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Archived Issues

Laughing Dogs
That Happy Sound May Not Be Panting!

You know that face when your dog is happy – that big, panting, ear-to-ear dog smile. Any dog person can easily identify their dog’s smile and other physical expressions of emotion. But did you know that your dog also shows when he’s excited and happy by laughing?

Animal behaviorist Patricia Simonet has captured dog laughter on tape. According to Simonet, a dog laugh sounds a lot like panting, but at a higher pitch. Simonet recently recorded dogs making this laughing sound when they were very excited and happy. Simonet offers a 45-minute version of digitally recorded dog laughter for only $24.95. (For more information, click on the link at the bottom of this article.)

What does a dog laugh sound like? “There’s lots of variation, just as in humans,” Simonet says, “but it’s very punctuated, almost like ha ha ha, but take out the a.”

Were these happy dogs laughing or just panting? What may sound like panting to us seems to work like laughter between people. When the laughing dog recording is played for other dogs, they recognize it as a happy sound. If they are with other dogs, they interpret the dog laughing sound as, “Let’s play!” Or they’ll pick up a toy, ready to join in on the fun.

We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine, and that also seems to be true for dogs. The doggie laugh was found to soothe dogs in stressed situations, such as in shelters. Laughter is apparently a universal language, even with canines!

Next time your dog does something that makes you laugh, see if he’s laughing too. You two may have been sharing laughs all along, and you weren’t even aware of it.

Article from:  http://www.petcentric.com/Stories/Articles/Laughing-Dogs.aspx?articleid=d200e285-ead8-4a63-9e22-b62efd776101&DCMP=EMC-PETC-PETC-Apr10_1