When and why do dogs howl?

Have you ever wondered an interesting animal facts question: When and why do dogs howl? Let’s see why

By Josh Weiss-Roessler

You’ve probably been here before: you’re leading your dog around the neighborhood on a typical pack walk when suddenly there’s a siren way off in the distance. You barely notice it, but your dog’s ears immediately perk up. As it gets closer and closer (and louder and louder), she becomes more and more agitated or excited. Finally, it rounds the corner, headed your way, and as it nears you and passes by, your pooch lets loose with a glorious howl, head thrown back like she was a wolf out in the desert.

Separation Anxiety Howling
If your neighbors call you and tell you that your dog is howling when you are at work, your dog’s excessive howling might be caused by separation anxiety. Separation anxiety howling only occurs when a dog is left alone or otherwise separated from his owner. 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.

Medical Causes
Dogs sometimes howl when they’re hurt or sick. If your dog starts howling or howls more than usual, take him to a veterinarian to rule out illness and injury before doing anything else.
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.

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