Contagious Yawning
Your dog yawns more when you’re anxious. PLOS One research links this contagious yawning to empathy. Dogs yawn frequently when observing nervous behaviors like your pacing or fidgeting. This response grows stronger in dogs with close bonds to their owners. So that yawn isn’t because they’re tired—it’s a sign they feel your anxiety. The study found dogs yawned significantly more often when their owners showed signs of stress compared to when they were calm.