If your dog has been yawning when you talk to it, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my dog yawn when I talk to it? Likely reasons why your dog yawns when you talk to it are that it has learned that it is confused, intimidated, bored or anxious.
There are a number of possible reasons why your dog might yawn when you talk to it and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my dog yawn when I talk to it?
Below are likely reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
Boredom
Dogs are meant to get daily exercise. If your dog has not been getting a lot of exercise it could be what is causing it to yawn. It would help to make sure that your dog has been able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.
It feels a connection with you
Studies show that dogs will yawn more when a human that they trust starts yawning (source). This could be the reason why your dog does it and it would be more likely if it tends to yawn when you yawn yourself.
A lack of interest
Sometimes, dogs will yawn when they are being indifferent (source). This would be more likely to be why it does it if your dog does it in situations where it might be trying to show that it is not interested such as when you are trying to get it to do something.
Frustration or confusion
Sometimes, dogs will yawn when they are becoming frustrated (source). This is because yawning will act to signal that they are beginning to lose patience.
This would be more likely to be the reason why your dog does it if it yawns more in situations such as when you are trying to train it to do something difficult. In this case, it would suggest that it does not understand what it is being asked to do and you might want to take smaller steps.
Intimidation
A part of the cause could also be that it is intimidated. This would be more likely if it tends to yawn more when it is more likely to be intimidated such as when you are shouting, there are people or animals around that it does not like or when there are loud noises inside.
Anxiety
The cause of your dog yawning could be that it is anxious or stressed (source). This is because dogs will sometimes do it when they are getting agitated or they are unsure of what is going on. This would be more likely to be the cause if it does it more in stressful situations such as when you are about to leave home or when there are fireworks outside.
If it does seem to do it more when it is stressed or anxious, I have written about why it might be the case here.
Encouraging the behavior
A part of the cause could also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it yawns, it will likely do it more for more rewards.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your dog has always yawned when you talked to it
If your dog has not always yawned when you talk to it, it would hep to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as not being able to sleep at night so easily or a change in the way you interact with it.
What is different when your dog does not yawn when you talk to it
It would also help to consider what is different when it does not yawn. For example, if your dog only seems to be doing it when you are training it, the cause might be that it is frustrated or confused with the training.
What to do about your dog yawning when you talk to it
Below are some options you have to deal with the behavior.
Talk to it in a different manner
If it seems like it yawns because it is reacting to the way you are talking to it, it could help to change the way you have been talking to it such as by being calmer and having a less intimidating posture around it.
Train it in a different manner
If it has been yawning when you have been training it, it would also help to try training it in a different manner, such as by using positive reinforcement training, and by going back to basic stuff and building up from there.
Ensure it can sleep easily
It would also help to ensure that its sleeping environment is ideal such as by ensuring that it is not too hot, loud or bright.
Get help
If your dog has been yawning excessively, it would help to take it for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out medical causes.