Having a dog around the house makes you notice a couple of things about the weird little animals. Certain behaviors like zooming around the room, following you around, or barking all night make you wonder what the heck could be going on inside your puppy’s head.
But there’s one phenomenon that got us thinking like crazy in particular. If you have a Corgi or any dog for that matter, you’ve probably noticed the yawning.
All-day long, while lying in bed and sometimes even while running around the dog park. So you just have to ask yourself at some point – why does my Corgi yawn so much?
Well, we did some research! Sure, sometimes they yawn when they’re tired, just like the rest of us; but there’s a lot more to it than that! It turns out that your Corgi is communicating with other dogs with all that yawning! And it could be trying to tell you a couple of things as well.
So let’s get this decoded and help you understand your dog better; off we go!
Why Does My Corgi Yawn So Much? – The Meaning Behind
When your dog yawns, it can mean a bunch of things. While your dog is sometimes just plain tired, it could also be feeling anxious or even bored.
The truth is that there is no scientific explanation as to why dogs yawn. Heck, we don’t even know why humans yawn! But there is a lot of research on the subject by canine researchers who just so happened to notice this everyday activity.
Just to get it out of the way at the get-go, yawning doesn’t mean that your body is trying to get more oxygen in the brain. This is a theory that has been floating around the world for decades, but there’s no evidence to back it up.
So even if you read about this theory online or if someone you know explained it to you – it just hasn’t been proven in any way whatsoever. So what evidence do we have when it comes to dogs?
Well, not much, unfortunately. At least when it comes to the actual function, a yawn has in a body. But there is some psychological evidence that we can look at.
While observing dogs and their behaviors, researchers found that there are plenty of situations in which dogs get the urge to yawn. And it seems as if there is a good reason for it.
What Yawning Could Mean?
So what can a yawn signal to our Corgis behavior? Well, multiple things, as it turns out.
First, dogs have their reasons for yawning, and they could be more important than you think. It is, after all, essential to know how to understand your dog. Of course, nobody expects you to understand every signal they send you, but you should try your best anyway!
So let’s try and see what all that yawning can mean:
Stress
If there are times in which your dog seems to like it just can’t stop yawning, you should note the situation that it’s in. Yawning can be a kind of coping mechanism for your dog when exposed to a situation in which it doesn’t feel 100% comfortable.
It doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong, but there is something that is bothering your puppy! For example, sometimes you sit next to your Corgi, and it just starts yawning like crazy – but does this mean that it’s uncomfortable in its own home? Well, not exactly.
Your Corgi could just be uncomfortable with you being that close to it at the moment! This is especially the case if you have guests over! But personal space is not the only motive.
You can catch your dog yawning if there are strange noises that have been buzzing around all day long, like a construction site nearby, for instance. Sure, they will bark at it initially, but if it goes on for long enough, they’re probably just scared of the constant distractions!
Awaiting Stress
Being in a stressful situation is not the only reason for yawning; sometimes, a potentially stressful situation is all it takes! That’s right; your Corgi could be yawning because it feels like something is about to happen that will not be to its liking.
The best example of this is when you’re, say, packing and preparing to leave on a trip. Well, the word “trip” might be a bit of an exaggeration. Our dogs mostly think that we’re never coming back as soon as we walk out the door!
But jokes aside, this really can be stressful for them. If your dog is used to being alone in the house for some periods, then it probably knows what’s about to happen. And sure, it might have already gotten used to the idea of you not being around all day, but it doesn’t mean that they like it!
A Bond Between You And Your Dog
We know that it seems like it’s all bad so far. We’ve only mentioned the stressful parts of the yawn! But it’s not all bad. At certain times, your dog will yawn to show that it loves you. We know that it sounds simple, and it is!
Sure, it seems strange that it’s using the same signal that it was using for being anxious a moment ago, but that’s the way it is! As far as we can tell, your dog is not doing this on purpose. It doesn’t look at you and think – my owner is just a great person, let me just yawn for a second to show my love.
The yawn is just something that happens, which makes the whole thing even sweeter. Imagine that your dog just had the impulse to show affection!
Avoiding Conflict
They say that the real winner in a fight is the one who walks away. Well, if your dog is faced with aggression and answers with a yawn – you got one tough cookie on your hands! That’s right; yawning can be used in a fight! Well, not exactly, let us explain.
When faced with a dog trying to be aggressive, your dog might sometimes answer by yawning. This is a signal in the dog world – and the signal is LEAVE ME ALONE. Your dog just said to the aggressor that it wants no part of this and that it will walk away.
See, dogs never attack without warning, and there’s always a reason for the aggressive behavior. For example, your dog may be walking around on someone’s territory, or the other dog just plain doesn’t like your Corgi. After the initial show of aggression, it’s up to your dog to respond.
If it responds with the same angry energy, the fight is on! But if it starts yawning, it’s effectively saying – I don’t want any part of this. So it’s a kind of pacifist sign that can deescalate a situation.
The other dogs picked up on the hint and backed down if it feels that your Corgi is not a threat anymore.
Being Tired
We have arrived at the most obvious one! While there’s no evidence for the oxygen theory, it’s a fact that dogs yawn when they are tired. We do too! Unfortunately, there are no explanations for this phenomenon. Yawning can also be contagious among dogs, as well as with us. Not only that, if in a calm home environment, dogs will get tired by looking at their friends as they yawn!
Dogs just have a way of communicating, so they can differentiate when a yawn is an anxious one or a tired one.
Boredom
The last reason on this list is boredom!
That’s right; your Corgi sometimes yawns to try and show you that it’s bored. This is not the most dramatic cry for help, but it can be an effective one. You’ll usually recognize this one because your dog will probably follow it up by whining!
Corgis are a very energetic breed, which is why they’ll get quite bored if you leave them alone all day in the house. But that’s not when the yawning happiness. Instead, they do this when there are humans around to signal their boredom.
It’s understandable, really. Corgis are a working breed that needs physical and mental stimulation. So you can’t expect them not to try and get some playtime going. It’s in their blood!
Final Words
So there you have it! We hope that we answered all of your yawning questions. The strange phenomenon is still not understood completely, but at least you’ll know a little bit more about what could be going on in your dog’s head!
Knowing how to read your dog is one of the most important parts of being a dog owner! It will help build a strong connection between you and your Corgi. By doing this, you will have a happier Corgi, and it will have a happier parent! What could be better than that?