Dog Behavior Series 4 – Why Do Dogs Howl?
Do you want to know the secret for getting your dog to stop howling excessively? Keep reading to discover my top 3 tips to achieve this by gaining an understanding of your dog’s behavior.
There are several reasons why your dog howls. Let’s find out what they are and what you need to understand in order to eliminate the problem. Usually howling is a sign of loneliness, boredom, separation anxiety, howling in response to other dogs, howling at triggers like sirens, or just making their presence known to other dogs in the area. Understanding your dog’s behavior can be a daunting task. So in this segment I hope to shed some light on why dogs howl.
So why do dogs howl?
It is an instinctive behavior for dogs to howl, although some dogs have stronger or weaker drives and instincts than others. Dogs, like people, are simply different from one another. Some dogs howl at a trigger like a siren while others do not. Some dogs may feel a need to communicate with the source of the sirens, answering the ancient call of wolves, believing it is actually a pack of dogs communicating from afar.
If your dog is howling excessively, it may indicate that he is bored out of his wits and needs play, love, and attention. A dog should not be deprived of human touch or deprived of a means to entertain himself. If your dog is trying to get your attention by howling, it means there is something lacking in his environment, be it food, water, toys, or companionship.
Everyone enjoys the howl of a wolf now and again, but if your dog is howling excessively, there is something you can do. Simply apply my top three tips.
- Tip number one
Spend more time with your dog, even if it is just sitting and watching television. Dogs love companionship and interacting with their owners. Provide your dog with toys and chews to occupy his time while he is enjoying your company. Pay attention to your dog more frequently. Your dog will be too preoccupied with you, and as a result, will howl less often.
- Tip number 2
Exercise your dog. Take him for walks so his horizon is expanded and his mind stimulated. The exercise and mental stimulation will make for a restful evening, and night, for both of you.
- Tip number 3
Enrich your dog’s life with play. Do not just hand him toys and walk away. Get involved in his life and do things your dog likes to do also.
My tips are for healthy dogs who exhibit their natural instinct to howl as wolves do. If your dog has a behavioral disorder, then your dog needs more than tips for normal dog behavior. Your dog needs the help of professionals. Separation anxiety is an example. This kind of howling is usually accompanied by at least one other symptom of separation anxiety such as pacing, destruction, elimination, depression, or other signs of distress.
Now let’s recap.
After thousands and thousands of years dogs still cannot shake wild instincts ingrained in them. The key to raising a well adjusted dog is finding balance between the wolf and the pet in your dog. Understand your dog’s right to behave like a real dog and make sure his wild side is properly fulfilled by providing an alternative outlet to accommodate his canine instincts and instinctual behaviors.
Hope you enjoyed this segment on Dog Behavior, specifically on the topic of why dogs howl, and hope you walked away with something of value. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to my channel on YouTube, Dog Behavior Videos. Thank you so much for reading. I look forward to seeing you inside my next article. Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. Until next time. Bye Bye.
