One recent study shows that human yawns are contagious to dogs, indicating that dogs may be capable of some level of empathy. Dogs have proven their skill at reading intentions, understanding hand gestures, and taking other behavioral cues from humans. Scientists are confused, however, because dogs seem to lack a strong sense of self, which is considered necessary for development of true empathy. Dogs also do not recognize themselves in mirrors, which is one of the building blocks of self-awareness. The study suggests that dogs are not completely narcissistic in their relationships with people, but possess “some low-level attending to what others feel,” said Duke University anthropologist Brian Hare (who was not involved in this particular research study). Only humans and chimpanzees have been known to yawn contagiously.
The study involved 29 dogs and was conducted in two stages at the University of London. In the first session, each dog watched a researcher perform an exaggerated yawn. In the control portion of the experiment, the dogs observed the same researcher just opening his mouth. 21 of the 29 dogs-yawned immediately upon seeing the researcher yawn, a higher percentage than the 45% to 60% rate of contagious yawning reported among humans and the 33% of contagious yawning reported in chimpanzees. During the control portion of the experiment, not one of the dogs yawned. But if your dog is yawning, it may be time for him to hop onto his dog sofa for a nap.