Why Do Dogs Howl at Certain Sounds?
You expect wolves to howl. You know their sound, a long and loud piercing cry, from movies. But you were shocked the first time you heard your pet make a similar sound. Youd only heard them bark, so howling seemed so foreign to you. So, why do dogs howl when they hear a siren or similar sound? Well, it turns out there are many reasons why dogs howl. But when it comes to howling at particular noises, there are likely two main reasons: bringing the noise to your attention and verbally scaring the sound away.
For a wolf pack, howling sometimes occurs to determine the location of pack members. Other times, its to discourage other animals from approaching. Or, it may be a way to alert the pack of something important nearby. Dogs may experience howling in similar ways.
If your dog howls at a loud sound, it might be to get your attention. In the case of an emergency vehicle siren or a home alarm, they may simply want to make sure youre aware that an abnormal sound is occurring so you can do something about it. However, they might howl at the siren, especially one thats on four wheels, as a way to verbally “chase” it away. If time after time, a dog howls at a siren which then gets further away — and therefore makes less noise — your dog will feel like their howling helped to discourage the siren.
Although dogs are definitely sensitive to noises, a brief exposure to sirens and similar sounds wont damage or hurt their ears. However, try to avoid exposing them to consistent, long-term noise pollution. If you do notice that your dog seems to wince in pain when hearing certain sounds, consider scheduling an appointment with their veterinarian to make sure they arent experiencing any underlying issues.
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Does your dog howl every single time a police car passes by? And perhaps thats not the only sound that makes them suddenly go berserk — fire engines, ambulances or even your homes fire alarm can make your pet “yell” out at the sound, too. They howl and howl, and you just cant understand why such a well-trained dog suddenly acts so different. You may be wondering, why do dogs howl when they hear a siren? Or, do sirens hurt dogs ears?
Lets dive in to understand your dogs insistence on howling when they hear sirens or similar sounds — and whether or not the sound is hurting your pets ears.
Do All Dogs Howl at Sirens?
Not all dogs practice this behavior, though breeds as varied as Boston Terriers to Boxers start howling at fire trucks, ambulances, or police cars when they pass by. Hounds like Beagles, Coonhounds, Foxhounds, and Bloodhounds, are known for their distinctive howls, likely because they’ve been selectively bred to howl while on the hunt to let their handlers know where they are.
“Many of the Nordic breeds, such as Malamutes and Huskies, are also howlers,” Miller adds, “perhaps because they are believed to be closer to their wolf ancestry than some of our other breeds.”
Why Do Dogs Howl When You Howl? | DogVela
You’ve noticed that whenever your dog hears the sound of a siren, he starts to howl, and you’re curious about whether or not this is normal dog behavior. Why do dogs howl at sirens?
Is it instinctual for him to howl at every police car, fire engine, and emergency vehicle that whizzes by your house? Or should you try to curb this habit? By learning about why dogs howl at sirens, dog owners can address this issue head-on – if it’s a problem – or simply leave their dogs to be, well, dogs. Here are some of the common reasons why dogs howl at sirens.