Science Sunday

Why do Dogs Yawn

Is she really that tired? Bored maybe? Turns out that yawns are another canine body language device that is often translated incorrectly by us humans.  Yawns can have a variety of meanings, but to be interpreted correctly, the context of the situation is all important. So what is she tying to tell you:

• "I'm Stressed Out right now."
  We often see dogs yawning in obedience class when they are asked to do something they don't quite understand, causing stress that is manifested by a big yawn which is often mis-interpreted as indifference.  Often the handler will aggravate the situation rather than try to calm the dog. We also often see the "your stressing me out" yawn when chastising him when he's not sure what he's done.
• "Hey it's OK man, I'm cool" 
  Dogs have a their own vocabulary of calming signals to mitigate threatening situations. A yawn has no element of aggression, fear or dominance and is the exact opposite of a threat. When approached in an aggressive manner, the passive dog may yawn to indicate they are not a threat. At the same time, the yawn is understood among dogs, to not be a submissive signal.  The "I'm cool" yawn is sometimes used by a more dominant dog to indicate no ill will towards a submissive and fearful buddy. Generally speaking, according to psychologist Stanley Coren, a yawn, followed by some other nonthreatening greeting response has caused the dog to which it was addressed to either cease or to tone down its aggressive display. 
• "Oh boy I can hardly wait"
  ​Just to confuse us, dogs will also display a yawn when they are excited. We often see this when getting ready to go for a walk or to the park. 
• " I really do love you"
  It is well know that yawning is contagious among humans, but only if the other party is familiar to us. It has also been shown to be a learned response in humans, since infants and pre-schoolers don't "catch yawns", not even from their mothers. Studies from Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute in Porto, Portugal, show that dogs also catch yawns from other dogs and humans that they are familiar with. Many believe this is a sign that dogs are empathetic to both fellow canines and humans alike.​​

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• "I really am tired"
  Let's not ignore the obvious.

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References: Stanley Coren, Psychology Today, April 25, 2012
                         Deanna deBara,  rover.com,  Dog Yawning Decoded
                         Katie Findlay, Why do Dogs Yawn, akc.org, June 15, 2017