Revealing the Real Reason Dogs Sigh…

pug staring with big eyes

So, when is a sigh merely a deep intake and release of air and nothing more? It happens to us and our dogs but, like us, there could be much more to a sigh than an unconscious discharge of H20!

One dog may sigh because he's frustrated; another may sigh because she's comfortable and is ready for a nap.
Is a sigh always a sigh?

“Dogs make many vocalizations, and they mean different things depending on various factors such as context, experience, relationships, the individual dog, and much more,” says certified animal behaviorist and dog trainer Katenna Jones of Jones Animal Behavior, in Warwick, Rhode Island. “There is also human interpretation: One person's sigh is another person's huff, moan, groan or whine.”

“The most important thing is to remember there is no one answer. It's important to not apply human feelings to dogs because dogs are not humans!” she says. “Look at the context of situations in which your dog is sighing, take note, and see if you can identify why YOUR dog is sighing — because it may be different than why MY dog is sighing.”

Just because we don't always know what our dogs are trying to say, doesn't mean we should stop trying to figure things out.

Like their humans, dogs can make sounds deliberately and involuntarily. They do not necessarily have to have meaning but it is also possible that it IS a way for our dogs to communicate with us.

For more information go on over to Mother Nature Network and read up on what the AKC and other experts have to say about a dog’s sigh. Perhaps a thousand years from now dog will be talking with us and that sigh may be a big part of our everyday conversation!



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