While yawning can be a sign that your dog feels comfortable, it can also express something completely different. If your dog is yawning a lot in public, it’s not a sign that they’re tired and ready for their afternoon nap. It can actually express that they feel uncomfortable and anxious.
If you’re in an unfamiliar place and you notice your dog doing this, stay aware of this so that you can be there to comfort your dog and give it some love.
Why Your Dog Paces Back and Forth
If your dog paces back and forth, this can be for a number of reasons. Your dog may be bored, nervous, or excited. Like humans, they also pace around the room. If your dog is pacing around you in circles, it can be a sign that they want to play with you.
They want to know whether you are open to playing. When two dogs meet, it’s common that they will chase each other. This isn’t something threatening or something to fear, it’s just their way of playing.
Pointing Its Snout
When a dog freezes up and points its snout toward something specific, this is called pointing. They might also lift one of their front paws while doing this. Dogs bred for hunting do this often, but also every dog does it at times.
Veterinarian Dr. Ellen Vindell told Vet Street, “dogs are just dogs, and there are certain behaviors that probably any dog that’s a dog can do…. You’ll see a sporting dog who circles like a herding dog, and you’ll get some herding dogs who point.”
Tilting Their Head to the Side
A lot of people speak to their dogs in a higher pitch. When you’re talking to your dog in your “doggie” voice they sometimes tilt their head to the side as if to understand what you’re saying. Dogs are very good at reading and responding to your body language and vocal cues.
They’re capable of recognizing different words so it’s possible that they are listening for words and inflections they associate with fun activities like a treat, walk, or outside. Some experts believe that dogs tilt their heads to the side in order to adjust their outer ears to better pinpoint the noise.
Sniffing the Air
Dogs use their noses for several purposes. In fact, dogs have 220 million olfactory receptors while humans have only 5 million. Dogs are dominated by their noses and can smell at least 1,000 times better than humans. When they are sniffing the air, it could be a sign that they sense danger approaching or that they’re trying to track prey.
During this, they will remain completely still. They stay absolutely silent so that their prey won’t see them. Dogs are able to smell the difference between individuals — both dogs and people. They can smell the difference between family members, even identical twins!