Dogs Catch Human Yawns

Main Category: Veterinary
Article Date: 06 Aug 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Observing others' yawning make us yawn. This phenomenon, which is called contagious yawning, has previously been reported only in humans and in other primates such as chimpanzees, and is thought to relate to the capacity for empathy.

The current study is the first to report that human yawns induce yawning in dogs.

Such a contagiousness of yawning between humans and dogs may help coordinate interactions as well as communication between humans and dogs.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters