If your Golden Retriever yawns a lot you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. In this post, I will show you common reasons why they do it and what you can do to stop it.
So, why does my Golden Retriever yawn so much? Possible reasons are that it is tired, is getting frustrated, is anxious, it might not be getting enough exercise or it could be an issue with its diet.
There are many possible reasons why your Golden Retriever has been doing it and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact cause. There are also a number of things you can do about it.
Why your Golden Retriever yawns so much
Below are a number of possible reasons why your Golden Retriever has been doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.
It’s getting frustrated
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.
If it tends to do it in situations such as when you are trying to train it to do something challenging, it would be more likely that the yawning is a sign of frustration. 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.
It is anxious or stressed
The cause of your Golden Retriever 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.
A lack of interest
Sometimes, dogs will yawn when they are being indifferent (source). This would be more likely to by why your Golden Retriever does it if your Golden Retriever does it in situations where it might be trying to show that it is not interested such as when another dog is around it.
It feels a connection with you
Studies show that dogs will yawn more when a human that they trust starts yawning (source). If your Golden Retriever tends to yawn after you do it could be the case that it is mimicking your own body language.
It’s tired
The cause could be that it is tired. This would be more likely to be the reason why your Golden Retriever does it if it tends to do it more just before going to sleep.
It isn’t getting enough sleep
If your Golden Retriever yawns often before going to sleep it might be a sign that it is not getting enough sleep or that it is just tired. This would be especially likely if it started doing it suddenly since something happened that might have caused it not to fall asleep as easily or to get less sleep such as noises starting outside during the night or the room it has to sleep in changed.
It would help to make sure that the area it sleeps in at night is comfortable, cool and not too bright so that it can fall asleep easily.
Its environment is too hot
The reason why it has been doing it could be that hot weather has been making it feel fatigued. This would be more likely if your Golden Retriever has started doing it more since the weather has become hotter.
In this case, it would be important to make sure that it has access to a cool room, shade and water when it needs it.
There is an issue with its diet
An issue with its diet could also be causing the behavior. It could be that it is being fed too much, not enough or the wrong types of foods. This would be especially likely if it started doing it when its diet changed. It would help to talk to your vet about its diet when you see them next. You can also look here to see what you should and should not be feeding your Golden Retriever.
Not getting enough exercise
Golden Retrievers are a breed that is meant to get daily exercise. If your Golden Retriever has not been getting a lot of exercise it could be what is causing it to yawn. Generally, it is recommended for healthy adult Golden Retrievers to get at least an hour of exercise daily. If your Golden Retriever has not been getting that much it would help to make sure that it does.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out why your Golden Retriever has been doing it.
When it first started doing it
If your Golden Retriever did not always yawn as much as it has been, it would help to consider if anything else happened when it first started doing it.
If your Golden Retriever started yawning a lot suddenly, it would be more likely that it started due to things such as a sudden change in its diet, its daily routine or the weather became hotter suddenly. In this case, it would help to take it to the vet for a checkup.
If your Golden Retriever has been doing it a lot for a long time then it could be that it does it because you yawn a lot, it does it to show frustration or anxiety or that it naturally yawns a lot when it is sleepy.
When it does it more
It would also help to consider if it does it more at certain times or in certain situations.
For example, if it tends to yawn more when you are training it then it could be due to being frustrated. But if it does it more shortly before going to sleep it would be more likely to be due to being tired.
What to do about your Golden Retriever yawning a lot
Below are some things you can do about your Golden Retriever yawning a lot.
Make sure that its diet is right
It is important to make sure that your Golden Retriever is getting the right diet. You can do so by talking to your vet about it when you see them next. You can also look here to see what you should and should not be feeding it.
Make its sleeping environment comfortable
It would also help to make sure that the room it sleeps in at night is cool, dark and comfortable for it.
Give it exercise
As mentioned above, it is important to make sure that your Golden Retriever is able to get lots of exercise daily. If your Golden Retriever is healthy and it is not currently getting enough exercise it would help to make sure that it does either by exercising it yourself or by getting a dog walker to do it for you when you cannot.
Give it access to a cool and shaded area
If the weather has become hotter then it would help to make sure that your Golden Retriever has access to cool and shaded areas.
Reduce how much you demand from it when it begins to yawn
Since yawning can be a sign that of frustration, it would help to be considerate when training it. If it does start yawning when training it then it might be a sign that you should train it in smaller steps.
Take it to a vet
If your Golden Retriever has been yawning excessively or you can’t figure out why it is yawning a lot it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Golden Retriever.