If the dog does not look directly at you, but instead looks out of the corners of his eyes so that you can see a good deal of the whites of his eyes (the sclera), he might be leading up to an aggressive outburst; this look is known as _____

• A. Side Gaze
• B. Glare
• C. Gape
• D. Whale Eyes

Answer: (D)

Whale eyes describe a warning signal in dogs when the eyes are turned to the side and a large portion of the sclera (the whites) becomes visible. This happens as the dog avoids direct eye contact and looks out of the corners of the eyes, often signaling stress or threat and a potential escalation toward aggression. It’s different from a direct glare (a fixed, intense stare) and from a side gaze that doesn’t necessarily reveal the sclera to this extent. A gape involves the mouth opening, not the eyes.