According to a study by Birkbeck College, University of London, yawning is known to be contagious in humans but now scientists have shown that pet dogs can catch a yawn, too.
(Seemingly this copying suggests that pooches are capable of empathising with people. say the researchers who recorded dogs' behaviour in lab tests. All I can say is it's currently 50 50 in my house. After yawning for about two minutes only my dog Laika yawned back, Sam just looked at me as if I'd lost my marbles.)