Understanding what dog howling means is important for you to know your animal's behavior. Although howling is a natural and instinctive type of vocalization for dogs - just like barking -, in some cases it can indicate behavioral problems, such as separation anxiety or pain.
So, understand now why dogs howl and what to do!
Why do dogs howl?
Dogs are natural descendants of wolves, animals that howl to survive in the wild. With that, they still carry today (and even after being domesticated) similar instincts , such as howling.
Some breeds are even more closely related to wolves and therefore tend to howl more. This is the case with Akita, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute , Chow Chow and others.
Wolves howl to communicate with other members of the pack, as the sound of howling is much more powerful, louder and has a greater range than barking. Thus, they can locate themselves, even at long distances. They howl to:
- Finding the pack after hunting;
- Warn pack members of possible dangers;
- Ward off predators and other “enemy” packs. When they howl collectively, they demonstrate that they are accompanied and this would pose a threat to the predator.
What does dog howling mean?
But what about dogs, what do they mean by howling, since they've been away from the wild for so long?
When howling, the dog emits this instinctive sound as a wolf heritage, always to communicate with other pets in the neighborhood or even with the tutor. He usually howls to show physical or emotional discomfort:
- Warn that you are hungry or thirsty;
- Show that you are scared and feel threatened in some way;
- Is in some pain and wants to alert the tutor;
- Show suffering with separation anxiety , when the tutor spends the day away, for example;
- Draw the attention of the tutor due to lack.
Dog howling at night
But if all these reasons also happen during the day, why does the dog howl at night? This can also be explained by the instinctive factor, since wolves also have this habit of howling during the night.
They choose this time because it is a quieter and calmer period and this means that the dogs around can hear the howl better.
But anyone who believes that dogs only howl on full moon nights is wrong. This is a myth, probably established by movies and other artistic productions.
What to do with a howling dog?
You already understood that howling is a natural factor of dogs. But, we cannot deny that this loud sound can disturb the neighbors, and since we live in society, we need to minimize noise pollution and inconvenience to other people.
So how to reduce howling? It's possible? Here are some actions you can take:
Understand what your pet means
With everyday observation, you will be able to identify what your dog wants to alert you with the howl.
if he is hungry
Also observe if he keeps calling you, licking, smelling the food bowl and other habits.
If he is in pain or sick
Take him to the vet to discover any health problems or physical ailments. Checkup exams are essential to detect diseases at an early stage, so that the veterinarian can start treatment as soon as possible.
If he suffers from separation anxiety
If you are away from home for a long time and the pet remains alone for many hours, it is possible that he will become needy, bored and irritable, with a lot of energy to be expended. He tends to howl to complain.
- Buy interactive toys so he can be distracted throughout the day and release that energy in a healthy way.
- Spend quality time with him while you're at home.
- Walk every day so he can burn off energy and not get bored.
If you are unable to identify the problem behind the howling, you have two options:
- Find a veterinarian or canine behavior specialist to evaluate it. Howling can be an alert to health problems that are hidden and asymptomatic.
- After the check-up, if all illnesses, pains and health problems are ruled out, you can understand that this is a natural behavior of the dog and proceed to the tip below.
Don't encourage the howl
Another attitude you should take to try to stop your pet from howling is to avoid reinforcing the action.
This means that every time he howls, you can't give him immediate attention, as he will take it as a reward for the behavior. Wait for him to finish vocalizing and only then go to him to understand the problem, pet him and comfort him.
Crying dog
Some people also tend to confuse the sound of a dog howling with a cry, but they are not the same thing, although both represent discomfort in the dog.
If the dog is crying, it means that he is suffering in some way and you need to find out the reason behind this sign. The crying also tends to bother the neighbors, when it happens uninterruptedly, which makes many people anxious to solve the problem.
The reasons for the dog to cry are the same: separation anxiety, hunger, pain, discomfort, stress, wanting to get attention and others. Identify this reason with observation of the behavior and go to the veterinarian if it is a repetitive issue.