Dog Panting Equals Laughter? Well, Did You Hear the One About the Dog that Walked into the Saloon...?

As many dog owners will notice, our pets often show signs that they are very much like us in many ways. Therefore, since laughter is thought of as the best medicine, and humans take great pleasure in it, why wouldn’t dogs do the same? While it is understandable that dog panting increases with exertion, much as we start to gasp for air the more we work out, you have probably also noticed an increase when their leash is picked up before a walk, or they see another dog. Well, an animal behaviorist claims to have figured out what dogs are doing when making that excited dog panting noise while playing or anticipating a much desired walk. They're laughing.

While some dog owners have always believed pets have the ability to laugh, it would appear that science finally backs them up. In a study that is gaining international interest for what may be a step towards understanding canine communication, scientists and animal behaviorists say they are astounded by an audio recording of dog panting that amazingly proves that dogs make a particular kind of sound, doggy laughter, when they are happily playing together. While this 'doggie laugh' noise is comparable to panting, it is a little different, and the effect it has on other dogs is remarkable.

In a test done at a Spokane, Washington, animal shelter, a recording of this dog panting was played over speakers throughout a building full of nervous, stressed-out, barking dogs. Within a minute, every dog in the place became quiet, which is believed to be because the ‘doggie laughter’ being played was comforting to the anxious canines. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this at animal shelters is that a quiet, relaxed dog has a much better chance of being adopted out to a good home. We can only hope. Oh, and if you are waiting for the punch line of the joke... he holds up his bandaged front leg and, in a western drawl, says ‘I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.’