The bond between man and dog is the stuff that legends are made of. Our four-legged furry friends are a constant source of unconditional love, devotion and friendship, so is it any wonder they may have a special knack for empathizing with their owners?
A study published in the journal Biology Letters concludes that dogs can "catch" human yawns, which provides evidence that dogs may be able to “read the mind” of their owners.
Scientists have known for decades that yawns are infectious among people, so much so that simply thinking about them can trigger a chain reaction of "contagious yawning". The phenomenon is thought to be linked with empathy and the ability to read the thoughts of another individual.
Now the first ever study to report that human yawns induce yawning in dogs found that 21 out of 29 dogs yawned in response to human yawning, showing that "dogs possess the capacity for a rudimentary form of empathy."
I don’t watch TV very much but I, and millions of others, really enjoy The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan. He is a gifted animal trainer, and it seems he can correct just about any dog in the world. He is a true master and clearly communicates with dogs at an energetic level. If you own a dog and are not familiar with Cesar yet, his show is an absolute must-see.