The Vet Practice

According to various Canine Body Language experts - dogs yawn for similar reasons as we do plus - some others.

But - to understand the reason why your dog is yawning at a particular time, it's important to consider the action in context.

Yes, dogs can yawn when they're tired. You sometimes see them do this just before they settle down to go to sleep. At other times however, yawning is usually a signal that they're under pressure of some kind. They're feeling stressed, confused or uncomforable with what's going on around them.

This could be something very simple such as person or another dog coming too close or being asked to "perform" in some way such as as "sit" or "stay" and then staring at them. (Ever tried taking a close up photo of your dog and trying to catch a shot between yawns?)

Yawning may also be a way of increasing blood circulation to the brain in anticipation of an activity. e.g. before starting an agility trial.

On the other hand - some experts believe the act of yawning may also have some calming effect on the dog as well as observers. We sometimes see this play out in the waiting room. One dog yawns and other dogs observing the action settle down and appear calmer. In this situation, the act of yawning seems to act as a diffuser of a potentially tense situation.

Yawning can also be accompanied by other actions such as lip licking, body shaking or even sneezing when faced with a challenging situation.

Not all Yawns are the same.

Can't tell what your dog is trying to say? That will depend on all the "other" body langauge that's happening at the same time. Stress yawns can vary with the individual dog and the situation. In general - when yawning, a dog will open his mouth wide and draw his ears back. Even though the teeth are displayed - it's not an intended show of pearly whites.

In doing this the eyes can be wide open or appear to be squinting. It's thought that the wider the eyes are open, the more stress your dog is experiencing.

Look at the body stance. Is it rigid and stiff or quite relaxed. What else is going on around him? Is he yawning at another dog - perhaps sending a calming signal to him to say that everything's fine - relax? Have you given him a command he doesn't quite understand? Or maybe he's just ready to settle down for a kip.

Can yawns be catching?

Some dog observers believe that yawning in dogs can be catching just like in humans however - it's not a proven theory.

When it comes to interpreting doggy body langauge - opinions can vary however experts all seem to agree that when your dog yawns - he's trying to tell you - or someone else - SOMETHING!

Are you listening?

Ref:

• Alof. Brenda, "Canine Body Language"  - Interpreting the Native Langauge of the Domestic Dog
• McGreevy. Dr Paul, "A Modern Dog's Life"