Sometimes our furry friends
can do the strangest things!
Carolyn Menteith explores
the most common.
Why does
my dog...?
14 Your Dog November 2017 http://www.yourdog.co.ukYawning could show
a strong bond,
rather than stress.Carolyn Menteith
DipCABT, KCAI, is
a dog trainer, writer,
and broadcaster.
She is a member of
INTO Dogs and an
accredited animal
behaviourist (ABTC).
Carolyn is passionate
about bringing the
principles of
reward-based training
into the public eye.ABOUT CAROLYN
Q
Why does my dog
yawn when I do?A
While yawning can often
be a sign of stress in
dogs, dogs yawning when
their owners do (contagious
yawning) doesn’t seem to
be a stress behaviour. In
fact, it appears to be the
total opposite. Few animals
do this; besides dogs and
people, contagious yawning
has only been observed
in a few primate species.
This makes this behaviour
even more remarkable as
humans and canids are very
different species.Like humans, dogs
are more likely to yawn with
someone they are emotionally
bonded to, in a unique
example of cross-species
empathy. Studies have shown
that a dog is fi ve times more
likely to yawn when ‘hishuman’ yawns, rather than
a stranger, so this contagious
yawning may show a strong
emotional bond. Maybe it is
a case of the couple who yawn
together, stay together!14-16 yd why does MJ SWCC.indd 14 19/09/2017 16: