Dogs find owners’ yawns contagious

And the reason may have to do with empathy, according to research by University of Tokyo scientists published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.

“Our study suggests that contagious yawning in dogs is emotionally connected in a way similar to humans,” says lead author Teresa Romero. Contagious yawning amongst people has been linked to a capacity for empathy. Scientists recently started studying the phenomenon in non-humans. Past research has already established a connection between dogs and their ability to yawn contagiously. But it wasn’t clear whether they acted out of empathy or stress.

Romero and her colleagues studied the behaviours of 25 domestic dogs. Breeds included the golden retriever, chihuahua, Siberian husky, Labrador and standard poodle.

Testing was carried out in the owner’s home. Only dogs comfortable around strangers were included. The dog’s owner let out a genuine yawn, with sound. Then, the owner mimicked a yawn, but released no sound. The actions were repeated by a researcher, unfamiliar to the dog.

During the experiment, 13 of the 25 dogs yawned. The dogs were more likely to mimic the action when it was a genuine yawn and yawned more frequently when watching their owner. Researchers noted the dogs’ heart rate did not significantly change, suggesting the contagious yawn wasn’t related to stress.

The study’s authors found the contagiousness of yawning in dogs is related with “emotional proximity” and may indicate that “rudimentary forms of empathy” are present.