They often say a dog is a man’s best friend, but this viral clip of a dog yawning proves they can become two peas in a pod.
The clip posted on Reddit, titled ‘Real love’, shows an owner sitting on the sofa beside his beloved pet Rottweiler. The owner lets out a big yawn, right before his doggo turns to him, nibbles him on the nose and yawns in a similar fashion. This makes the owner chuckle to the camera before the video ends.
real_love from r/aww
Since this amusing, 8-second clip was shared, it has garnered 54.7k views, touching many netizens. One user posted, “Made my heart warm. And the nose nip made me chuckle. Thanks.” While another commented, “It's like "i gotta sniff all the yawn out of him".
What’s more, this also sparked debate amongst netizens about why dogs yawn after seeing their owners do it. One user posted, “Aww so cute! I knew that yawns were very communicative among humans, but I had no idea that it was as well to our canine friends :)”. While another shared, “Funfact: Only animals with a, relatively to the rest of the animal kingdom, high empathy and group dynamic share the reflex to yawn when others do. To this day no one is entirely sure why but the common speculation is that it helps with groups, socializing and feeling more akin to your peers.” Other comments included, “Yawning in response to another yawn is a sign of empathy.”
While the scientific reason remains a mystery, we can unanimously agree this bond between a tired owner and his (tired?) pooch is simply adorable.
