A recent investigation confirmed direct link between the yawns of dogs and their masters.
According to a recent study, contagious yawning is experienced between dogs and their owners but not with strangers.
Scientists think that dogs may also feel empathetic towards their masters so they typically do what humans do with one another.
Researchers said that dogs yawn more frequently when they see their owners yawning. This report was published in the Journal PLOS One.
According to Teresa Romero, lead author of the study from the University of Tokyo, along with her colleagues, their study suggests that contagious yawning in dogs is emotionally connected in a way that is similar to what humans experience.
Romero confirmed that their study cannot determine the actual underlying mechanism that induces dogs to yawn continuously. But Romero claimed an alternative hypothesis saying that yawning can be the dog's response to distress.
The author along with her colleagues observed 25 dogs one year and older when their owners yawned and when strangers yawned.
Dog treats were not given to the 'participants' regardless if they yawn or not.
Results showed that yawning occurred once when humans yawned and 0.2 times when human's facial expressions were controlled.
Research also showed that 45-60% of adults experience contagious yawning which is associated with the activations that take place in the neural networks responsible for social skills and empathy.
A previous research also showed that dogs yawn in response to human yawns but there were no confirmations whether or not this was only due a mild stress response or an empathetic response.
Romero and colleagues said that empathetic yawning may be a tool to help figure out the root of empathy in animal evolution and among animals per se.
