Humans Make Dogs Yawn

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Yes, it really is true. Scientists have discovered that dogs can catch yawns from people.

It is well known that seeing other people yawning makes us also yawn. This kind of contagious yawning as it is known is also found in other primates like chimpanzees.

But research from the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters has demonstrated that dogs also have the same contagious yawning syndrome.

The researchers from Birkbeck, University of London, tested the reactions of various breeds including a Greyhound, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Dalmatian to an unknown human yawning at them.

The dogs also watched while the experimenter opened their mouth but did not yawn.

Twenty-one out of twenty nine dogs yawned when they watched a human yawn, but none of the dogs yawned as a result of watching the same human demonstrating non- yawning mouth opening.

Researchers said the Border Collie proved to be king of the yawns and yawned five times over a period of five minutes. He was followed by a Labrador and Staffordshire Bull Terrier both of whom yawned four times.

The Great Dane, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, Shih Tzu, Weimaraner, Jack Russell/Corgi cross and the Yorkshire Terrier proved to be more reserved and did not yawn at all.

Thanks MSN

PS I tried this on my two and nothing. So dog owners out there let me know how you get on at home with yours.