All dog owners want to see themselves in their pets, so we’re always trying to figure out what they’re up to or make sense of their strange behaviors.
If you’ve ever heard your dog huff and puff at the end of the sofa, you’ve probably wondered if you’ve bored them or if they’re waiting for something.
Nothing beats the expressive sounds of your canine baby. When we hear them, whether it’s a moan, grunt, or sigh, we can’t help but smile.
However, not everyone understands what those auditory phrases signify. Therefore, understanding your pet’s language is important for being a pet owner.
Most dog owners are unaware of the reasons for their dog’s auditory utterances. So, have you ever questioned yourself on why dogs sigh?
Why Does My Dog Sigh?
Aside from barking, dogs can make a variety of sounds. These sounds can have a variety of meanings, especially when viewed in conjunction with your dog’s other behavioral cues.
It’s not like your dog is exhausted from a long day at the office or irritated by the prospect of housework.
Sighing is one of the sounds your dog might make, and there are a few reasons why. You must read your dog’s body language in its entirety to determine the underlying cause.
We don’t know what dogs mean when they huff and puff, and we won’t know for sure until our best friends learn to speak human or figure out how to speak hound. So these hypotheses are based on what makes humans and other animals sigh.
Emotional Communication
A dog’s sigh can indicate the owner’s emotional state. It would mean contentment if the pet owner’s action was rewarding. However, if the action was unsatisfactory, it is a hint of displeasure. As a result, if your pet lets out a huge sigh with his eyes closed at the end of a wonderful walk, the sigh means, “I am satisfied, and I’m going to lay down for a few minutes.”
On the other hand, if your dog sighs after several failed attempts to persuade you to feed him the delicious meat on your dinner table, the sigh means, “I concede defeat, and I am disappointed.”.
A Sign Of Relaxation
When we’re relaxed, both humans and dogs sigh! These sighs look like contented sighs, with half-closed eyes, a soft expression, a hollow body, and your dog’s head resting on their paws.
Sighing or yawning is a physical and emotional release for dogs and signs that they are winding down and becoming more relaxed. Sighing indicates a dynamic shift into much more intense tranquility, which is common in dogs, especially when napping.
Sign of Stress Release
However, not all sighs are conscious emotional expressions. For example, your dog may start sighing more without realizing it during stress or anxiety.
Sighing excessively can be a sign of stress in humans and dogs alike, so if you notice your dog sighing more frequently, take some time to observe them and read their body language to see how they’re feeling.
For example, if something stressful has occurred in your home, such as a family member moving out, your dog will likely still adjust to the new routine and environment.
Sighing Due to Inactivity
Your dog is sluggish and slow if he sighs for an extended period. However, if your dog’s sighing is accompanied by unusual behavior such as no longer wanting to play or refusing food, it could indicate a serious health problem. Therefore, it would be preferable if you went to your vet immediately in this instance.
Symptoms Of A Health Problem
Unfortunately, long sighing in your dog could indicate a health problem. Constant sighing accompanied by groaning could suggest that your dog is suffering or in pain. Long and persistent sighing could also indicate that your dog suffers from wheezing. Wheezing is caused by inflammation and obstruction of your dog’s airway from the throat to the lungs.
Is That a Real Sigh?
Dogs make a wide range of vocalized sounds, with some breeds being noticeably more vocal than others. The best way to understand these sounds is to get to know your dog. Keep track of when your dog makes certain noises so you can spot patterns more easily.
Whines
A dog may whine to attract your attention, express excitement or anxiety, or indicate that they try to please you. While whines can be distressing, they can also show joy and excitement.
On the other hand, a distressed whine will rise in pitch toward the end of the whine. An excited whine will remain the same or slightly lower in pitch.
If your dog only whines when you leave the house, it may be suffering from separation anxiety. This kind of whining indicates that they’re in a lot of pain. If you notice changes in their behavior, please consult your veterinarian.
Groans
Let’s look at other auditory utterances or expressions that can help you figure out what your dog is trying to tell you now that we know why dogs sigh. First, of course, some dogs tend to be more vocal than others depending on the breed.
But, for various reasons, some dogs groan frequently and persistently. Some of those reasons are:
- To Demand Attention
- An Indication of Tiredness
- Symptoms Of Illness: Osteoarthritis ( usually takes place in older dogs), Ascites, and Panosteitis are all illnesses that can cause your dog to groan frequently.
Moans
You might be wondering if dogs have anything to complain about when they have everything they require. Why should they complain about anything when they have 24-hour attention, the best-cooked meals, and the most affection from every family member in the house?
Dogs, surprisingly, moan, and this is one of the auditory utterances of dogs that all pet parents should be aware of. Let’s see some of the reasons:
- Your Dog Requires Attention
- A Sign that Your Dog is Afraid of Something
Dogs tend to groan and moan more as they get older, especially with arthritis. But, of course, dogs will moan if they are in pain, so trust your instincts. If you suspect your dog moans and is in pain, immediately take them to the vet.
Encouraging the Behavior
Although most people believe that a dog’s sigh always indicates positive emotion, this is not the case. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand your dog’s vocal and nonverbal communication.
Consider it this way: It would be frustrating to communicate in a country where everyone spoke a different language than you. It’s the same with your dog attempting to express their feelings to you.
Take the time to study your dog’s sounds and the actions that go along with them to understand better what they’re saying. There are also ways you can make those happy sighs come out.
When your dog sighs, there is another physical aspect to observe in addition to their body language. Their expression on their faces. Dogs’ facial expressions can tell when they’re trying to ‘tell’ you something.
When they sigh, the way they hold their eyes is an important emotional indicator. When your dog sighs with its eyes wide open, it could mean they are disappointed or has given up. For example, they’ve been trying to get you to play or pay attention, but you haven’t responded.
Is My Dog Sick?
Sighing in a dog is rarely cause for concern. However, when moans and groans accompany a dog sigh, it could indicate pain or discomfort. Excessive sighing and groaning could indicate osteoarthritis, a condition in which the tissue between joints wears down; ascites, in which fluid accumulates in the abdomen; or panosteitis, a condition in which the bone grows quickly.
Lethargy can be caused by infection, diabetes, liver or heart disease, hypoglycemia, and other canine illnesses.
FAQ
Conclusion
To truly understand why your dog is sighing, consider what’s going on in their environment to see if anything is affecting their mood and attempt to read other aspects of your dog’s body language to determine their perspective and what that big old sigh might mean.
A dog sigh is usually nothing to be concerned about; it’s simply your dog’s way of expressing its emotions. In conclusion, dogs, like humans, sigh for various reasons.
As a dog owner, it’s best to learn what noises your dog makes daily and what they mean so that abnormal sounds and behavior can be read more easily to determine when your dog is signaling something serious.
*photo by tomasz_parys – depositphotos