Can Dogs Laugh?
Adobe Stock/tatomm
Laughter, by definition, is a physiological response to humor. And while dogs can be playful, do they understand humor and laughing at funny things? Can dogs laugh? And what do they think when humans laugh?
Key Takeaways
- While dogs don’t laugh like humans, they play-pant, which is similar to laughter.
- Studies show that dogs recognize human laughter as a positive interaction.
- Laughing and play-panting can reduce anxiety in dogs.
Do Dogs Laugh?
Yes, dogs do laugh; however, it’s not the same way humans do.
In humans, laughter is composed of rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory, and involuntary actions. The sound can be any variation of “ha-ha” or “ho-ho.” Dogs produce a similar sound through forceful panting—a “hhuh-hhah” variation.
Dogs usually make this sound (known as a “play-pant”) while playing to invite humans or other dogs to play. The play-pant is a form of breathing and not a vocal sound.
How Do Dogs Laugh?
The appearance of a dog’s play-pant laugh is described by Konrad Lorenz in his book Man Meets Dog, as “…opened jaws which reveal the tongue, and the tilted angle of the mouth which stretches almost from ear to ear give a still stronger impression of laughing. This ‘laughing’ is most often seen in dogs playing with an adorned master and which become so excited that they soon start panting.”
Dogs also use body language to invite play. These behavioral cues consist of play bows, pawing, and jumping with a relaxed demeanor.
Do Dogs Have a Sense of Humor?
According to the American Psychological Association, dogs have the mental capacity and abilities of a 2–2.5 year old human child. This is likely responsible for their jovial, playful nature. In fact, Charles Darwin, according to Psychology Today, was the first scientist to note that dogs have a sense of humor.
Like with humans, a dog’s sense of humor is personal. Research also shows that certain breeds have more of a sense of humor than others, which means they may play-pant, or laugh, more often.
The top five most playful dog breeds (with the biggest “sense of humor”) are:
The top five least playful dog breeds (that don’t have much of a “sense of humor”) are:
Do Dogs Know When We Are Laughing?
A study performed at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to assess brain activity found that dogs can detect emotion such as happiness or sadness.
Additional studies played different sounds while the dog’s brain was imaged and showed that dogs have more brain activity in response to human voices than background noise. This likely indicates dogs can distinguish between a happy sound (like laughter) and a sad sound.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When You Laugh at Them?
No, dogs do not feel embarrassment for being laughed at.
While dogs can distinguish between positive (laughter) and negative (sadness) emotions, it’s believed that they are unable to understand the social cues necessary to distinguish being laughed at and laughing with someone.
Do Dogs Try to Make Us Laugh?
Yes, dogs do try to make us laugh.
Dogs can recognize that laughter is positive. They understand that laughter means play, and play is positive. Laughter reduces stress and anxiety and helps the human-animal bond grow.
So, depending on how much of a sense of humor your dog has, they may do things to try to make you laugh.
Can You Make Your Dog Laugh?
Yes. “Play-panting” has very useful implications. Recordings of this sound can be used to calm dogs that are anxious, worried, and shy in a variety of settings.
The sound can be imitated by humans to promote a sense of ease in new environments where a human-animal bond has yet to form. This is especially helpful at shelters, training facilities, and foster homes.
