Why Do Dogs Yawn (and Other Animals)?
A variety of species, representing most branches of the tetrapod tree of life (tetrapods are animals with four legs, including amphibians, reptiles and mammals), exhibit yawning behaviors.
In addition to cats, dogs and other familiar animals, penguins, Guinea pigs and snakes yawn too!
However, it is important to understand that animals may yawn for entirely different reasons than humans do (whatever those reasons turn out to be). As you may imagine, it is difficult to study the reasons other animals yawn. Most are unresponsive to questioning, so we are left trying to interpret their behavior, blood chemistry and other subtle clues.
Some animals, for example, appear to yawn as an explicit form of communication. Chimpanzees yawn as a way of threatening adversaries (among other reasons), as do Guinea pigs. At the other end of the spectrum, penguins and some other birds often incorporate yawns into courtship rituals.
Dogs appear to yawn for a number of different reasons, including communication.
For example, dogs frequently yawn before going to sleep or shortly after waking up, just like their owners do. But they also yawn in other circumstances – particularly stressful situations. This may include intimidating social interactions or difficult training procedures; both commonly elicit yawning behaviors.
In fact, researchers have found that stressed dogs are more likely to yawn than their calmer counterparts are. A study of dogs in one shelter showed that dogs with elevated salivary cortisol levels (which are used as a chemical indicator of stress) were more likely to yawn than those dogs who weren’t as stressed.
But there’s more to it than that. Dog yawning also appears to play a role in deescalating tension and avoiding conflicts. It doesn’t indicate submission, and it is even exhibited by dominant dogs.
Reasons Why Dogs Make Noise When They Yawn
We’re pretty sure that the first thing that most people do when they wake up in the morning is usually to stretch themselves and yawn out loud.
The same situation occurs in dogs.
Yawning and letting out noises is also prevalent in dogs especially when they wake up.
They do this to stretch their vocal cords and clear their airways so as to bark more effortlessly and clearer in the day.
A Sign of Discomfort
Here, it will basically be communicating to you that it needs your help.
It can yawn while making noise to let you know that they need you to pull them out of an uncomfortable situation.
Why Do Dogs Yawn?
Yawning is a form of dog body language. When you see your dog yawning, theres a good chance hes trying to communicate with you. Learn what it means when your dog yawns and how to interpret it.