Picture the scene – you’re staring out of the window at a world full of opportunity. It’s been sunny and bright all week, but your view is awash with dark clouds and rain. It’s now freezing cold and despite wanting to take your dog for a big hike all week, it seems like the moment has passed. As you stare longingly into the wild world beyond, you sigh. And then your dog sighs too. Is your dog sighing for the same reason you are? Or is it something else? Let’s discover why dogs sigh.
A sign of the times
While we tend to sigh out of exasperation or boredom, it appears as if a dog sighs as a way to indicate that a time, event, or occasion has come to a close. This isn’t a sad thing by any means, that event could have have been a run in their favourite spot, or that event may have been having a lovely time playing with their friends in the park. What animal psychologists have been able to determine is that, often, a sigh from a dog actually shows contentment and happiness. It’s their way of saying “well, that was fun”.
If your dog has their eyes closed too, a sigh can also be a sign of great pleasure and happiness. Imagine you’ve had a great night out, had some nice food and drinks, seen all your friends and gotten home safely with a mind full of lovely memories. You climb into your warm bed, close your eyes, and sigh a sigh of contentment – that’s what your dog is doing there.
So if you are staring out at a rainy sky with your plans of adventure dashed by the weather, as you and your dog sigh together, know that your dog is happy, because it gets to spend all day inside with their favourite human.
And if you want to make your dog even happier, pick out some delicious dog treats to brighten their world a little more.