Your dog wants something
Few other sounds demand a humans attention quite like a howl, and in some cases that may be exactly what your dog is after, Dimit says.
Some dogs use howling as a verbal manipulation tool to get what they want. For example, they may howl if they want treats.
As difficult as it might be, the best way to deal with this type of howling is to avoid eye contact and reward the dog with your attention only once it has become quiet.
Your dog is trying to alert you to danger
Your dog may also howl to indicate something they suspect is a danger to you, “kind of like a dog alarm system,” Dimit says.
You may hear your dog howl at strangers walking near your house, for example. In this instance, your dog is trying to protect its home and howling is its way of signaling to intruders that they arent welcome on your dogs territory.
What to Do About Excessive Howling
Howling in Responds to Sounds If your dog howls in response to some kind of trigger, like another dog howling or a nearby siren, he’ll probably stop when the sound stops. This type of howling usually isn’t excessive—unless, of course, the triggers occur frequently. If they do, you can use desensitization and counterconditioning (DSCC) to help your dog learn to be quiet.
Systematic Desensitization and Counterconditioning When the problem is rooted in how a dog feels about a particular thing, it sometimes isn’t enough to just teach him a different behavior—like to fetch a toy instead of howling, for example. Instead, it’s most effective to change his motivation and feelings, which are the underlying reasons for the behavior problem in the first place.
Systematic desensitization and counterconditioning are two common treatments for fears, anxiety, phobias and aggression—basically any behavior problem that involves arousal or emotions. It’s often most effective to use these two procedures together when trying to resolve animal behavior problems. If you think that a systematic desensitization and counterconditioning plan might help your dog, please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, for information about locating a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB) in your area. If you can’t find a behaviorist near you, you can choose to hire a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) instead. However, be sure to find out whether he or she has professional education and extensive experience using desensitization and counterconditioning. This kind of expertise isn’t required for CPDT certification, so it’s important to make sure that the CPDT you employ is qualified to help you.
If Your Dog Howls, Whines or Barks to Get Your Attention Some dogs learn that howling can get them attention from people. If your dog howls for this reason, his howling will usually occur in your presence when he wants attention, food or desired objects. If your dog howls to get your attention or “ask” you for things he wants, like food or toys, you need to teach him two things to be successful in curbing his behavior. First of all, he needs to learn that howling doesn’t work (even if it did in the past). He also needs to learn that being quiet will work. If your dog realizes that howling always makes him invisible to you and being quiet earns him your attention as well as all the great stuff he wants in life, he’ll quickly learn to curb his vocal behavior.
Ignore your dog’s attention-seeking howling
Reward your dog for being quiet
You can also try teaching your dog to be quiet when you ask him to. First, say “Speak!” and try to get your dog to bark or howl. (Knocking on a wall or door usually works well.) Praise your dog when he starts making noise—but DO NOT give him a treat or toy. Then say “Hush” or “Quiet.” The moment your dog stops barking or howling for a second or two, quickly say “Good!” and give him a tasty treat. Repeat this sequence over and over, slowly stretching out the time that your dog must be quiet before earning his goodie. At first, one second of silence can earn him a treat. After he’s successfully mastered that step, increase the time to three seconds. If he’s successful again, increase the time to five seconds, then ten seconds, then 20 seconds, and so on.
Finding Help Because howling issues can be challenging to work with, don’t hesitate to enlist the help of a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). Many CPDTs offer group or private classes that can give you and your dog lots of help with attention-seeking howling. Please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, to locate a CPDT in your area.
Spend Time with Your Dog Some dogs howl because they’re lonely, especially if they’re left alone or kept outside for many hours at a time. Dogs, like humans, are very social animals and need regular interaction with their human families. If your dog howls often when by himself, you may need to spend more quality time together. Bring him inside more often, play games and take walks with him. Take him to a fun training class that focuses on rewarding good behavior. When you must leave your dog home alone for more than a few minutes, be sure to give him plenty of toys and attractive chew items to enjoy by himself.
What does it mean when a dog howls with you?
Whether in your own home, or on the internet, we’ve all seen a 4-legged friend throw back its head to let out a long howl. This behavior can bring joy and laughter to the humans around the dogs. Sometimes, it can also result in aggravation if the howling carries on for too long.
The causes and prevention of howling depend on a wide variety of factors. Keep reading this article to learn everything you need to know about howling, including:
In the wild, canine species communicate with each other using howls. Individuals and packs let each other know where they are and if there’s any danger. While your dog lives a very different life from its relatives in the wild, howling is hardwired into your dog’s DNA. In addition, your dog’s hearing is finely tuned and sensitive enough to hear howls from other dogs from a great distance.
It’s basically a form of doggo telephone. When your dog belts out a big howl, they’re saying, “I’m right here. Where are you?”
Most of the time, your dog is simply stating their presence when they are prompted to howl by a passing siren, a soulful song, or another howling dog. However, there are other factors to consider when your dog’s howling doesn’t fit these categories.
We can look to wolves to understand the basics. Sometimes, there are underlying issues that could be at play. Your dog might be howling because of issues like:
Are you worried your dog suffers from anxiety when you leave home? Howling is a very common symptom of separation anxiety in dogs. It’s usually accompanied by other anxiety symptoms such as:
Another possibility you should rule out that might be behind your dog howling is injury or illness. If your dog has sustained some sort of internal or external injury, their response might be to howl for long stretches of time. Take your dog to the vet to have them thoroughly examined if you suspect a medical issue.
On the other hand, it’s also possible that your dog is howling because they learned it’s a good way to get attention. A quick Google search reveals thousands of videos of dog owners prompting their canines to howl for the camera.
This might be fun at first, but for many people, howling can become a nuisance to both the owner and their neighbors. Keep reading to find tips on how to stop your dog from howling.
While all dogs are direct descendants of wolves, certain breeds are more prone to howling. It’s important to be aware of this when choosing which breed to take home, as some dogs just naturally want to “sing” more than others.
Huskies are famous for their howling tendencies. Husky owners can tell you they love to sing it loud and proud to the moon, music, or a passing siren through the neighborhood. Get a pack of huskies together, and they will howl in unison to create a beautiful yet haunting canine song.
Hound breeds are also known for their loud and soulful howling. Humans have bred hounds for their ability to detect and alert hunters to prey. So, they are naturally inclined to howl to let their owners know when they detect something.
Labradors are also known to belt out a tune every now and then. While howling isn’t as much of a thing in labs as it is for huskies, your lab puppy might grow up to be a frequent howler.
Puppy howling in all breeds is a common trait to expect. When alone or insecure, tiny puppies have been known to let out some howls to alert their family of their location. This allows their parents to quickly locate and carry them back to safety.
While some breeds are more likely to howl, there are some ways to minimize the behavior.