We all yawn when we are bored or tired. I yawn all the time. But it’s not the same for beagles. So why do beagles yawn?
Commonly beagles yawn when they are tired and sleepy, just like humans. Other reasons behind their yawning may include excitement, nervousness, and stressful situations like visiting a veterinarian or being alone.
7 Reasons why a Beagle may Yawn
As I said, there are quite a few reasons why your beagle may yawn, so let’s have a look at them.
Tired/ fatigue
When we get tired or lazy, we yawn; the same is with beagles. Excessive yawning does not always indicate stress or anxiety. It can simply mean that your dog is tired and wants to sleep.
Beagles are super active and love playing all the time. Naturally, they get tired with all that high intense motion.
According to doctors, yawning helps them stretch their jaw and relax the tense muscles around the face and neck. It increases the intake of oxygen, which eventually improves the blood flow and hence relaxes their brain.
So next time, if your dog is yawning, remember that they could be tired and need a good night’s sleep.
Stress and Anxiety
When humans are under stress, they usually tap their feet or bite their nails. But on the other hand, beagles yawn.
Such yawning is accompanied by various other signs like tense muscles, wide eyes, flattened ears, and lip licking.
According to Calming Dog, “Stress is one major cause of a dog yawning, especially if it is excessive yawning.”
According to my vet, excessive yawning can be a sign of stress and discomfort. Many studies have shown that dogs yawn when they are in stressful situations like visiting the vet’s clinic or being in a room full of strangers.
Avoid such situations, and if you notice that your beagle is yawning repetitively and feeling discomfort, try to calm them.
Excitement
Beagles can yawn when they are too excited. Yes, you heard it right, beagles yawn when they are stressed as well as when they are excited, astonishing.
Active beagles tend to yawn while performing an exciting task. Yawning helps the dog to prepare their body for action. It increases the intake of oxygen.
For instance, you put the leash and get ready to take your pooch out for a walk. They may start yawning due to the excitement of going out.
Communication
Yawning, while meeting someone, is considered rude in the human world, but beagles think of it as a symbol of peace.
In the dog’s language, yawning is a sign which says, ‘I am comfortable with you and mean no harm.’ I wish we humans had this sign.
If your beagle is around another dog, then this means that they both have made peace with each other.
Avoid conflicts or indifference
Similar to the above point, beagles use yawning as a sign of no threat to other dogs.
Beagles were bred for hunting alongside humans. Other dogs can misunderstand their instinctive body language, like barking or erect tail, as aggression.
That’s when yawning comes to the rescue. As per studies, dogs often use yawning to convey that they are not interested in any conflicts. It’s not a sign of submission but rather a sign of harmony.
Contagious
We all know how contagious yawning can be for humans. A few seconds of watching somebody yawn, and we end up yawning too.
Well, studies prove have yawning is not just contagious to humans but to dogs too. According to this study, dogs can catch a yawn from people as well as other dogs.
Which means YOU can be the reason why your beagle has been yawning. Beagles also catch lazy habits from their owners. So if you’re being lazy and yawning all day, your dog is going to do the same.
Empathy
Some studies even show that dogs are more likely to contagious-yawn when they are empathic towards someone. Which means beagles are more likely to yawn after their owners’ yawn than strangers.
If you notice that your beagle yawns after you do, it proves that your pooch truly loves you.
Common situations where Beagles may Yawn
Let’s have a look at some of the most common situations in which a beagle may yawn.
- Grooming can be uncomfortable for many dogs. My beagle, Groot, hates bathing. As you can see in the above picture, Groot is yawning because he is very uncomfortable. You can read this to know about grooming a beagle.
- Beagles may yawn while traveling in a car for the first couple of times. Riding in a car can make them motion sick and stress them out.
- Adjusting to new surroundings can be difficult for dogs. This can make them yawn.
- Beagles may yawn during their training sessions. No one likes training, including beagles. And learning something or following commands can be tiresome.
- Visiting a veterinarian’s clinic.
- Meeting a new dog or a person.
- Being alone for a long time. Many beagles suffer from separation anxiety.
- It’s common for them to yawn after long walks and exercise sessions.
- Before going to bed.
- After waking up in the morning. Just like us, they feel lazy too in the morning.
When should you start worrying?
While yawning can occur simply because of tiredness or excitement, it can also occur due to stress, anxiety, and discomfort, which is when you should start worrying.
If you suspect that your pooch has been yawning excessively, then try to analyze the situation. If you believe it’s due to stress or anxiety, try to cheer your dog. Try to distract him.
If you cannot deal with it, do not hesitate to call your vet and ask for a solution.