Why Howls The Dog?

[Deranged Nasat]

Here's a question for anyone with greater knowledge of canine psychology than I: why do dogs howl?

The neighbouring household (in its madness and degeneracy) has acquired a collection of four or five small yapping dogs. Other than the yapping, which at irregular intervals takes place for ten minutes at a time, they have a vocal ritual of sorts where at least once a day they share a howling chorus. It occurs to me that I don't actually know why they do it. The obvious answer "to annoy Deranged Nasat" is tempting but probably inaccurate. So, can anyone enlighten me - is it to strengthen social bonds, affirm a pack identity, communicate that status to others as a advert of collective strength, all of the above?

 

[RoJoHen]

It's code. They're planning to take over the world.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

It's code. They're planning to take over the world.

I'd believe it, but then my minority opinion on dogs is already well established.

Fortunately, these dogs are all miniscule yapping morons; it's the quieter, better behaved dogs that I'm worried about when it comes to planned domination.

 

[DimesDan]

I'm guessing it's because they're pack animals, they use it to communicate over a distance or to say "I'm here, this is my land, enter at your own risk."

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I'm guessing it's because they're pack animals, they use it to communicate over a distance or to say "I'm here, this is my land, enter at your own risk."

I'd have thought so, but can anyone confirm why they all do it together; are they communicating their status as a pack to potential rivals as a show of strength (regardless of whether they know any other dogs can hear or not), or is it supposed to strengthen that pack identity and reaffirm a sense of security through acknowledging existing bonds? I guess I'm asking - is the shared howl only directed externally or does it have a function internal to the group? Do dogs howl instinctively or only in response to known rivals?

Sorry, but it occurred to me that when it comes to the details of canine behaviour I don't really know very much; I imagine those who have or had dogs would have more insight.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Whenever my German Shepherd heard an ambulance or fire truck, he would sit, point his nose up in perfect stereotypical wolf pose, and howwwwwl. Someone said it's just that sirens hurt dogs' ears, but that doesn't make sense, because he never responded to any other pain or discomfort by howling. This was more like singing along -- his howl would follow the rhythm of the siren perfectly.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

That would be another detail that interests me. I'm assuming the siren was close enough to a howl that your dog took it for such and was responding in kind as a means of establishing communication. Was it simply a "yes I'm here", getting a shared network going like a canine form of facebook, so everyone knows who is where and how many there are, or was it a response to a perceived challenge, "this is my territory, I can match you in strength, be on your way"? If dogs respond to other howls, why does the first dog howl? Again, curious or threatening or scared? Preemptive "tough guy" behaviour, the dog equivalent of a "hawk"?

I'm surely overthinking this, but those dogs next door are making my wonder

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I had a childhood dog that my parents got from the shelter when he was 6 months old. They changed his name from Albert to Sam. To the end of his life 13 years later if you called him Albert he would become agitated and throw back his had and howl (and he wasn't a howler, this was one of the few times he would do it).

 

[thestrangequark]

I had a St Bernard that used to howl whenever we'd sing "Happy Birthday." She didn't howl when we sang anything else, but she did it every single time we sang "Happy Birthday."

 

[Kestra]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSDBw2eDOtc&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/yt]

 

[Marc]

Whenever my German Shepherd heard an ambulance or fire truck, he would sit, point his nose up in perfect stereotypical wolf pose, and howwwwwl. Someone said it's just that sirens hurt dogs' ears, but that doesn't make sense, because he never responded to any other pain or discomfort by howling. This was more like singing along -- his howl would follow the rhythm of the siren perfectly.

Wonder is that's some perculiar to German Shepards - ours would do the same thing yet our other dogs (a Rottweiler and Shih-tzu Maltese X) never did.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

That would be another detail that interests me. I'm assuming the siren was close enough to a howl that your dog took it for such and was responding in kind as a means of establishing communication. Was it simply a "yes I'm here", getting a shared network going like a canine form of facebook, so everyone knows who is where and how many there are, or was it a response to a perceived challenge, "this is my territory, I can match you in strength, be on your way"? If dogs respond to other howls, why does the first dog howl? Again, curious or threatening or scared? Preemptive "tough guy" behaviour, the dog equivalent of a "hawk"?

I'm surely overthinking this, but those dogs next door are making my wonder

Overthinking is fun sometimes. Seems to me that if he felt challenged or threatened by the siren, he would've been growling and raising his shackles, not sitting and howling in a position that left the throat exposed. Plus he reacted the same way, whether the siren was right in front of my house (gave at least one firefighter a good laugh) or so far away that I didn't even notice it until he started howling.

Wonder is that's some perculiar to German Shepards - ours would do the same thing yet our other dogs (a Rottweiler and Shih-tzu Maltese X) never did.

That's interesting. I can't remember whether my first GSD howled (if he did, it wasn't much, or I would remember). The mutt next door used to howl when he was lonely -- he was often tied up in the yard for long periods -- but I never heard him howl at a siren.

 

[JoeZhang]

It is just a means of communication - some do it more than others - don''t get too worked up about it, regardless of how much we try to project human trait on dogs like must animals they are pretty thick.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

It's code. They're planning to take over the world.

Nah, that's what the cats are planning to do

 

[Tora Ziyal]

It's code. They're planning to take over the world.

Nah, that's what the cats are planning to do

I wouldn't be surprised if they're both planning, but it's the cats who'll succeed.

Nasat, I dug this out for you. I haven't looked at any of my poems in years (haven't written any in years), but our conversation here reminded me of this little one. It's called "Misha's Poem."

Urban dog playing wolf
Points his nose to the summer sky
And howls in perfect harmony
I wonder if the ambulance
Understands the ancient song.

(copyright 2000)

 

[Gaith]

I wouldn't be surprised if they're both planning, but it's the cats who'll succeed.

Oh, please. Cats couldn't organize a dog pageant, the lazy bums. They're the United States Marijuana Party of the animal world.




@ Kreacher: reminds me of a poem of my own, copyright 2002:

Puppy

My puppy looks up at me, lovingly
With love in his big, brown eyes.
He whines with a song that plays on the heart:
It's time to get him his food.
That's what I am to my puppy:
Friend, protector, feeder.

... My puppy looks up at me, manipulatively
With manipulation in his big, brown eyes.

What a horrible creature.
​

 

[thestrangequark]

I wouldn't be surprised if they're both planning, but it's the cats who'll succeed.

Oh, please. Cats couldn't organize a dog pageant, the lazy bums. They're the United States Marijuana Party of the animal world.




@ Kreacher: reminds me of a poem of my own, copyright 2002:

Puppy

My puppy looks up at me, lovingly
With love in his big, brown eyes.
He whines with a song that plays on the heart:
It's time to get him his food.
That's what I am to my puppy:
Friend, protector, feeder.

... My puppy looks up at me, manipulatively
With manipulation in his big, brown eyes.

What a horrible creature.
​

That was great! Though my favorite dog poem will always be this:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwGnCIdHQH0[/yt]

 

[Avalon]

why do dogs howl?

'Cause it just feels good.

Go ahead, try it...

 

[rhubarbodendron]

I think these particular 4 or 5 mini-dogs howl because small lapdog races tend to be highly hysterical. One starts and the others join in. Babies show a similar behaviour in groups: when one starts, the others will cry as well, even though they'll be perfectly allright (very effectively making it impossible for the nurse or mother to find out which of them is the one that really needs fresh diapers or some milk or has a belly ache)

After 48 years of keeping German Shepherds / Alsatians I can confirm that almost all of them react to sirens, many to ambulances and some even to church bells (only high-pitched ones, though, which makes me suspect it's a matter of frequency). I believe they consider them unpleasant but not a threat and try to protest against the noise, but I can't prove my theory.

And, of course, as soon as any dog - regardless of the breed - in the neighbourhood starts to howl, any dog within earshot will join in. That's just normal communication: I am here - where are you? // I'm lonely - is anyone there? // This is my/our territory - so shut up!

I learned the howl from my dogs and was very proud when I tried it out on a group of European Wolves and they replied immediately =)
Perhaps you can surprise the neighbour doggies into being silent when you howl Deranged Nasat?

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Thanks, all, for the insights, poetry, humorous video clips and suggestions that I myself start howling.

I've never had a dog and almost certainly never will, so when I hear or watch the neighbours' I sometimes wonder what I'm missing regarding their behaviour.