(ABC News) -- We’ve all heard that a dog’s bark can be worse
than its bite, but what about its yawn? It turns out that aspect
of canine behavior may provide evidence that dogs really are
man’s best friend. A study out of Lund University in Sweden
found that our canine companions often yawn in reaction to
seeing a human do the same thing. The phenomenon, known as
contagious yawning, is prominent among many groups of animals,
humans included. However, the process, which is believed to
indicate empathy and help contribute to group mentality and
social structure, has been less studied between species. Elainie
Madsen, a doctor of psychology at Lund University who co-
authored the study, told ABC News dogs were chosen because "they
spend so much time with us, and we spend so much time with
them." "For those of us who have dogs," she said, "we often feel
this very close connection with them, and we feel that they must
understand or sympathize with our emotions and our emotional
states." The study took 35 dogs between