necessary.

Strong Eye

Dogs that are referred to as "strong-eyed" keep close eye contact with the herd, so the wolf behavior is very pronounced. The eye of the herd animals is not necessarily looked at, but other sensitive body parts can also be the target, such as the ankle . A crouched gait is typical for such dogs. As a result, they gain great respect, but can also cause stress in the animals they keep. The extreme case of this form is the “sticky eye”, where the threatening situation freezes and the cattle can hardly be moved.

The “Strong Eye” working method is characteristic of border collies , for example .

Loose eye

"Loose-eyed" dogs do not maintain permanent eye contact, nor do they show the crouched gait of the strong-eyed dogs. "Loose Eye" is the generic term for a wide range of working methods, from "Medium Eye" (dog then consciously seeks eye contact when it needs it and then interrupts it again) to "Roving Eye" (dog does not stare at individual animals, instead, the entire herd is constantly looking for body signals for the impending breakout of individual animals) up to the "no eye", where no clear eyeing style is recognizable at all. Many “loose-eyed” dogs often deliberately avert their gaze from the herd to give them the opportunity to relax (“anti-eye”).

Loose-eye techniques can be found in German Shepherds , for example .

See also

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