You point toward the toy sitting in plain sight, but your dog stares at your hand or back at you. The gesture may not be the problem. A 2025 experiment suggests that looking toward the object while you point can make your directional cue much clearer.
At the Clever Dog Lab at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austrian researchers tested how dogs responded to different combinations of human gestures and gaze. About 30 dogs were initially recruited, but some would not tolerate the eye-tracking equipment, leaving 20 participants.
Each participating dog wore a device that recorded glances and gaze. The dog faced a kneeling researcher, with two bowls placed on the floor. One bowl concealed a treat, while the other was empty.
The study tested five cue methods six times per dog, although only four were explicitly described: pointing at the correct bowl while looking at the dog, pointing while looking toward the correct bowl, looking at the bowl without pointing, and pretending to throw a ball toward the bowl while keeping the ball.
The clearest result came when the researcher’s hand and eyes indicated the same place. Dogs performed best when the researcher pointed toward the treat bowl and looked at it simultaneously. The pretend throw produced the weakest response.
Both cues work when used separately, but their combination is much more effective, lead author Christoph Völter said. The eye-tracking data supported that difference. The study was published in February 2025 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Why matching signals may help your dog
This experiment dealt with referential communication: using signals to direct another individual’s attention toward a particular object. In everyday life, you might do that when showing your dog a dropped treat, a toy, a bed, or another visible target.
The findings suggest that dogs can use both a person’s pointing gesture and gaze direction. When those signals match, your dog receives two related pieces of information instead of one. When your hand points one way while your face remains turned toward your dog, the message may be less clear.
That does not establish that dogs understand human communicative intentions in the same way people do. Völter cautioned against making that leap. The researchers also want to investigate whether combined cues improve learning and memory, so those questions remain open.
The experiment was small and included individual dogs from several breed backgrounds. It should not be turned into a claim about broad breed differences. The useful owner takeaway is narrower: coordinated body language may make a directional cue easier for your dog to follow.
Try the combined cue at home
- Start somewhere quiet. Place a familiar object where your dog can see it. The American Animal Hospital Association’s training guidance recommends beginning new training in a calm, distraction-free area.
- Face the target clearly. Turn your eyes toward the object rather than continuing to watch your dog.
- Point toward the same object. Keep your hand and gaze aligned so your body is not offering competing information.
- Reward the response immediately. If your dog moves toward or investigates the intended object, mark and reward that behavior right away. AAHA notes that an immediate reward helps connect the dog’s action with what earned it.
- Practice consistently. Use the same gesture and body position across short sessions. Once your dog is successful in a quiet room, gradually introduce small distractions.
Keep your expectations practical. A successful glance or movement toward an object is not proof that your dog understands every meaning behind your gesture. It is a sign that your cue provided usable directional information in that moment.
Your own handling deserves attention, too. Body position, timing, posture, and inconsistent cues can all affect a dog’s response. If your dog seems stuck, reset before repeating yourself: check where you are looking, where your hand is pointing, and whether another movement is pulling attention elsewhere.
You can also make practice part of routines you already share. During play, look and point toward a visible toy before rewarding your dog for approaching it. Short, positive repetitions give you a chance to improve your own consistency without turning the exercise into a long drill.
A small change looking where you point will not answer every question about how dogs interpret us. But it may give your dog a cleaner message and give you a more thoughtful way to communicate.
Has this worked for your dog? Share your story in the comments.
By Michael Reyes — 6 years as a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer and behavior coach; runs a small obedience school for family dogs.
