Have you ever noticed that whenever you pet your dog on the head, you immediately receive a huge dog yawn in return? It’s almost comical because you reach for a pet and the dog is yawning before you know it. You undoubtedly wonder if there is a reason for this dog’s yawning or if your dog is simply yawning out of boredom or exhaustion.
Understanding canine body language can help you understand why a dog is yawning. People would do well to understand why dogs yawn and whether or not their yawning might be an attempt to communicate with you.
Interestingly enough, a person yawning really is not the same as when a dog is yawning. As humans, we frequently associate human yawns with factors like fatigue or boredom with a certain situation, but does it mean the same for dogs than it does for humans?
In light of this, read on to learn more about your dog’s yawning as well as what owners should do when their dog yawns.
This sidebar shows a very different sign than what occurs when people yawn. Your dog may be yawning in order to communicate with you that they need something from you. Your puppy is probably acting strangely excited because you are petting or otherwise interacting with them.
When you go to the dog park or start to play with your dog, you might see a similar signal. Your dog may yawn to contain their excitement about anything and everything, whether it’s a pat on the head or a trip to the dog park, because they are simply more excited than their tiny mouth can communicate.
Yawns can occasionally be used by dogs as a calming signal. When your dog yawns, it may be a sign of appeasement or calming signals from the dog, who may be attempting to calm a person or situation. This body language may even be intended to calm another dog rather than to communicate with a human.
The most likely explanation for your dog’s yawning when you pet him on the head is that he is trying to calm and placate you if he has upset you in some way. Dogs look for ways to relax, especially when stress is directed at them.
Dogs who have been in trouble and then receive affection may yawn as a way of trying to calm you down or as a sign of relief that their owner is no longer upset. Animals respond to conflict and this type of emotion because they can frequently sense them.
Your dog may yawn as a sign of stress to release tension in their brain after being in a conflict or other stressful situations. Many dogs, for instance, can pick up on situations like this when you’re getting ready for a trip to the vet and they will show their anxiety by biting you.
The dog will likely yawn in this situation for a longer period of time than usual, possibly mimicking a tired yawn. Your dog may yawn as a means of communicating stress, but you can also notice other stressors. Look for pacing, whining, licking, and maybe even drooling.
When dogs yawn out of stress, you can calm them by showing them affection and speaking to them in a calming voice.
When you pet your dog on the head, their yawn may be an indication of confusion. If you showed signs of irritation and now you are petting your dog on the head, the yawn might just be that your dog doesn’t understand because people can be difficult to understand.
If your dog doesn’t fully comprehend what you’re asking them to do during training or when you give them a command, they may also yawn. Their yawn might also result from conflicting emotions.
Perhaps after removing your dog’s favorite toy, they began to drool. This is more of a reaction from your dog to prevent them from acting in a manner that they are aware will put them in trouble in this circumstance. For obvious reasons, your dog might have wanted to bite when you took the toy, but instead they started yawning to defuse the situation and send signals that they won’t attack the offender.
There are a few additional causes for your dog to yawn when you pet them on the head, but these provide a good overview of what you should be aware of or anticipate. You should also take into account any underlying medical conditions.
It might be a good idea to discuss your dog’s yawning with the vet if you notice it happening frequently for no apparent reason.
Yawning to Communicate with Other Dogs
Dogs communicate with one another through a variety of verbal and non-verbal cues, and yawning is one of them.
When a dog meets another dog for the first time, it’s common to see them both yawn. That signals to the other dog, who is typically the alpha, that they won’t attack him. The act of doing so may also have a secondary benefit of calming the dog who is yawning.
Even when playing with other dogs, it’s possible that they may yawn to indicate their exhaustion.
Why does my dog yawn when I pet him?
Your dog may yawn when you pet them for a variety of reasons, such as being overexcited, stressed out, confused, tired, or attempting to calm down; displaying non-threatening behavior to avoid a conflict; interacting with other dogs; yawning contagiously; or experiencing a medical problem.
#4: Confusion
Yeah – sometimes dogs get confused and need to unwind.
A dog might feel confused when they receive mixed signals. Such thing can happen during training.
Your dog may occasionally fail to understand certain commands.
Has your dog ever tilted their head to one side in response to a new verbal command?
They don’t understand what you want them to do, which is why.
Always keep a treat on hand for special occasions. This will encourage your dog to work even harder to figure out what it is that you want from them.
You could pet them after they follow the command, but a treat works better.
Last but not least, try not to chastise your dog when they don’t behave the way you’d like them to or act quickly enough.
Tip: Just be patient. Don’t forget to “navigate” your dog by using the correct body language and voice tone to get them to do what you want them to.
FAQ
Why does my dog yawn while being pet?
When you pet your dog and he yawns, you might assume that he needs a siesta. Dogs yawn because they are excited. They are yawning, however, not because they are bored, but rather because they are excited that you are paying such close attention to them and that they are feeling so loved.
Why do dogs yawn when you cuddle them?
We are all aware that yawning is contagious, and it appears that our pets are not immune to this strange occurrence. Dogs react by yawning, just like humans do, and they’re more likely to do it when they’re around someone they feel emotionally bonded to, according to research from the University of Tokyo.
Do dogs yawn when they are happy?
Sometimes when they are overly happy or excited, dogs will yawn. Your dog may yawn when they are excited in a manner similar to when they do so in stressful situations.
Do dogs yawn to show affection?
According to recent studies, yawning in dogs may actually be a sign of affection and affinity. So even though you might try to hold back a yawn out of politeness, your puppy will say what you can’t Many pet parents are acutely in tune with their dogs.