Yawning is a natural habit of us to express our tiredness. We often see our pet dogs yawning and we take it as a gesture of their tiredness as well. Yawning is actually the process of gaining more oxygen when our body lacks it. The result of less oxygen in our body is feeling tired and that is when we feel like yawning. But does the same rule apply to the dog? Let us probe into this matter.
If you know the meaning of different behaviors of your dog, you would be able to identify the mood and feelings of the dog. You can understand what the dog is trying to convey and act accordingly. The yawning habit of our furry friends is more than the expression of boredom.
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Why does my dog yawn?
Dog yawns for different reasons, but the most prominent one is stress. When the dog feels stressed and seeks some calmness then they yawn once or twice. This also calms them and they try to get a relaxed pose in some peaceful corner.
Dogs sometimes also yawn when they feel uneasy. This type of feeling is pretty common when they are going through some hard situation. Their body language shows sign of stress or uneasiness when they go to the vet or does not get relaxation for long hours. At these times you may see it getting stressed and yawning.
What does it mean when the dog keeps yawning at you?
Yawning at the owner of the dog means that the pet is totally relaxed at that moment and it does not want to show any kind of excitement in the presence of him or her. Dogs can also yawn at the presence of some aggressive dogs and that means the dog, which is yawning, does not want to get into a fight with the aggressive one. It does not mean that the dog is feeling docile or afraid, but actually the other. It feels that there is no need to be anxious and it is not ready for a conflict at that moment.
Do dogs yawn when they are happy?
This is a rather uncommon habit among pet dogs, but yes, they are sometimes seen yawning when they are happy or extremely excited. When the dogs are not able to hold their excitement then they feel tired and stressed. That feeling is expressed through yawning.
The dogs show much excitement when they are given chance to play fetch. If your dog knows that you will play fetch with it at a certain time of the day, it will be super excited at the possibility of your arrival in the room. You may see it yawning when you come near it as it will be eagerly waiting for the game session. Along with yawning, you will also see it pacing up and down near you to express its excitement.
Why does the dog yawn when you cuddle them?
The cuddling may or may not be liked by the dog. When you and the dog have a good bonding then it will yawn when you cuddle them. This is the expression of relaxation. It feels so calm and content for the dog that it gets relaxed and feels happy. The yawning is an expression of such feeling.
But when the dog yawns and you do not have a strong bond with the pet, you are not sure why it is yawning. This is the case when the dog is newly brought to the house and is not feeling relaxed when you cuddle it. It does not feel that it is a safe position to be in and thus it may start yawning. This is a sign of discomfort so you should release the dog or put it down.
Do dogs yawn to show affection?
New research on the dog’s behavior shows that it actually can be true that the dog shows its affection towards the owner through yawning. This is a bit funny and unlikely behavior on the dog’s part. Usually we humans try to control our yawning when we face someone, to be polite. But for the dogs, the yawning is actually a sign of its liking.
Is my dog tired when it yawns?
Tiredness is the commonest and most possible cause of yawning. Dog breeds that love to be active all day may find it really tiring in the afternoon. Also if the weather is humid then it will lose all its energy and will not be able to run and jump as it does in the morning.
The grogginess that is experienced by the midday is shown via yawning. It will gradually lull off to sleep if not disturbed and if provided with a few pets.
What should I do if my dog yawns too much?
As we have mentioned, yawning does not only mean tiredness. It can also be related to stress. If your dog are well fed and sleeping and yet it is yawning then there can be something wrong with its behavior. It may try to signal that it is not feeling comfortable in the household atmosphere. Try and find out the cause of its discomfort. It may be the existence of some person, toy, furniture, harsh light, sound, or something which has recently been added to your interior.
Try to take the dog near that person or object and see how it acts. If it is not feeling okay, then you have successfully pointed out the dog’s cause of stress. Eliminate it or just keep it somewhere so the dog is unable to see it. If this does not work and the dog continues to yawn too frequently then asking for the vet’s suggestion will be a good idea.
A stressed dog will act differently than a happy and healthy dog. Communication is a voluntary process but the behavior is an involuntary process and it will not be controlled by the dog. So following the dog’s involuntary actions like yawning will help you understand what is going on in its mind.
Why my dog yawns when I yawn?
Yawns have been proved to be contagious. This is a true fact that if you yawn before someone or see someone yawning, it will be followed by you and other people who are staring at you or communicating with you. So this is also true for dogs. They yawn when they are before us and we start yawning.
There is nothing unnatural about this habit but it will be followed by pets like dogs that contain a good amount of empathy in it. Dogs are one of the closest animals to human nature and they love to be bound by their feelings and share their emotion with their owners.
Why one of my dogs yawns before the other one?
It is sometimes seen that one dog at your house is more submissive than the other. Like humans dogs too have personalities. If one of your pet dogs has an aggressive and dominating personality then it is normal that other dogs would act more calm and docile.
At this time if the aggressive dog appears before the calm one, the latter one will yawn which means it is not in the mood to start a fight. Also, it shows that the docile one accepts the superiority of the aggressive one. This understanding between the dogs is expressed by the yawns, which can be mistaken for ignoring but in reality, this is just the opposite behavior.
Now that you know about this behavioral rule, when you let two of your pet dogs play with each other, follow their behavior. When you will see one yawning before the other you will understand which one is acting more aggressively than the other.
Why my dog yawns when I train it?
Dogs yawn for various reasons, and confusion is one of those. Dogs can get confused when they are young and are given instructions to follow. This slows down their brain processing and they try to cope with the process or directions by being slow. They take a break by yawning.
This happens when you are giving the dog more than one new command in a single day. As it is unable to understand the meaning of all the words and instructions, it may yawn. Directing or training a dog is a slow process and it takes a few times repetitions before they finally understand and follow it.
Should you be concerned when the dog is yawning too much?
Yawning is pretty normal behavior and you may see the dog yawning a few times a day. The frequency changes with the weather as well. On rainy days and humid summer days, the dogs are seen to yawn a lot. Sometimes it can be an adjustment problem with the new atmosphere. The dog will take time to settle down when brought to a new place. Also, it will be difficult for it to cope with a new lifestyle and that will make it confused. All these are reasons for yawning and you need not worry about this.
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