Can I Make My Dog Laugh?
It may come as a shock, but our pups are actually capable of laughing, and you can usually catch them doing so during playtime. A dog laughing starts with the canine equivalent of smiling and is usually accompanied by a sound that is very similar to panting.
The Science of Doggy Laughter
Animal behaviorists have even conducted studies to figure out dog laughter and found that the noise they make might sound similar to panting, but doggy laughter involves a broader range of frequencies than regular dog panting does. Another experiment even revealed that when the sound of suspected doggy laughter was played for puppies, it caused them to frolic around joyously. Through a different experiment, she also discovered that this sound could help calm dogs in shelters.
Want to Make Fido Laugh? Here’s How
If you can learn how to imitate dog laughter properly, it can cause your pup to sit up, wag their tail, come over to you, and even cause them to laugh along with you. Here are some steps to help you learn how to laugh like your pup does:
- Round your lips slightly so you can make a “huh” sound (TIP: the sound should be breathy with no actual voicing. If you touch your throat and there’s no vibration when you make this sound, then you’re most likely doing it right!)
- Make an open-mouthed smiling expression to make the “hah” sound (Again with no actual voicing)
- Combine the first two steps to imitate canine laughter. It should sound like “huh-hah-huh-hah.”
Dog laughter might seem a bit odd (and it probably seems even weirder when you try to imitate it), but it’ll help you connect and understand your pooch more!