The simplest way to make a dog yawn is to yawn yourself, right in front of them. Dogs are one of the few non-primate species that “catch” yawns from humans, and research shows that about 72% of dogs will yawn after watching a person do it. Your success depends on a few key factors: how well your dog knows you, how old they are, and how you present the yawn.
Why Yawning at Your Dog Works
Dogs pick up yawns from people through a process called contagious yawning, the same mechanism that makes you yawn when you see a coworker do it. In humans, susceptibility to contagious yawning is linked to empathy. People who score higher on empathy scales catch yawns more readily, and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (who may process social cues differently) are less likely to catch them. Dogs appear to share a basic version of this same social wiring, likely shaped by thousands of years of domestication alongside humans.
This means making your dog yawn isn’t really a trick you perform on them. It’s a social signal they’re choosing to mirror. When your dog catches your yawn, it may reflect a rudimentary form of emotional connection, or at minimum, a finely tuned sensitivity to your facial expressions and behavior.
Step by Step: Triggering a Contagious Yawn
Face your dog directly and make sure you have their attention. Dogs need to see your face clearly for this to work. Then produce a big, exaggerated yawn with your mouth wide open. Hold it for a few seconds and include the sound. One study found that even the audio of a human yawn, without any visual cue, was enough to trigger yawning in some dogs. So don’t hold back on the “ahhhh.”
Repeat the yawn several times over a few minutes. In research settings, dogs were typically exposed to multiple yawns before responding. Not every dog reacts on the first attempt. If your dog looks away or seems disinterested, give it a moment and try again. Patience matters more than intensity.
Your Relationship With the Dog Matters
Dogs yawn significantly more often in response to someone they know well compared to a stranger. A 2013 study had 25 dogs watch both their owner and an unfamiliar person yawn. The dogs yawned more frequently when the yawner was their owner, and the strength of this effect correlated with emotional closeness. This familiarity bias mirrors what researchers see in humans: you’re more likely to catch a yawn from a close friend or family member than from someone you just met.
If you’re trying to make someone else’s dog yawn, your odds are lower. It’s not impossible, but you’re working against the social bonding component that drives much of the response.
Age Makes a Difference
Puppies younger than seven months don’t catch yawns. Research on developmental timing found that contagious yawning only kicks in after that threshold, suggesting it requires a certain level of social and cognitive maturity. If your puppy stares blankly while you yawn repeatedly, that’s completely normal. The capacity develops as they grow, so try again in a few months.
Stress Yawns vs. Social Yawns
Not every dog yawn means the same thing, and this is worth understanding before you start experimenting. Dogs yawn for at least three distinct reasons: they’re tired, they’re mirroring your social cue, or they’re stressed. A stress yawn looks different. It tends to be longer, more intense, and often accompanies other body language like lip licking, whale eye (showing the whites of their eyes), or a tense posture.
Dogs commonly stress-yawn at the vet’s office, when hugged tightly by a child, when hearing people argue, or when confronted by an aggressive dog. In that last case, the yawn actually serves as a calming signal, communicating to the other dog that they have no interest in conflict. If your dog yawns during a situation that seems tense rather than relaxed, they’re telling you something about how they feel, not catching your yawn.
A study on shelter dogs found that some dogs exposed to human yawns in a stressful environment had elevated cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) afterward. The yawning stimulus seemed to amplify their existing arousal rather than create a calm social moment. Context matters. For the best chance at a genuine contagious yawn, try when your dog is relaxed and comfortable, not already on edge.
What If Your Dog Doesn’t Yawn Back
About 28% of dogs in the original landmark study didn’t yawn at all, even under controlled conditions designed to maximize the response. Some dogs simply aren’t as susceptible. This doesn’t mean your dog lacks a bond with you or is emotionally distant. Individual variation is normal across every species studied for contagious yawning, including humans.
You can improve your chances by trying when your dog is calm but awake (not mid-play or mid-meal), making direct eye contact, and using both the visual and auditory components of a real yawn. If you fake it halfheartedly while looking at your phone, don’t expect much. Dogs are remarkably good at reading human attention and intent. The more genuine and exaggerated the yawn, the better your odds.