Does the “I love you” stretch demonstrate affection? What dog owners need to know. In most cases, an extended stretch in the dog indicates a feeling of well-being.
But in some cases, stretching can indicate problems or illnesses, says Dr. Emma Milne at hillspet.de. Almost like yawning, stretching is a reflexive behavior in dogs to stretch their muscles. But when exactly do four-legged friends actually stretch? Dogs stretch for these harmless reasons: To relax muscles after sleeping or lying down.