Dog Yawning Yawning is a form of dog body language. When you see your dog yawning, chances are he’s trying to communicate with you. Learn what your dog yawns means and how to interpret it. Dog yawns Dog yawns look just like humans – with open jaws and deep breathing. Some dogs make noises when they yawn and shrill sounds when they exhale, while others yawn silently. We often associate yawning with fatigue when we’re with people, and when dogs yawn, it can sometimes be a form of communication as well.
Dogs yawning when waking up, falling asleep, lying down, early in the morning or late at night can be a sign that your dog is tired. It’s easy to understand! Yawning is also a gesture; also known as a calm signal. The dog yawns to deflect the threat. If a person or other animal approaches a dog, the dog may look away and yawn. This is the dog’s way of saying that he feels threatened or anxious, but he won’t attack.
Dogs use this body language to avoid conflict. Yawning can be a sign that your dog is stressed. This could explain why your dog yawns more often in the car, at the vet, or during a thunderstorm. Yawning may be mixed with intermittent gasping and whimpering.
What to do if your dog yawns a lot If your dog seems tired, put them to bed. Dogs love to sleep! They may want to go to bed, but you or someone else is in their sleeping space. Make sure your dog has a place to go, quiet, safe, and belonging to them where they can retreat and fall asleep without anxiety. If it’s not caused by sleep, be aware of things that may be causing anxiety. This can happen if two kids are fighting near where the dog is lying, if a kid hugs him, when someone scolds him, or in various other stress-causing situations.
