The Dog Shelter rescued my little terrier mix Gabriela from the animal shelter when she was about 10 weeks old. She lived with about 40 other dogs, and rescuers told me the smell was so toxic that the homeowners were living in their car. To feed the dogs, they threw food out the window and placed bowls of water.
We adopted Gabi almost six weeks after she was rescued. Four years later, her eating standards have changed dramatically. The dog who once fought for food on the ground will now refuse to eat unless I can properly supplement his food with chicken or beef. She will sit to the side, ears drooping, eyes wide open, and then sigh – as if she was disappointed in me.
So do dogs sigh in disappointment? Animal behavior researchers have discovered that there are several meanings behind this dramatic sigh.
Read more: Why do small dogs live longer than large dogs?
Association of dog sighs with emotions
When Gaby sighs in front of her plate of food, she is truly expressing emotion.
“Dogs sometimes sigh when they don't get what they want—sometimes people interpret this as disappointment,” says Mary R. Birch, an applied animal behaviorist and family scientist. dog Director of the American Kennel Club.
The problem is that sighs can also be associated with other emotions. Just because a dog sighs does not automatically mean he is disappointed. Researchers have found that there are several reasons why dogs sigh.
In a 2024 study conducted in Journal of Veterinary BehaviorThe researchers reviewed the literature of observational studies on dog emotions. They identified nine themes, such as body posture, vocalizations and stress-related behavior.
Oddly enough, sighing is a behavior that appears in more than one topic.
According to a study published in The New York Times Magazine, multiple meanings derived from the same behavior are one of the reasons why studying animal emotions is challenging for researchers. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Researchers are limited by observational methods because subjects cannot confirm their feelings. Dogs cannot use a three-point scale to say they agree, somewhat agree, or disagree with the choice of grated cheese as a topping.
Why do dogs sigh?
When Gaby sighs because I failed to properly prepare her food, she may be expressing disappointment, but she may be sighing to get my attention and let me know that I need to see what else is in the refrigerator.
“People often sigh as a sign of irritation,” Birch says. “For both dogs and people, sighing can be a sign of boredom or frustration. Sighing can be a way to relieve stress. Some dogs sigh to get your attention.”
In addition to the food dish, sighs can have other meanings for dogs. “Sometimes sighing is associated with relaxation, happiness or, ultimately, contentment,” Birch says.
For example, a dog may be waiting to finally lay down in his dog bed. After doing a few laps and maybe some fumbling to get the pillow just right, they could plop down on the bed and sigh.
However, there are times when sighs really don't matter. Burch says sighing in both humans and dogs can be involuntary. Or it could simply be part of the breathing process, in which air is taken in through the nose and released through the mouth.
“Sometimes sighing is a neutral behavior, such as when dog changes position. You could see the dog jump up on the couch, lay down and sigh,” Burch says.
Could sighing be a sign of something wrong?
In most cases, sighing is behavioral in nature and is not associated with a medical problem.
“But if it keeps happening and you think the sighing may be because the dog is trying to fill his lungs with air… you should take the dog to the veterinarian,” Birch says.
Repeated sighs may be gasps for air, which could indicate breathing problems or anxiety, Burch says.
But if it's just a one-time sigh near a dish of chunks, the problem can likely be solved with a better topper.
Read more: Do dogs upset other dogs?
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