Why Does Your Dog Sigh? Most of the time dogs sigh when they are sleeping or are feeling relaxed. However, sometimes dogs will also sigh when they are bored or upset about something. Of course, dogs will sigh if they have learned that sighing gets their owner's attention.
Unusually loud breathing sounds are often the result of air passing through abnormally narrowed passageways, meeting resistance to airflow because of partial blockage of these regions. The origin may be the back of the throat (nasopharynx), the throat (pharynx), the voice box (larynx), or the windpipe (trachea).
He's feeling happy and relaxed
If your dog sighs when you pet him or when he lies down, he's probably feeling content and relaxed. A dog who sighs and lays his head on his paws is feeling happy. Your dog might also have his eyes partially closed to show that he's enjoying whatever's going on.
Feeling Content and Relaxed
Sometimes a dog will sigh with contentment after interactive play with their owner or it can just be when their owner is also relaxing. A dog that is sighing because they are content and relaxed will have a 'soft' face. This means their eyes may be half open and their ears will be relaxed.
Your dog's sighs can mean they're content, dismayed, happy, bored, or want your attention. If your dog sighs while laying down with their eyes closed, they're relaxed.
Most of the time dogs sigh when they are sleeping or are feeling relaxed. However, sometimes dogs will also sigh when they are bored or upset about something. Of course, dogs will sigh if they have learned that sighing gets their owner's attention.
Dogs communicate pleasure, happiness, excitement, and affiliation through their vocalizations. The most common sounds of pleasure are moans and sighs, although dogs also use whines and growls to communicate happiness. Low-pitched moans are very common in puppies and are signs of contentment.
to breathe out slowly and noisily, expressing tiredness, sadness, pleasure, etc.: She sighed deeply and sat down.
Dogs are social creatures and can very easily get bored if not provided with enough attention. Bored dogs will find interesting things to do, but what's great fun for the dog can often be destructive to your home and even dangerous for your pet.
Sighing to convey contentment
A dog who sighs while or after lying down is likely expressing pleasure, especially if they end up with their head on their forepaws. A clue to this sigh's sentiment is the dog's eyes: half-closed lids indicate contentment.
This calming sensation triggers a specific reaction in their brain that responds to hair follicle stimulation. Dogs, like humans, also release endorphins and oxytocin through methods of touch, so rubbing a dog's belly can help with bonding and affection. Ultimately, dogs like belly rubs because they feel good!
Huffing is one of the ways your dog lets you know it feels threatened. Your dog will huff and puff after anyone or anything they see as a threat entering your house. It might also huff when it's annoyed.
Like humans, dogs are especially impressionable as their brains develop, so puppies up to 6 months old are in their key socialization period. Like their human counterparts, dogs develop favorite people over time based on positive experiences and positive associations with that person.
When you kiss your dog, you may notice signs that indicate they know that the kiss is a gesture of affection. As puppies, this is not something that dogs would recognize, although they would feel you doing it. However, as they get older they associate the kisses and cuddles with you being happy with them.
Your dog might jump on you, lick your face, and they'll definitely wag their tail. Being excited and happy to see you is one way you can be assured they love and miss you.
A study in 2022 found that sighing was connected to emotional responses like arousal, anxiety and pain. “Negative emotional states — such as fear, anxiety and sadness — are in fact associated with sighing more often,” notes Dr. Hayburn. Studies from 2010 and 2015 confirm this as well.
"Sighing can be your body's way of communicating an emotional state to yourself or those around you. It can mean we are feeling anxiety or stress, perhaps sadness or exhaustion," says Dr. Goldman. "Of course, it might also mean that we are experiencing relief.
The study in Cell Reports categorizes sighing into two different types: basal and emotional.
THE SIGH AND THE GROAN
Dogs sigh and groan to show contentment and disappointment. Puppies moan and groan when they are settling down for a nap, and adults may sigh as they relax in your lap or on their dog beds.
Studies show that smiling at your dog can boost his or her levels of oxytocin, also called “the love hormone” for its role in building attachment and trust. On top of that, new research suggests that seeing a human smile might even cause dogs to ignore their natural instincts in favor of our puppy love—pun intended.
Can dogs read and interpret human emotions, and more specifically, can they sense when you are crying? If you own a dog, you probably have already formed an opinion to this frequently asked question. The answer is quite simple; yes, they most certainly can.
They're tired
Similar to the “relaxation sigh,” dogs may let out a sigh when they're gearing up to go to sleep for the night. The sigh may help them unwind, points out Dr. Woodnutt. Or it may be part of their own little sleep-routine.
The Root of the Behavior
While kissing and hugging come naturally to us as a form of expressing our love, it can cause your dog to have a panic attack. Kissing can give him serious stress. If your actions, as much as they are well intended, make him feel anxious in any way, then he will start to whine or cry.
In the language of dogs, the yawn is often used as a calming signal. It's a way of saying, I've had enough and my patience is running out. For example, in a training session, your dog may yawn to deal with frustration and to give himself a mental break.