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This raises a question for me: I noticed that the Husky kept yawning. Artie yawns a lot when we're in the car, too. I wonder if it clears their ears, like when we're on a plane, or if there's some other reason. Thoughts?
If you notice the Husky licks her lips a couple of times too, another calming mechanism. Waaay back when we got our first cat, the dogs would look at her and lick their lips. At first I thought it meant "Mmm, a tasty snack!" But no, they knew they were overexcited and were trying to settle down. Good dogs!
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I'm going to have to pay attention to whether Artie also licks his lips when we're in the car. I had no idea that either of those things -- yawning and lip-licking -- calmed them. Artie's like his very own medication. "Dog, heal thyself..."
It's a good thing to watch for, with Artie or other people's dogs, especially when they're interacting with other people or animals. It's a sign something's making them nervous, and the calming behavior might not be enough to defuse things.
Sure, a dog could be tired. Ask yourself if there's something a little different going on around the dog. See if his body looks relaxed or tense. If there's someone nearby, he may be studiously NOT looking at them, again trying to keep the stress level down. Now that you know, when you see it I bet you'll see the difference.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by subject2change
Sure, a dog could be tired. Ask yourself if there's something a little different going on around the dog. See if his body looks relaxed or tense. If there's someone nearby, he may be studiously NOT looking at them, again trying to keep the stress level down. Now that you know, when you see it I bet you'll see the difference.
Thanks! As Artie's gotten older, I've started to attribute his yawning in the house as just being tired, but I could never understand the extra yawning in the car, which he's super-excited to get into. Now I know.
Sorry but watching that made me lick my lips and yawn as I cringe when I see dogs riding in the front seat. Years ago a friend had her dog in the front seat and had to hit the breaks hard and fast and that sudden stop caused the dog to fly into the dashboard where he was seriously injured. And with cars having passenger air bags if you get in a front end collision and the bag goes off a dog could be seriously injured or killed by the impact of the bag, plenty of adult humans come in the ER after an accident and have injuries from air bags ( but the air bags probably did prevent more serious injuries or even deaths) .
Back in the 80's my first dog rode in the front seat and when I took Dash out for his last 2 car rides I did let him sit in the front as that had always been something he wanted to do but I do make the dogs ride in the back seat or with the outback in the far back and it has the barrier so they have to stay back there. I always laughed as you could not get Jazz to even think of riding in the front seat as she did not think a queen should sit with the chaufer.. Really a queen sitting with her servant? NEVER!
BTW you can yawn. lick your lips look away when working with an anxious dog to help calm it as that is body language they understand.
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