Why is the dog howling

Main reasons

If your pet suddenly howled for no reason, do not wait for the inevitable grief and run to the computer to look on the Internet, what kind of trouble should happen. Even in the most chilling howl of a dog, you should not look for an "otherworldly" meaning. In the vast majority of cases, the "singing" of your pet is associated with quite understandable reasons that have nothing to do with mysticism. But what are these reasons? Here is a small list of the main ones.

• The dog starts howling if it is tormented by natural needs. For example, the owner left her alone for a long time, and she wants to eat or go to the toilet. Or the dog whines and howls, sensing the pack, thereby showing that he wants to join his relatives. Driven by a love instinct, he reacts in a similar way to a tech bitch.
• The pet is strongly attached to its owner, gets bored in his absence, which provokes undesirable behavior. Some dogs in such cases begin to scratch the door or gnaw furniture. There are also those who express longing with a long, mournful howl.
• Many dogs howl, even if the owners of the house, but do not pay enough attention to their pets. First of all, this applies to sociable animals that remind themselves in this way.
• A dog is not a person, and if she feels bad, she can't talk about it. In addition, even the most loving owner does not always and not immediately notice that his pet is ill. A four-legged friend has no choice but to attract attention by howling.
• Yard dogs often sit on a chain, but they also want to frolic and play. Howling is a way to convey what you want to a clueless owner.
• Howling often becomes a way of communication. Through his dogs communicate with other dogs on their own or neighboring farmsteads.
• Sometimes the "singing instinct" wakes up in our younger brothers as an expression of joy. When meeting the owner, the dog greets him with a howl and some other sounds.
• Often the full moon becomes a source of "inspiration", because our satellite affects not only people, but also pets. Howling at her, the dog thereby reacts to insomnia, provoked by a bright celestial body. The lack of proper rest can also cause aggression in her.
• Howling dog can express dissatisfaction with a particular situation. For example, he does not like that he will now be washed, cut, brushed teeth or bandaged wounds. The non-acceptance of these procedures often provokes such a "chant" that it is easier for the owner or veterinarian to postpone them than to listen and endure.
• Many dogs howl to music. They have naturally sensitive hearing, close to human in its range. They can even distinguish notes (the difference can be 1/8 of a tone). It is believed that in the cortex of the dog's brain there is a center for the perception of music, similar to a human one, thanks to which she not only listens to it, but also evaluates it according to her own "tastes". Most often, the choice of dogs falls on the classics, but if you don't like some music, then the four-legged music lover moves away from the sound source.

Separately, it should be noted that dogs can howl, anticipating trouble. At the same time, there is no mysticism here. Our younger brothers have naturally sharpened perception and flair (for example, the same sense of smell), which allows them to notice danger before the owners pay attention to the threat. With its howling, the dog seeks to warn loved ones, for it it is a kind of SOS signal.

Note: if your pet has a calm temperament and has a strong nervous system, then if he will howl, it is extremely rare.

Signs associated with howling dogs

A lot of superstitions are associated with the howling of dogs, in the truthfulness of which even people far from mysticism believe. All of them, as a rule, have a negative connotation. Cultivated for centuries, they work on a subconscious level, eclipsing the voice of reason. So, how does popular rumor explain the reasons for the dog's mournful crying?

If your pet is sitting motionless and howling with his head thrown back, then this is considered a harbinger of a fire. It happens that the dog performs his "serenade" with his head lowered to the ground: in this case, fatal accidents are expected. People are especially alarmed if he also digs the ground at the same time: it means that someone's death is very close.

People often pay attention to which way, left or right, the dog's head is turned when it howls. This serves as a signal that trouble should be expected from this direction. Superstitious people are alarmed when, simultaneously with singing, the dog shakes his head. This, according to beliefs, indicates that trouble will not come alone, that a series of tragic events awaits the owner or his family.

Oddly enough, many of these superstitions lend themselves to a completely logical explanation. So, given that dogs have a very fine sense of smell, it cannot be compared with a human, they can feel the smoke from a fire tens of kilometers from the place of ignition. Sniffing, the animal raises its muzzle high, and since fire is instinctively perceived by animals (even wild, even domestic) as a danger signal, the dog begins to howl.

There are also beliefs that a dog can anticipate the death of someone from the household, but only if it is a natural, that is, non-violent death. Here, too, there is no mysticism, and the explanation lies in the same developed natural sense of smell. Usually, shortly before death, a person's metabolism slows down and his body odor changes. Such changes frighten a four-legged friend, and he directs his muzzle down so that the smell of the earth interrupts the one coming from a dying person. At the same time, the dog begins to howl, softly and plaintively, turning to whining and shaking his head. Often the dog even avoids the sick and fading owner, trying, with his tail between his legs, to hide far away from him.

Is it possible to wean a dog to howl and how to do it?

No matter for what reason your pet starts howling, no one is excited about his "hobby", so the desire to stop the mournful "chants" is understandable. But how to do it? Here many owners find themselves at a dead end, throwing up their hands and not knowing what to do. The main thing is not to yell at the dog, do not threaten it, and even more so do not use physical punishment. If the problem is solved, it will be only for a very short period of time, then to come back again. The most effective way to combat this phenomenon can only be to eliminate the causes that caused it – there is simply no other way.

Dogs often howl to some sounds, such as music coming from speakers, alarm sirens or howls of other dogs. In such cases, you don't need to worry too much. As soon as the external source that provoked the howl stops its sound, the dog will also calm down.

It's quite another thing when a dog starts howling in the absence of the owners. If the household is busy, working from dawn to dawn, then it would be useful to think about entertainment for your pet. You can, for example, leave the radio on so that the dog thinks that he is not alone at home. Or provide him with some squeakers, rubber toys. After returning from work, be sure to surround your pet with attention, caress him, play with him.

If a dog howls, you can come up with a punishment for it in a training style. You must make it clear to the dog that if he continues to howl, then you will leave and will not appear for a long time. How to do it? Very simple. As soon as the dog starts to "sing", immediately go out the door and do not come back until she is silent. So you need to continue until she establishes in her mind a connection between her howling and your absence. So that you no longer leave her, the dog will stop howling.

Sometimes howling becomes a way to attract attention to yourself. If there are no good reasons for this, try to ignore this behavior of the dog. She should not get used to getting what she wants by such methods. In such cases, the same training can help. A dog that has begun to howl should be clearly commanded: "Speak!", accompanying the command with praise. Then the command should sound: "Quiet!" – it is given in a similar tone. Initially, do not count on complete obedience, but as soon as you achieve submission, the dog needs to say: "Good!", consolidating the success of her favorite delicacy. During training, try to increase the time by saying the last phrase later and later.

Some dog owners have neither the time nor the desire to personally engage in weaning their pet from the habit of howling. To solve the problem, they use a special collar that reacts to howling or barking with an electric shock. The discharge, although weak, is palpable. Other collars are also produced: remotely controlled, they splash a stream of water on the dog's muzzle from the very first notes of the dog's "aria". Electroshock and water discourage him, and for a while he forgets about his intentions. After a pause, he again tightens the "old song", and again receives an electric shock or is cooled by water. These methods are tough, but effective. Their only drawback is the undermined psychoemotional state of your pet.

The process of re-education of the animal should be controlled by the owner. The latter should be nearby, and when the dog stops howling for more than half an hour, he should approach her, praise her, give her a new toy and leave again. This technique continues until a stable result is achieved, which sometimes takes more than one day.

Important: if the cause of the dog's howling is any disease (for example, hip dysplasia or a tumor), do not waste time on re-education, which in this case there is no need, but visit a veterinary clinic with a four-legged friend. As soon as the health problem is solved, the dog will stop howling.

It is especially unpleasant when the dog starts howling at night, disturbing the sleep of not only the household, but also the neighbors in the house or street. Methods of re-education can wean her from night "concerts", but, as practice shows, only partially, therefore, with a howling dog after sunset, you need to contact a professional dog handler. This specialist knows the psychology of the dog well, and using special techniques, it will not be difficult for him to identify the cause of howling and eliminate it. But there are practically no ways to deal with stray dogs that howl in the courtyards of apartment buildings. Moreover, both dogs living in this yard and newcomers can yell, and try to guess "who is who".

Among dog owners there are people who do not see for themselves a special problem in the fact that a pet suddenly became addicted to "vocals", especially at night. However, such a situation can cause inconvenience to neighbors. If the negligent owner does not respond to their comments and does not take action against his dog, you can contact the local police officer or file a collective complaint to the house management. According to the current legislation, any noise after 22 hours (except for the howling of a dog, it can be loud music or the sound of a drill during repair work) implies administrative responsibility with the imposition of penalties. The result of this step will certainly be strained relations with the owner of the dog, but what if he himself can not calm his pet?

Another way to solve the problem – perhaps the most humane and beneficial for both sides – is noise insulation. Invite the neighbor in whose apartment the "singing" dog lives to sheathe the walls with sound-proofing material. If his home has already been renovated and he does not want to change anything, offer to finance the installation of sound insulation in your apartment. Adequate dog owners, as a rule, are aware of responsibility and will readily meet you halfway.

A dog never howls for no reason, and to establish it, you need to be patient and find a way out of this situation. Sometimes it's enough just to change your attitude to a four-legged friend and start walking with him more often so that he stops bothering in this way.