What Does It Mean When a Dog Yawns?

Simply put, dogs yawn when they are stressed. According to Turid Rugaas, Norwegian behaviorist and author of On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals, yawning is one of many signals dogs use to calm themselves when they are stressed or uneasy. A dog could feel stressed when: Entering a veterinary clinic.

What does it mean when your dog yawns at you?

Yawning as a sign to communicate indifference has been observed in both domesticated dogs and wild canids. Many times, when a dog is faced with an aggressive dog, he will offer a yawn in response to the aggressor. This simply means that the yawning dog is not interested in any sort of conflict.

Do dogs yawn when they are happy?

Dogs will sometimes yawn when they are overly excited or happy. Similar to yawning in stressful situations, your pup may also yawn when they are excited. Overwhelming excitement can be challenging for a dog to manage, causing them to bubble over in some situations.