When Daphné Archambault brought home Maddie, a sighthound from Quebec, Canada, she expected a calm, affectionate companion. What she didn’t anticipate was the constant, unblinking stare that would soon become a defining feature of life with her dog—and a moment of instant recognition for thousands of other owners online.
In a video shared on Instagram, Archambault joked that “people never tell you about the part of sighthound owning where they just stare at you like this,” pairing the caption with a compilation of clips showing seven‑year‑old Maddie watching her owner from beds, doorways and across the room, eyes fixed and unflinching.
The video has struck a chord with dog owners, particularly those familiar with sighthounds, a group of breeds known as much for their quiet intensity as their athleticism.
Sighthounds—a category that includes Greyhounds, Whippets and Salukis—are characterized by lean, athletic builds, deep chests and long legs designed for speed and rapid acceleration. Historically bred for hunting by sight rather than scent, many are now known as low‑maintenance pets with calm temperaments, often jokingly described as “40mph couch potatoes.”
Maddie fits that reputation, but Archambault says the staring is part of how her dog communicates. “It’s her way to tell me she wants something,” she told Newsweek. “But sometimes I think she’s just judging me.”
She added that she started sharing short videos of her sighthound simply for fun, only to be surprised by how quickly they gained traction. “The reactions surprised me because I never knew how relatable it was and how many dog owners experienced that,” Archambault said.
Internet Reacts
Commenters quickly flooded the post with their own stories of being silently observed by their dogs. One wrote that their sighthound lies in her living‑room bed “and stares at us on the couch for no reason,” while another joked that the look could be either “adoration” or a way of making sure no one gets food without them.
Others embraced the humor of the situation, with one viewer dubbing the expression “eternal judgement,” and another adding that the same thing was happening in their house with their own sighthound, saying they “wouldn’t change a thing.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.