Interspecies etiquette
If you've seen the adorable pictures from the Bay Colony Cluster dog show, did you notice that a couple of dogs were yawning? What's up with that? Are they really so blase and inured to their fame and glamor? Mmm, yes, this isn't the Evian water I asked for in my bowl ... you just can't get good help these days.
No, they're not yawning from ennui, they're yawning because they're excited and stressed out. Yawning helps dogs calm down and is meant as a signal to others that perhaps they should chill out, too.
It's okay for dogs to get stressed out now and then. They need to learn how to deal with it just like we do--because life's hard, and sooner or later you're going to be in a stressful situation, so it helps if you've had a little coping practice beforehand. But if a dog is yawning a lot--when all the under-12 cousins are descending to pet it at the family Christmas party, for example--then it might be a good idea to let the dog have its own space and time to relax in.
Comment
Permalink
E-mail
Who is Miss Conduct?
Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine. Robin, who has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, has worked as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.
