When dogs sigh, it is usually a sign of relaxation and contentment. In exceptional cases, allergies, disappointment, arthritis, pain or other illnesses can also be behind it.
In all cases, dogs use this to communicate emotions. You can usually tell from the eyes whether it is a good or bad sign:
- Positive = sigh with half-closed eyes without eye contact
- Negative = Sighing with eyes open and direct eye contact
In addition, the initial situation can also provide an indication of the possible cause. Here is a rough overview:
Initial situationPossible causesSighing when lying downRelaxation, arthritis, painConstant sighingPain, arthritis, allergies, disappointment, illnessesSighing when strokingSatisfaction, relaxationSighing while sleepingRelaxation, illness, pain
Below you will learn about the 7 most common reasons why dogs sigh.
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#1 Allergies
According to studies, between 10-20% of all dogs suffer from allergies. In most cases, it causes severe itching and rashes. [1]
It is triggered by so-called “allergens”. With constant exposure to these allergens, many allergic dogs often begin to sigh. Other symptoms are here:
- Unusually frequent sneezing
- Constant runny nose
- Skin redness and swelling
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Problems breathing [2]
If the symptoms only started recently, then this can greatly limit the possible causes. Typical allergens in dogs are:
- Pesticides, chemicals, cleaning products and soap
- Beef, lamb, chicken and eggs
- Grasses, pollen and cigarette smoke
- Dairy, soy and grain products [3]
With “contact dermatitis,” symptoms only occur where direct contact occurred. For example, on the paws with grass or around the mouth with food.
To alleviate the symptoms, the vet usually prescribes antihistamines. These alleviate the symptoms and at the same time reduce the dog's sensitivity.
Alternatively, such a free food check can also help to get individual food recommendations and free food samples.
Allergens in the home can cause dogs to experience an allergic reaction. Among other things, dogs start to sigh unusually often. In addition, other symptoms such as redness or swelling are usually noticeable.
#2 Relaxation
According to the book “Dogs for Dummies,” dogs sighing is usually a sign that they have completed something. Typical examples are here:
- Dog is finished eating
- Playing with the neighbor's dog is over
- The long walk is over
Since dogs need around 60% more sleep than humans, they usually lie down after such an activity and let out a sigh of relaxation. [4]
You can usually tell because they have their eyes half-closed. Other signs are here:
- Dog lies in the basket
- Ears are relaxed
- No direct eye contact
- Dog begins to groom the coat
If your dog falls asleep relatively soon after lying down, then that is also a sign of good physical and mental health.
If dogs sigh with their eyes half-closed after an activity, this is an indication that the relaxation phase has now begun. Since dogs sleep an average of around 13 hours per day, they tend to sleep more often than humans.
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#3 Arthritis
Arthritis is the technical term for pathological and chronic inflammation of the joints. It is one of the most common complaints in old dogs and large dog breeds.
On average, around one in five dogs over the age of one year is said to suffer from it. [14] In addition to pain, it usually also leads to numerous other symptoms:
- Avoiding stairs
- Groans, sighs and moans
- Slow running style
- Unusually stiff gait
- Aversion to physical activity
- Increasing limp [5]
In this case, sighing is an expression of pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for arthritis. However, the symptoms can be easily treated.
The vet can give you medication to relieve the pain and relieve the inflammation. A change in diet can also make sense. [6]
Dogs with arthritis experience pain with almost all everyday movements and therefore often sigh out of frustration. In most cases this can be recognized by the running style. There is currently no cure for this disease, but the symptoms can be easily treated.
#4 Disappointment
Dogs only have a total of 6 verbal means of communication: barking, yelping, whining, whining, howling and sighing.
On average, people know around 42,000 words that they can use to express their emotions. [7]
What is noticeable here is that disappointed dogs usually open their eyes when they sigh and usually make direct eye contact with their master.
Typical causes here are:
- Lack of attention
- Dog doesn't get any of the food
- Other animals get more attention
- Lack of physical activity
- Nobody wants to play with the dog
- Mental boredom [8]
It is important to first recognize the reason behind the disappointment and frustration and then take measures to find a permanent solution.
Regardless, the following things make most dogs very happy:
- Variety of toys (like ours)
- Lots of attention and cuddles
- Playdates with other dogs
- Long and regular walks
If all of these measures do not bring any improvement, then the cause lies somewhere else.
Disappointed dogs often sigh out of frustration. In most cases, this is due to a lack of attention and insufficient physical activity. It is important to find out the cause of the dissatisfaction and then take a proactive approach.
#5 Diseases
If your dog generally seems unhappy and has been acting strange lately, this may indicate underlying medical conditions.
In addition to sighing, there are usually other symptoms:
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive thirst
- Yelling and whining
- Restless behavior
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Constant coughing
- Lack of motivation [9]
In this case, too, the dog usually looks at the master while sighing. If you will, it's a kind of cry for help. The most common diseases in dogs are:
- Ear infections
- Diseases of the teeth
- Skin inflammations
- Diabetes and cancer
- Inflammation of the urinary tract [10]
If you suspect this, you should consult the vet immediately. The earlier diseases are diagnosed, the better the chances of treatment.
In most cases, your dog will first be physically examined and then a blood and urine sample will be taken. Treatment then depends on the cause.
If dogs sigh and behave unusually, illnesses may be behind it. In most cases, infections are responsible. In addition, other pathological symptoms are usually recognizable. The veterinarian should be consulted immediately.
#6 Satisfaction
When dogs lie down with their eyes half closed and sigh, this is usually a sign of contentment. Typical moments here are:
- While the dog is being petted
- After he gets a treat
- When the owner is in the immediate vicinity
- After a long walk
- If he got a lot of attention today
What is striking here is that dogs do not look at their master. In addition, their posture is relaxed and their tail usually wags slowly back and forth.
Apparently dogs copied this behavior from humans. Because imitating human behavior creates rapport and automatically makes you more empathetic. [11]
Just like dogs often yawn when you start doing that. They also sometimes imitate our laughter by barking.
There is no concrete need for action here. On the contrary! Here you can proudly pat yourself on the back. Great work!
Happy dogs often express their emotions in quiet sighs. This type of sigh usually occurs when the dog has previously received something. This is particularly common when it comes to attention, petting and food.
#7 Pain
For evolutionary reasons, dogs tend to always hide pain. This is because domestic dogs are still 99.9% genetically identical to wolves.
And weakened wild animals are often the target of other predators. In addition, packs also reject partially weakened wolves, as a pack is only as strong as the weakest link.
Or to put it another way: If your dog starts to sigh because of pain, then it is usually more serious. Typical symptoms of this are:
- Excessive licking of the body
- Trembling and restlessness
- Sudden aggressiveness
- Wandering at night
- Touch sensitivity
- Constant whining and whining [12]
In most cases, the pain is caused by injuries. The most common causes for this are:
- Car accidents
- Splinter in the paw
- Bite other dogs
- Scratches in the eye
- Herniated discs
- Poisonings
- Joint inflammation
If you suspect pain, I advise you to see the vet immediately. This can relieve the pain with medication and at the same time diagnose the cause.
In rare cases, dogs express underlying pain by constantly sighing. As a rule, other symptoms can also be recognized here. Since dogs always want to hide their pain, researching the cause can be difficult.
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