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Yawning contagious, even for dogs
By Cathy M. Rosenthal : June 21, 2012 : Updated: June 24, 2012 6:49pm
Whenever you're around people who yawn, you probably yawn, too. You may even yawn after reading the word “yawn.”
Yawning is contagious.
Studies indicate yawning when others yawn is a sign of empathy and a form of social bonding. This deeply rooted behavior doesn't appear until around the age of 4 in humans. Apparently, dogs may have empathy at a much younger age.
Researchers at the University of Porto in Portugal have made some interesting discoveries about yawning in dogs. While there are a few other animals out there that will reciprocate a yawn between species (baboons, chimps and macaques in particular), dogs are the only animals who yawn cross-species. In other words, dogs will yawn when they see their human companions yawn.
Researchers believe dogs yawn as a way of showing empathy to their human friends, which is one reason why we may feel an instant bond to our dogs. It's not just seeing the yawn either; the sound of a yawn can trigger a dog to yawn in response.
I had some fun with this and got all three of my dogs to yawn just by yawning myself. They will yawn only when wide awake and looking at me, but it can be done and gets everyone relaxed.
While yawning is an involuntary reflex, it's also part of a dog's communication system. Stressed dogs will yawn to express their discomfort and relax themselves. If your dog starts to excessively yawn in a new situation, pay attention. They may be uncomfortable with another animal, person or their environment.
Do dogs have the power to make us yawn? Yes.
Buster only has to belt out one of his long melodic yawns and I am responding in kind.
Like humans, cats yawn when transitioning between sleep and alert states; yawning is a part of a cat's wake-up routine.
Cats and humans may also be prone to yawning when cooling down after energetic activity. Cats may yawn as a way to peacefully end a standoff with another cat or as a way to say “whatever,” as cats often do.
But no matter how many times I yawn in front of Miss Kitty, I can't get her to yawn back at me.
When cats yawn, you can get a good look at the health of their teeth because cats really open wide. Cats are either preparing to sleep or taking one of her umpteen naps that comprise 16 hours of their day.
Interspecies sympathetic yawning may indicates a close connection between fellow yawners.
How many times did you yawn while reading this? And did your dog respond in kind?
Send your pet stories and questions to Cathy M. Rosenthal, c/o Features Department, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Cathy's advice column runs Sundays. You can read her blog, Animals Matter, at www.mysanantonio.com.