How a human yawn can help your dog relax
Yawning is a calming signal for dogs, used to calm themselves and communicate their peaceful intentions to others.
If you notice that your dog is showing signs of anxiety, you can yawn yourself to help them feel more relaxed. However, don’t cover your mouth to be polite when you yawn, as dogs don’t do this, and they won’t see you yawn.
You can apply this, for example, if your dog hears a noise and they appear to be anxious. You can yawn without looking at them or saying anything. This message lets your dog know that there is nothing to worry about. And don’t be surprised if they yawn back. As in humans, yawns are contagious among dogs and between dogs and their people.
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For people, yawning is usually a sign of fatigue or sleepiness. Sometimes this is also true of a dog yawning, but yawning can have multiple meanings in our canine friends.
Dogs may yawn when:
We have to look at the context to determine why a dog is yawning. Sleepiness aside, let’s look at the other reasons dogs yawn.
The reasons for yawning are not fully understood (in dogs or in humans), but it does appear to be one way dogs react to stress or anxiety. It seems that dogs yawn to calm themselves when they are uneasy.
For example, if you’re out on a walk and stop to talk to a neighbor, you might notice your dog yawn. This is because your dog is either uncomfortable with the person or wants to get moving again. Or your dog may yawn when you are going into the veterinarian’s office or when a child hugs them. Knowing your dog’s triggers will help you identify when their yawning is due to stress.
Another sign of a stressful yawn is that it is more prolonged and intense than a sleepy yawn, and may be repeated several times.
What to do if your Dog is Yawning and Licking His Lips
After examining your companion, the veterinarian may recommend a complete blood count, serum chemistry panel, urinalysis and a fecal exam. If the veterinarian suspects a digestion problem, he may suggest x-rays or an ultrasound. If the x-rays and ultrasound are inconclusive, he may schedule your dog for an MRI or CT scan.
Dogs with dental or gum issues he may well need a dental cleaning. If your dog is diagnosed with bloat, he will need emergency surgery to correct the issue. Post-operative instructions will be provided by the veterinary surgeon. Your dog will need to wear an Elizabethan collar until the sutures are removed.
Intestinal parasites will be treated with a de-wormer. The dog’s bedding, kennel and toys must be washed in hot water. The household flooring should be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution to help kill any surviving eggs. It is important to remove any feces from the back yard. If there are other pets in the household, they too should be de-wormed. Some parasites such as roundworm and tapeworms can be transmitted to people.
If the veterinarian must remove a foxtail from your dog’s throat, general anesthesia will be administered. Antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent a bacterial infection. If the veterinarian believes the yawning and lip licking is a behavior issue, he may recommend a canine behaviorist.
Why Does My Dog Yawn So Much? Is Yawning Normal?
Youre sitting on the couch, minding your own business when you hear a deep, heavy sigh from the other end of the couch. You look up, startled, because youre the only one here…well, except for…Doggo. You look up, and there they are, tail thumping, staring at you in that way they often do. If your instinct tells you that your best buddy wants you to let them out in the backyard to chase squirrels, then give yourself a pat on the back because youre already speaking “sigh language,” even if you didnt know it. Here are a few more things your dog wishes you knew. [rd-video id=”1362533″]
“Dogs are highly emotional beings, just like humans,” explains Joanna Woodnutt, MRCVS with DoggieDesigner. “Just like humans, there are times when they need an outlet to express those emotions. Sighing is one such outlet.” In other words, the question, “why does my dog sigh” must be answered with yet another question, namely…