Why Does My Dog Sigh?

You’re sitting on the couch, minding your own business when you hear a deep, heavy sigh from the other end of the couch. You look up, startled, because you’re the only one here…well, except for…Doggo. You look up, and there they are, tail thumping, staring at you in that way they often do. If your instinct tells you that your best buddy wants you to let them out in the backyard to chase squirrels, then give yourself a pat on the back because you’re already speaking “sigh language,” even if you didn’t know it. Here are a few more things your dog wishes you knew.

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So…why does my dog sigh?

“Dogs are highly emotional beings, just like humans,” explains Joanna Woodnutt, MRCVS with DoggieDesigner. “Just like humans, there are times when they need an outlet to express those emotions. Sighing is one such outlet.” In other words, the question, “why does my dog sigh” must be answered with yet another question, namely…

What emotion are they trying to convey?

Who among us hasn’t at one time or another wished they could flat-out ask their dog, “What are you thinking right now?” But one need not be a mindreader, or a modern-day Dr. Doolittle, to come to a logical conclusion with just a bit of sleuthing on two points:

Context

When asking yourself “why does my dog sigh,” the first thing to do is consider the context, explains certified dog behavior consultant, Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT-KA of Fun Paw Care. What was going on just before the sigh? Were you giving them tummy rubs? Or were they ripping up one of your shoes? If it was the former, it would be a good bet to lean toward positive emotions. If the latter, that sigh may mean your dog is trying to convey they are stressed out about something.

Body language

“When trying to decipher what your dog may be telling you with a sigh, it is important to look at the entire dog, from head to toe, because body language signals don’t act individually,” points out Kait Hembree, head of training at GoodPup, a virtual dog training service. Tail wagging? Good sign. Hair standing on end? Not a good sign. If you see any of these behaviors from Doggo, they might be in need of obedience training.

Here are some of the emotions your dog may be trying to convey to you when they sigh, along with the ways you can recognize them and distinguish one from another:

They’re feeling empathic

Dogs and humans have been evolving together over thousands of years, and dogs have learned new skills to be able to communicate with us, points out Dr. Woodnutt. Just like your dog can yawn in response to you yawning, your dog might sigh in response to your letting out a sigh. It reflects the bond between humans and their dogs, which has been developing over the centuries. “We don’t really know if they’re trying to communicate their empathy or just copying us, but it’s comforting all the same,” she says.