Dogs are violently intelligent creatures and are capable of more than just drooling on your sofa and sleeping on your bed. Among their multiple talents which make them a man’s best friend, these loyal beings are also highly talented in expressing their emotions, just like humans do, such as anger by barking, sadness by droopy ears and happiness by wagging their tail, rolling over the floor and even laughing!
So sometimes you just want to make your best friend happy and see a happy face. But you never know how to make your dog laugh. If this is the case then no worries, we’re going to tell you how to make your dog laugh.
Dogs are capable of laughing and smiling just like us! And their expression of happiness is not just limited to their tail wagging or rolling on the floor. Instead, they are fully capable of showing gratitude and cheerfulness by smiling and laughing when they are happy or overjoyed! Sounds really bizarre right? Don’t feel mystified just yet! Try it for yourself by using our techniques to make your dog laugh! You will never go back to just being satisfied by mere tail wagging and rolling across the floors. By following these helpful tips, you can make your dog laugh successfully which will allow you to achieve a better experience as a dog lover and a pet owner!
Before we jump into the tips and tricks to make your best friend laugh and smile with you, let us first try to understand how a dog’s body language changes when they are happy.
Signs Of A Happy Dog
For starters, we know the basics. A dog that is happy will wag his/her tail furiously at the sight of familiar faces. They will run and jump around, roll over the floor exposing their belly to be tickled. We are familiar with these common happy expressions of dogs. Apart from the behavioral expressions of joy, the physical traits that express your pet’s happiness would be floppy ears that are relaxed, not rose strictly when alert, nor flattened inwards their head when sad. A relaxed dog is a happy dog, so the indications of this would be loose shoulders, mellow eyes that are not fixed in one direction and slight wiggling of their tail.
There is a slight difference between being happy and laughing. Laughing is more at the moment and that’s why it’s more satisfactory for any pet owner to make their dogs laugh. So how can you make them laugh? We got the answers for you!
Signs Of A Dog Laughing
The next time your dog is happy or excited, try to carefully listen to the sound he/she makes. When dogs laugh, they will surely make a breathy inhale and exhalation, quite similar to the way humans laugh and the sound humans make while their laughs are interrupted by the process of inhaling and exhaling air. The “play pant” as many call it, is a vocalized sound in which you can clearly hear your canine buddy take a throaty breath of air. Kind of like a “huh” sound. This will be most obvious during playtime, but don’t confuse it with panting, in which the inhale and exhale of air is continuous.
The most obvious way to understand whether your dog is laughing and smiling is by observing their facial expression. If we are to test whether dogs smile, look out for their lips, tongue and eyes. If they are smiling, their lips will be pulled back, their tongue will be out hanging while their eyes delicately closed. During this time, they may even lend out their paw for their owners to make contact with them, to share their happiness and gratitude.
At times of intense happiness, dog owners are clearly able to tell that their pets are delighted by simply observing how the lips of dogs stretch from ear to ear while their eyes are misty and half-closed! Quite like humans grinning or smiling!
A happy and laughing dog will also be one that engages in human humor! Yes, they are very much capable of participating in our emotions. Dogs may act purposefully silly by romping around or stealing our belongings in order to get playful and amused behavior from their owners. All the while, owners will notice their pets grinning from ear to ear!
None Of The Signs Match?
It is important to remember that dogs are individuals, quite similar to humans. Therefore, all dogs will not laugh the same way as described here! The best way to understand whether a dog is laughing is by listening to their vocalized pant along with their body language. The sound of laughter will vary from one dog to another! Some may bark slightly, whine or even let out a non-threatening growl. These are all signs of a dog’s laugh as long as they are shown during a happy moment with matching happy body language!
How To Make Your Dog Laugh – Easy Steps To Follow
Mimic a dog’s laugh! In order to create the sound of a laughing dog, round your lips into a medium-sized circle and make the sound “huh.” Let out sharp exhales of air without making any sound. To test and perfect this, touch your throat in order to avoid vibration. Afterward, practice by smiling and making the “huh” sound, again with no voice. Finally, practice a continuous and breathy “huhhuh-hah-huh-huh.” It’s alright to find this process silly at first, but it’s worth it at the end when your fur buddy will be rolling on the floor laughing the same way! Just remember to do it in a quiet room for your buddy’s undivided attention!
If you’re not up for mimicking a dog’s laugh, you can always train them to laugh with you. This method is most efficient for puppies as they are more receptive. Training your dog to laugh will take weeks before you achieve any results. You will have to stock up on treats, your dog’s favorite food and toys. Most importantly a quiet space where your pet is most comfortable. There are a few training methods that have proven to be effective.
The Watch Closely Method is a popular method of training dogs. The first step is to observe your pet and create scenarios in which you both are bonding and your dog has a high chance of smiling naturally. When you come close to this point, verbally order your pet to “laugh” or mimic the “huh” sound. If you are successful in the first attempt, show positive reinforcements and give treats to let your dog know what a good boy/girl he/she is! If the laughing doesn’t take place, don’t lose hope! Keep practicing every day for a few minutes in different situations! When finally they respond, lose the treats!
The Click Method is quite effective! The first step is to get your dog to feel active. Do whatever you can to make your dog naturally happy and when they let out a snort or a laugh, press the clicker to let him know that he did something right! Add a treat along to express appreciation. Dogs learn best when appreciated! Continue every day for a few minutes until you have achieved your results!
An easy way to make your dog laugh is to turn on YouTube videos that have sounds, vocals and music which will definitely make your pet laugh and smile! They are more responsive to sounds they naturally enjoy and are familiar with such as the ringing of doorbells or the rustling sound of dried leaves. You can find audios in YouTube! Turn it on at full volume to see your dog laugh and act silly! But remember! This sort of entertainment is temporary!
Ready, Steady, Go!
So there you go! These successful tips will surely bring more laughter into your home! You and your dog will be “all smiles” once you are successful in making your dog laugh! Now, what are you waiting for? Get going to share happy moments with your best friend!
