Yawning is an involuntary deep breath and is harmless in most cases. On the other hand, constant yawning in dogs can also be a symptom of fear, stress and heat. It is also more often a sign of affection and preparation.
If your dog is lying in the basket while yawning so much, then it is usually due to tiredness. In this case it is often accompanied by a smacking sound.
Dogs also instinctively yawn more often when petting and scratching. Here yawning is simply a sign of contentment.
However, there are also 9 other reasons for excessive yawning.
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#1 Increasing attention
Dogs normally breathe in for around 1.5-2 seconds and breathe out for around the same time. When they yawn, however, they breathe in for an average of 6 seconds. [1]
The result? Around three times the amount of oxygen reaches the brain within a short period of time, allowing it to work more actively and with greater concentration.
If you like, yawning is like a kind of nitrous oxide injection in a car. Yawning often helps your dog increase alertness.
#2 Stress
Compared to humans, dogs have significantly fewer means of communication. Barking can therefore be a warning as well as a cry of joy.
Just like a lot of yawning can be a sign of stress. Other typical symptoms include:
- Trembling and restlessness
- Heavy panting
- Whimpering and whining [2]
In this case, it is important to identify and eliminate the source of stress. In addition, attention is the most effective tool for stressed dogs.
#3 Affection
Dogs are very empathetic creatures and therefore copy many of our humans' behaviors in order to establish rapport.
While the relationship between a man and a woman requires an “I love you” every now and then, yawning is a must in a dog-human relationship. [3]
In this case, yawning a lot is a sign of the close bond with their owner. This also explains why dogs yawn more often around people.
#4 Appeasement
If your dog yawns, especially when in contact with other dogs, then this is usually a sign of appeasement. But it is not a sign of submission. [4]
It's more of a «Listen, I don't want any problems.» You most often see this when coming into contact with breeds that are naturally very dominant.
This includes in particular all types of Great Danes as well as many larger sheepdogs and guard dogs.
#5 Frustration
If your dog constantly yawns during training or at dog school, the following reasons are usually responsible:
- frustration
- Overwhelm
- Confusion
- Under-challenged
Dogs naturally have an urge to please their master. But if they don't understand commands and feel pressure at the same time, they often get frustrated.
So all the yawning serves to relieve pressure. It can also give you conclusions about the effectiveness of your training method. [5]
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#6 Heat
A study showed that people yawn less often in winter. This is supposed to be because the cold air could cool us down too much when we breathe it in. [6]
In this context, the researchers concluded that yawning could also be a natural cooling function of the body when temperatures are too warm.
Specifically, this means: If your dog yawns a lot, then the room temperature could be too high.
#7 Preparation
If your dog stands on all fours, stretches and yawns at the same time, then this usually serves as a warm-up for the physical activity that follows.
Dogs inherited this behavior from their ancestors. Because at any time a wolf in nature could be attacked by other predators.
By constantly yawning and stretching, he not only keeps himself awake, but also prepares himself for a potential sprint. [7]
#8 Fear
Have you ever noticed that you have to yawn, especially before presentations? This is because fear and nervousness are also triggers.
However, if your dog yawns a lot out of fear, this is usually reflected in other symptoms:
In very empathetic dogs, it can also be an indication of separation anxiety. In the waiting room at the vet, however, almost all breeds start by yawning.
#9 Contagion
Have you ever noticed that you find yourself yawning a lot when you see other people yawning?
That's because yawning is contagious. And not just between people, but also between monkeys and dogs. [9] Do you perhaps yawn very often?
Fun Fact: I yawned more than 100 times while writing this article. Especially when picking out the pictures.
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