Often I am patting near his face but not always. Once or more a day I always like to sit down with my dog for a pat and a chat - we both love it! He is a 9.5 yr old Akita and becoming fraile.
2007-01-01 17:45:57 · 10 answers · asked by Eric G 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
The following is from this website
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/15789781.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Q: When dogs yawn, are they sleepy or bored?
A: Neither, really. Think of yawning as a kind of switching gears. A yawn increases the flow of oxygen and boosts the heart rate - actions that give the brain a good goosing. A yawn can prepare the body for action - as in the yawning of a keynote speaker waiting for her introduction or a quarterback waiting to get back onto the field. Yawning can also be a way to relax.
Dogs yawn both to charge themselves up and to calm themselves down. It depends on the situation. If you go to a canine agility competition, you'll often spot dogs yawning at the starting line while waiting for the signal to explode across the line to the first obstacle. They're ready to run, and the yawn expresses that stress and excitement. In the waiting room of a veterinary hospital, you'll often see dogs yawning, too - a sure sign that they're stressed and trying to calm themselves.
In training classes, dog will often yawn - and owners will often interpret this as a sign that the dog is bored. Not so. The dog who's yawning in obedience class is more likely stressed than bored, either from nervousness or from wanting to please you but not yet understanding how.
Just as in humans, yawning can be contagious in dogs. If you catch your dog's attention and yawn, you may well get a yawn back. Some experienced dog handlers actually use this to their advantage, encouraging their dogs to yawn as a way to get them either focused or relaxed.
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As a dog obedience instructor I see yawning dogs as a way to relieve the stress they are feeling in the first two weeks of classes. I yawn to my dog to get him relaxed because he is my demo dog for my classes.
I've just started Agility competition with my dog, and I also work agility trials. I do see dogs yawning as they wait their turn for the ring.
In the "No Bite Program" we are warned that a yawning dog is trying to wear off stress, and if the confrontation continues the bite will come.
But, if you look at your dog's body language when you pet him during those times of the day, I'm sure that you will see that he is showing you the, "I'm relaxed and winding down", yawn.
spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com
2007-01-01 18:44:19 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
His yawn is accompanied by a slight tremmor, is it not?
He likes the attention, it excites him,
A yawn under those circumstances in a dog is to sharply increase oxygn absorption, to prepare him to recieve your attentions.
In other words, he likes you.
2007-01-02 01:55:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
people yawn whenever they feel relaxed, comfortable or sleepy. Maybe its the same with your dog, maybe he feels relaxed or sleepy when you pat him.
2007-01-02 01:53:55 · answer #3 · answered by Q girl 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because you have given him a great life and he is comforted by your presence. he probably looks forward to your time together as much as you do. you are providing love and he is happy and relaxed and letting you know it. good job.
2007-01-02 02:11:11 · answer #4 · answered by cagney 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because it's relaxing?
2007-01-02 01:53:14 · answer #5 · answered by Blah 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He is content, and happy
2007-01-02 01:50:37 · answer #6 · answered by kallmetigger 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe he`s bored
2007-01-02 01:54:47 · answer #7 · answered by jess jess 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
your cat is content
2007-01-02 01:49:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋