Do Dogs Have a Sense of Humor? Facts & FAQ

Thanks to social media, more and more people are rapidly falling in love with members of the canine community. And it’s not difficult to see why, as dogs do strange but hilarious things seemingly to make their parents laugh.

It’s because of those countless videos of positivity that some of us are now more than convinced that our fur babies have an actual sense of humor. But what are the experts’ views on this subject matter? Experts say dogs do have a sense of humor but it is different than ours.

Do Dogs Think Things Are Funny?

Dr. Stanley Coren analyzed the behavior of various dogs and came up with fascinating details. In his best-selling book, he stated that our four-legged companions often have an incredible sense of humor, but the way they manifest their humor is way different from how we humans do¹.

For example, your pooch might walk into your room, holding their favorite toy in their mouth. They know you’ll interpret that as them wanting to play, so they’ll put it down, and wait for you to try to grab it. But the moment you reach for the toy, they’ll quickly beat you to it, and run away. Apparently, that’s one of their ways of expressing their sense of humor.

Your frustration, on the other hand, is funny to them.

Charles Darwin’s Perspective on Dog Humor

You should know, Dr. Stanley Coren was not the first scientist to suggest that our furry friends have a sense of humor. Charles Darwin intimated the same thing, (though, in passing) during his studies on animal evolution. While trying to draw parallels between animals and humans, he discovered that dogs seem to add emotional aspects to their games, which were very similar to our sense of humor.

It’s important to also be cognizant of the fact that dogs have different personalities, the same way humans do. And that wide variability usually dictates their general demeanor, playful nature, and sense of humor, among other things.

Is Playfulness Synonymous with Sense of Humor?

When we’re talking about dogs, playfulness and humor are two very different aspects. Even though they are both multi-layered facets, the latter is a tad bit more complex in nature. If we had to describe it. we’d say it’s more affiliated with a long strand of complex emotions, whereas the former is quick and momentary.

In other words, their playfulness could be the result of a sporadic happening, while humor is a feeling drawn from within. It’s also important to add that a large part of humor rests on how they view the world or how they were raised.

How Do Dogs Show a Sense of Humor?

Laughing

For several years, we thought laughing was an emotional expression only reserved for humans. But that didn’t sit right with behavioral researchers, who eventually started studying animal emotions in depth. Their findings confirmed our suspicions, as some animals do actually give impressions that are very similar to laughing.

When your dog laughs, you’ll think that he’s panting. Because those laughs sort of sound like an exhalation of breath, albeit acoustically different. We’ve also heard people talk about how anxious or stressed animals in rescue centers positively responded to recordings of dog laughter whenever it was played to them. Compelling us to believe that it’s a familiar vocalization in the animal kingdom.

Smiling

A dog’s smile is cute, but it can also be intimidating when isolated from their other body language. They love smiling with all their teeth out, and this open-mouthed facial expression is sometimes interpreted as a humorous invitation to a playdate. We’ve seen them use that smile to communicate with another human, and/or other friendly pets.

Wagging Their Tails

As it turns out, “man’s best friends” are not so different from man, in that they have similar brain ascendancy. In a more simplified neuroscientific explanation, the right and left sides of a dog’s brain are both superior in different aspects. We’ve noted that the right is typically designed to focus on computation, analytical, verbal, and several other rational tasks, while the left side dominates in mostly emotional activities.

To make humor a rational and deliberate choice, the right side will tell the left side to initiate a process that will result in tail-wagging. And to make the expression funnier, your dog will probably chase his tail around, while wagging it.

Nose Jabbing

The general assumption is that dogs love sniffing us to judge or familiarize themselves with our scents. And maybe that’s true, but not always true. Even though we don’t quite have sufficient scientific data to back this up, dogs may pretend to sniff us, so that they can get close enough to give us a jab. That jab is the equivalent of another human being poking you in a friendly way!

Which Dog Breeds Have the Biggest Sense of Humor?

In the dog community, humor is directly correlated to their playful nature and personalities. Although this is not always the case, breeds that tend to be more playful have a more pronounced sense of humor in comparison to those that have a quiet demeanor. So, if humor is something that you’ll be looking for in a family pet, we’d recommend the following:

Why Is Understanding Your Dog’s Sense of Humor Important?

Having this insight is essential, as it helps you love your pet the way they want to be loved. It will also make it easier for you two to forge a stronger canine-human bond, which is vital in defining other aspects of the relationship.

It’s also important to nurture that humor, as it’s a sign that your dog’s happy, healthy, and feels loved. The more you play with them, the easier it will be to bring out their unique sense of humor.

Final Thoughts

Your dog’s sense of humor won’t be like yours. That’s why some of the things that they seemingly find funny are not so funny to us. More often than not, when they’re doing something naughty, they seem to understand exactly what they are doing. And that’s why we guess they have a sense of humor.

They’ll also manifest humor by wagging their tails, laughing, playing little tricks, or smiling.

See also:

• Can Dogs Fall in Love With Each Other? Canine Bonding Explained
• Do Dogs Have Unique Personalities? Vet Approved Facts & FAQ

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Featured Image Credit: Chutima Chaochaiya, Shutterstock