Why do dogs howl?

Dogs have their own hobbies and those who have one at home will surely highlight at least one characteristic that can say "my dog ​​does this" and the other does not. However, there is something that all dogs do and it is howl. This is one of the most common behaviors of our four -legged friends, since howl is a form of distance communication that dogs use.

It is usual to believe that if the Dog howl It looks like a cry, it is because it is suffering for something, although there is an exception that we will talk about later. Another theory is that the dog has when he sees the full moon, tracing his old relatives, the wolves. None of that is true, since the dog's howl has a function and here we will tell you which one.

Dogs and wolves

Dogs howl less frequently than wolves. The wolves use the howl to communicate with other wolves that are sometimes far to locate or call them, before and after leaving home, when they are sad, or when a new litter was born

The acute and prolonged bell of the Wolf howl It spreads and ends up reaching a distance greater than the barking, being able to reach many kilometers. The wolf responds spoiling or several do it at the same time.

The wolf is a social animal that lives in small family groups that occupy the same territory, being able to recognize the howl of the other members of the side. But if he heard a different howl, he will know that he is in the presence of possible enemies and will prepare to defend himself against any attack.

It should be noted that wolves and wild and domestic dogs are not the only ones Animal animals, since also the hyenas, the jackets and the coyotes.

In the case of dogs, the howl serves to get attention. Why do dogs howl? If there was a female in heat by the neighborhood, those howls will be a way of getting your attention. Sterilization and castration is very important for dogs and dogs not to frustrate their own basic instincts, in addition to the benefits that this has for health.

Howling is a canine behavior that can be considered normal, but it should not be frequent. If this were the case, we are probably before the separation anxiety disorder (TAS). Dogs that spend a lot of time at home can suffer from this syndrome. If the dog were to stay at home for a long time or if you did not have enough time to give attention, a good option is to hire the pet care service. This can also occur with newly adopted dogs that are not puppies.

Pain or poor diet

Although it is not very common, some dogs howl when they have pain or are poorly fed. This is a way of alerting its owners for their discomfort. If the dog has never had that kind of behavior and there was no alteration in its routine, take it to the veterinarian to check it. In this way you will clear any type of pain you may have.

Howling in response to sounds

If you listen to another dog howl or a siren, the dog probably responds to that sound howling. The piano, the alarm and electronic beeps can also bother or saddened it. However, that sound is barely stopped. He will do it too. Do not forget that dogs have a much more acute ear than us, which means that they can detect sounds that we cannot.

These howls are generally not excessive, unless, triggers occur frequently. If you do you can apply the Desensitization and Contractioning Techniques To teach your pet new tasks that help you face such circumstances that fear or have it undesirable behavior.

Emotion and success

When a dog feels excited because he has achieved something he will demonstrate him to praise him. But, if you fail to convince your owners, then you will begin to howl and scream to get your attention, because this is your natural way of communicating vocally.

Have you observed that the hunting dogs howl they are successful in hunting or detecting some object? They simply get excited and love to reveal their success "shouting" to call their owners and thus obtain recognition.

Desensitization and contraction

The training must be carried out only by the adult who has greater authority over the pet. To start the training, it presents the dog in the situation caused by this reaction (howl) and, simultaneously, presents a positive stimulus, such as food or toys.

The result is that the pet builds a new association in which the trigger that was previously negative, now becomes a predecessor of something positive. To carry out the desensitization and contraction process it is important to consider three keys that coincidentally begin with the letter D.

The first "D" is the distraction, because in this process, the most important thing distract the dog. To do this, we will have to count on the "problem", but keeping the distance so that the positive stimulus is more interesting. As you have read, I have said distance and this is the second "D".

To continue advancing, you have to keep the distance. Now, the third "D" is the duration of the sessions that must be increased as it progresses. If there is no progress, it is because something has failed and, probably, it is due to the distance in which we work. These three "D" would encompass in a fourth "D": desensitization. As the dog associates positive stimuli to objects or situations to which it previously reacted howling, a desensitization is also generated.

For congratulate the dog for their achievements, establishes rewards (games, sweets or praise) for training sessions, and do not use the same at any other time. Make one session every day, 10 minutes each. Review it for staying calm and obedient during the session.

As the training is successful, it increases the intensity of the stimulus until it can be used at all intensity without causing that unwanted reaction. If the pet will manifest fear, anxiety or any other behavior, it is because the stimulus is very intense. In this case, we will not have to scold it or give it a reward, but rather reduce the intensity of the trigger until the pet is calmed down.

There are many elements that can make progress difficult, so you should avoid them such as situations that cause the unattended response, unless it is training.

Keep in mind that the pet learns better when it is calm. If you want your dog to achieve your goal, end each session with a positive response.

What are the breeds that howl most?

Some dog breeds do not bark, but they howl. They are called primitive, such as Nordic races: Siberian Husky, Samoyed and Malamute of Alaska. These can make many noises, but among them are not the barking.

Why do they howl at night?

First, dogs do not howl at night, but generally, they do it during the night. This is because during the day traffic, music, voices, etc. are heard, so during the day they tend to rest, sleep and remain much less active. So, during the night, they feel more active and are more territorial and the only way to communicate it to other dogs is howling.

They rarely do it during the day, since their howl is lost among many other noises, but at night his voice is acute and clearly audible. Dogs are noctamble, so they cry and howl at night to attract your attention, even if it is not the most appropriate. You probably get up to shut them up, but for them, having caught your attention is already fine.

Is it true that they presume death?

There are many reasons why dogs howl and these have been scientifically proven. However, the belief persists that dogs preside over death and have a sixth sense. Since ancient times, thousands of people have reported connections between their animal's behavior and certain events such as the tremors or death of people. To this day, there is a great debate in the scientific world regarding this issue, because despite the many testimonies and stories of people throughout the world, much remains to be investigated.

In the 70s and 90s, various studies were carried out on the relationship between the behavior of animals and the earthquakes and the results were not too blunt, so the stories of those who claim that their dogs behave differently before a tremor are only anecdotes.

However, some scientists and psychologists specialized in the dog behavior They believe that it could be more than only "anecdotes", because they consider that there are some factors that make dogs perceive death or a change in the vibrations of the earth, since when someone is sick, the relatives of the person or the dog may be sad and the family dynamic changes. They perceive that change and, therefore, howl.

Types of howls

• Sudden howl: Indicates scare, fear or pain. This can happen when he escapes a fight with a dog or when he suffers for some human aggression.
• Howl that is cut dry: Indicates emotion and what you probably want to communicate is something like "come on, let's go", "hurry up, I want to eat."
• Intense howl: They express the need or desire for something and tend to do it insistently, one behind the other.
• Prolonged howl: It is a way of noticing its presence and marking its territory.
• Short howl with a longer one at the end: Sadness, loneliness, separation anxiety disorder.

How to solve this permanent howl situation?

As dogs previously commented in addition to barking, they also howl, but if this situation will become permanent, this behavior will have to be inhibited in some way. But before, it will be necessary to identify The cause of howl.

If it were a situation in which the dog was howling on behalf of a dog in heat, there will be nothing to do, just wait for the heat period to end or leave it in a more closed place, since the smell of the female in heat spreads through the wind.

If the neighbors complain because the dog has during the day when you are not, most likely it is a separation anxiety disorder (TAS). Some alternatives to help the dog so that it does not suffer in your absence are the following:

• The dog needs physical activity. Walk with your pet. So you will not only be taking care of your physical health, but also doing a company every day.
• Ded time. If your routine does not allow you to dedicate this time daily, a good alternative is to hire the pet care service or a walker that can take it to walk and spend time with him. Another good alternative is to buy or adopt a new canine companion to have fun with your dog.
• Keep it entertaining. So that the animal does not feel so much your absence, it will be necessary to keep it busy. Buy toys that are suitable for him and have fun and entertain him. This is an excellent option to spend all accumulated energy.
• Verify if normally fed and hydrated.
• Note if you have any wound and if when I touch some part of the body how much pain. In case of having doubts, take it to the veterinarian to check it.

As you will see, dogs communicate with us through various ways: panting, barking and howls. Each is determined to communicate something and, according to their mood, use one or the other. If none of this achieves decrease excessive howl You will have to ask a specialist in canine behavior for help.