Why does a dog howl: reasons and folk signs, how to wean a dog on a chain from whining and crying, in the yard, at night to the moon, at home with the owners, to music, in a dream, during the day?

11/13/2021 14,395 Interesting facts about dogs

Author: Olga

The howl of a dog is a feature of the animal's dialect, which they inherited from their ancestors, wolves. The reasons for howling worry many dog owners, since it is not always possible to find an answer to the question - why does a dog howl? You can learn more about the reasons for this behavior and what to do about this problem from us.

[Hide]

Causes

Howling was inherited by dogs from distant genetic ancestors - wolves. This is a method of communication that can be heard over a long distance and gives relatives information about the more or less exact location of the animal.
Howling is also an expression of emotions and experiences - joy, sadness, feelings of fear, pain.
Some dogs howl from insomnia. Other breeds are quite musical by nature and can howl to tunes from the TV, telephone or musical instruments. For example, dogs tend to howl at the sound of a siren or alarm. These sounds irritate sensitive ears, and to express his indignation, the dog begins to bark or howl.
The sign in which a dog howls to death, while lowering its muzzle to the ground, is to a certain extent true and can be explained from a scientific point of view. Before death occurs, the metabolic processes in the body change, as a result of which the body at this stage begins to emit an odor that is imperceptible to humans, but unpleasant to the dog. To kill this smell, the dog lowers its muzzle to the ground. He howls from an expression of anxiety and dislike for this smell.

Method of creating a comfortable environment

It also consists of several points.

Keep your dog quiet. Place the dog bed (basket, crate, kennel) in a quiet part of the house or apartment so that the pet feels safe and isolated from outside noise.
Apply pheromone therapy. Connect a DAP (dog pheromone) diffuser near your chosen location. This device emits sedatives.
Close the curtains. Dimming will also calm your whiner, including reducing the penetration of street noise.
Do not turn off the radio or TV at low volume (see above).
Leave your pet a tasty, long-lasting treat (see above).

And finally, one more way.

Loud rocks

The most musical breed is considered husky. They differ from other breeds in that they almost never bark, and their only method of vocal communication is howling and whining. There are many legends why they lack barking in their communication - from the legends of the ancient Eximos to the close relationship of huskies with wolves.

Before you buy a husky: 9 rules for choosing a puppy The reality is somewhat simpler. The fact is that huskies are pack animals and need communication every minute. They mistake the family they live in for a pack in an apartment, and if they are left alone, they begin to howl, calling members of the pack to go home.
Close relatives of Siberian huskies are also prone to howling - Alaskan Malamutes. The reasons for the howling of these dogs are the same as those of huskies - they do not like to be left alone and begin to howl. They also often howl out of boredom - Malamutes were bred to be hardy working dogs with a lot of energy. If they have nowhere to put this energy, they begin to “sing.”

Malamute and Husky: 12 differences with clear photos
Mixed dogs and wolves by nature often howl - in wolfdogs Wolf blood is stronger than in all domestic purebred dogs. Obeying her, they often organize midnight concerts.
Beagles They are no less famous for their love of loud howling songs. They sing along with sirens on the street, at home, howl and howl at any music they hear, even if it is the music of neighbors three floors below.
Dachshunds The dogs themselves are quite noisy, which can always be indignant at something with a loud and ringing bark. When left alone at home, they almost constantly begin to howl, which irritates their neighbors.

“Do you know that your howling bothers your neighbors?” “What are you saying?!”
Little ringing chihuahua can become the scourge of all neighbors. Due to their size, they are unable to defeat their opponents or express their dissatisfaction in any way; they begin to howl loudly and for a long time, and no amount of shouting can calm the animal down. Especially if no one worked on raising the dog.
Representatives of Basset Hounds , a famous hunting breed, are renowned not only as good hunters of burrowing animals, but also as good “singers”. They cannot stand loneliness, they always need a companion.

What should you keep in mind?

A dog can be taught to obey the command “quiet”, but this will only calm it down temporarily. And after the owner leaves, she can resume barking. The best way out would be to reorient your four-legged friend to calmly endure loneliness, eliminating the root cause of his howling, teaching him to remain happy with life even when he is left at home alone.

On March 20 in Ukraine they drew a circle with an ax: rituals on the day of the spring equinox

The woman to whom Vladimir Gostyukhin has been married for 20 years

Menshikov and his young beautiful wife: why the couple has no children

Of course, this process is not at all easy, especially if the habit is already ingrained. Sometimes it may be necessary to contact your veterinarian for sedative medications. But first you should try to cope on your own.

To do this, first of all, you need to understand that a dog that begins to whine does not need to be encouraged with an expression of pity and affection. When she starts making noise, she should be ignored. Thus, she has the opportunity to understand that howling will not bring her any benefit.

At the same time, if the dog is silent when you leave, you should express your approval to it. Then she will gradually begin to connect her behavior with consequences in her mind.

Quiet

One of the quietest and most intelligent breeds that almost never make any sounds is whippet. If the whippet gives a voice, it means that something out of the ordinary has happened, requiring the immediate attention of others.
Another quiet breed not prone to howling is Shar Pei. They do not howl and almost never bark. While playing, they may squeal and whine, especially for puppies. But in general the breed is not prone to howling.
Akita Inu, Japanese hunting dogs also do not tend to make any unnecessary sounds, be it barking or even howling. If there are no serious reasons to attract attention, they will prefer to remain silent.
Saint Bernards are huge, but at the same time good-natured animals; I do not have the habit of not only howling, but also barking. Any sound they make that is louder than normal sniffling or grunting is a signal of some kind of alarm.

We should not forget that any dog of almost any breed can howl; this is a natural feature that needs to be controlled and educated. Without proper training, another animal can howl for any slightest reason.

What should you stock up on?

The following items will help you achieve success.

Container with treats. You leave your dog food that he particularly likes and that he can eat for a long time. This should keep her busy, distracting her from your care.
Radio or TV. By leaving any of these devices at a low volume, you give your dog the illusion that someone other than himself is present at home.
An entertaining toy. You give it to your dog when you leave and take it away when you return home. By doing this, you let your pet know that the toy connects your arrival with your departure.

Next, we will consider several methods to help wean a dog from howling in the absence of the owner.

The appearance of the tomatoes will tell you everything. Choosing the right fertilizers

The strawberry harvest will increase many times: we water the bushes in the spring with garlic fertilizer

American husband Mika Newton: how the singer, who emigrated to the USA, lives now

Folk signs

There are a lot of folk beliefs about dog howling, and some of them may contradict others. Some resulted from random coincidences, while others have a completely adequate scientific explanation.

If a dog howls at the moon at night, it was considered a sign of a change in the weather.
A dog howls at a house - to a fire.
If the dog howls with his head down, there is a dead person in the house. If a dog howls while lying down, it has a presentiment of its own death.
The dog howls, holding his head straight - to hunger, pestilence or war.
A pack of dogs howling means big trouble.

To the moon

There is a version that not all dogs howl at the moon, but mainly those who have a freer lifestyle, that is, street dogs

The effect of the moon on the psyche of humans and animals has not yet been fully studied. During the full moon, scientists note that some people experience sleep disturbances, poor health, apathy, and even aggression. What can we say about animals that have increased sensitivity to natural phenomena?

Howling at the moon is a manifestation of anxiety, fear, similar to human feelings. This is how the animal expresses its anxious mood, which appears under the influence of the moon.

How to wean it off?

At night

Reasons why a dog may howl at night:

The reason for howling at night may be longing for the owner, especially if he is not at home.
Some dogs may howl at the moon from insomnia, as they are somewhat dependent on lunar cycles, and become anxious and restless during full moons.
Another reason for howling at night may be illness, although sick animals often whine rather than howl.

How to wean:

First of all, you need to show the dog to a doctor to rule out the presence of any diseases. The veterinarian can also give more specific advice regarding howling at night.
If your dog is left alone in the house at night, you can leave the radio and night light .
Also a good solution (or if the dog is howling in the yard on a chain) would be to leave the dog something with your scent so that the animal feels safe and not alone and, of course, place its personal favorite toys .

In the yard or enclosure

Reasons for howling in the yard:

Sociable dogs may miss their owners in the house and howl to attract their attention.
Yard dogs often sense a bitch in heat and howl, unable to escape from the enclosure or from the chain.
It is believed that dogs in an enclosure can howl (especially at night under the moon) from lack of freedom.

Comfortable enclosures for dogs: do it yourself without waste or mistakes

How to stop howling in an enclosure:

If a dog attracts attention by howling, you should first scold the animal a little for singing. At the same time, you need to show the dog that his concerts will lead to nothing - reward the dog for silence, ignore the howling. The “Anti-bark” collar has a good educational effect, which, upon command from the remote control, splashes a stream of water in the dog’s face. This discourages the animal for a while.
Ask yourself and answer honestly, are you giving your dog the attention and warmth it deserves? Even (or rather especially) with a dog living in an enclosure, you need to actively play in order to let it splash out its energy, feel needed and important, and prevent howling from idleness.

Like a wolf to the moon

Why do dogs and wolves howl at the moon:

The psychology of dogs is quite subtle. The full moon awakens ancient instincts in dogs, when their distant genetic ancestors, wolves, hunted in the light of the full moon and howled, inviting their pack. That is why during the full moon they are often restless, cannot sleep and howl at the moon.

In fact, there is no direct connection between the howl of a wolf and the moon. It just turns out that most sounds come on moonlit nights: because hunting is better on them and wolves are, in principle, nocturnal animals and are more active in the dark. To make it easier for fellow tribesmen to understand where the sound is coming from, the animal’s muzzle is raised when it howls: therefore, it seems as if it is howling at the moon.

Trying very hard