What does it mean when a dog howls? What to know about your pup and loud music, sirens.
About 69 million U.S. households own a dog in 2022, according to Lemonade, an insurance company that also provides coverage of pets. Any of these dogs could be triggered to howl by sirens, loud music, a full moon and more, making howling a common phenomenon across the United States.
Howling, though, can be a behavior you want to discourage — especially if you live in a populated area.
If your dog’s howling is keeping you up at night, or if your neighbors have complained about your dog’s noisy nighttime habits, here’s the information you need to know.
Why do dogs howl?
Howling is a behavior tied to a dog’s wild, ancestral instincts. According to Veterinary Centers of America Animal Hospitals, wild wolves, ancestors of domesticated dogs, howled to announce their location to other wolves or warn other wild animals to stay away.
Today, howling is still a common communication method — though the message may be different. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs may howl for the following normal reasons:
To get attention
To alert their owner of potential danger
To communicate with other dogs
To respond to high-pitched noises or other sounds
Excessive howling, though, can indicate your dog is struggling with separation anxiety or medical issues, according to the AKC. If your dog is displaying an exceptional amount of howling, it’s a good idea to check with a veterinarian.
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Why do dogs howl at sirens?
Dogs sometimes howl at noises they perceive as unusual or potentially threatening, according to Rover. Unless your dog is showing other signs of distress, your dog is likely trying to communicate that they have noticed something irregular, writes Rover.
Why do dogs howl at music?
Similar to sirens, dogs may recognize music or musical instruments as unusual or potentially threatening, according to the AKC. Dogs are very sensitive to sounds, but the music likely isn’t hurting their ears unless they are showing other signs of distress such as hiding.
According to the Modern Dog Magazine, dogs actually have a sense of pitch. Scientific analysis of recordings of wolves has revealed that individual wolves join into collective howling at different pitches so that each wolf’s howl is discernible — so if your dog is responding to your music slightly out of key, that might be why.
Why do dogs howl at night?
Despite the common belief, Dogtime reports that the moon actually has nothing to do with wolves’ howling. Wolves communicate more at night because they are mostly nocturnal.
Your dog may be able to better hear other dogs at night with fewer external stimuli, but they're probably not howling directly at the moon.
Why does my dog howl when I howl?
Because howling is a form of communication, dogs may also respond to a human’s howl. If your dog howls back at you, you should know it is acknowledging the noise you are making and replying with its own howl.
According to Not a Bully, dogs may howl with their owners to mirror their behavior and reinforce social bonds.
How do I keep my dog from howling?
To keep your dog from howling excessively, make sure you’re not positively rewarding the behavior.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, it’s important not to give a howling dog what it wants. If howling is a behavior your dog uses to seek attention, make sure to demonstrate that behavior is ineffective. You can even pretend a dog is invisible until it stops making noise.
You can also reward your dog for being quiet. The ASPCA suggests randomly giving your dog treats when it is behaving well and not making noise. This can be especially effective when your dog stays quiet in the presence of howl-inducing stimuli such as sirens or music, according to Rover.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why do dogs howl? Understanding what your pet's behavior means.
