Why does my dog howl with me
It does not matter what breeds of dog you have, its temperament, or its age. Every dog howls up to a certain extent. This is why many owners have doubts regarding why does my dog howl with me
It is one of the behaviours of canines that are gifted to them by their ancestors. Even the wolves in the wild howl to call their pack members when they feel secure. Similarly, brave wolves also howl to announce their territory and keeping the intruder away. But in the case of dogs, that is not the case. Dogs just howl when they hear some unfamiliar loud noise or when they want to communicate. As you are his pack leader, he may also howl with you. So as an owner, you should understand the reason behind their howling. This article will provide you with some of the reasons why is my dog howling at night and some practical ways to curb such howling in dogs.
Top Reasons Behind Why does my dog howl with me.
Here are some of the common reasons behind howling in dogs-
Separation Anxiety:
One of the prominent reasons why is my dog howling at night is perhaps due to separation anxiety. In case you are not letting your dog sleep with you, they might howl. It simply means that your dog is anxious to sleep with you and does not want to be alone at night.
Howling of Other Dogs:
Your dog may also howl when he hears the howling of other dogs. The reason behind howling, in this case, is to warn the other dogs not to enter the territory of your dog that is your home.
Boredom:
Nearly all breeds of dogs need daily exercise. When dogs do not receive such exercises, they get bored and behave abnormally. Howling is the only possible way for them to burn their excess calories. For this, make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise during the daytime so that he can feel tired and have a sound sleep.
Problems with sleeping Environment:
One of the reasons why do dogs howl in their sleep is that there may be some issue in their sleeping place. May the place is not comfortable for your dog. For this, check whether the sleeping place of the dog if it’s too noisy, bright, hot, or less spacious for the dog to sleep in it. Rectify the issue and then check whether the howling of your dog is stopped.
Hunger:
Hunger is also one of the possible reasons behind the howling of a dog. This may be possible if your dog is hungry for too long or does not eat enough. So plan your feedings of the dog and make sure that your dog takes its complete diet. If you feel that your dog does not like any particular food, try changing the brand of your dog food. You can also change your entire diet and then observe your dog. Similarly, if your dog is facing some digestive issues, then get them checked up with your vet.
Encouraging Howling behavior:
It is possible that whenever your dog howls for something and you entertain its request. By this, your dog feels that howling is the only way to communicate to get treats or other pieces of stuff. In this case, never fulfill the demands of the dog if he howls.
Want to Pee or poop:
If your puppy or adult dog howls in the evening or night, then perhaps he wants to pee or poop. It is more likely that you have not made arrangements for them to relax their stomach in the morning or evening. So make sure that you have given them adequate opportunities throughout the day to do their business.
Pain:
The other cause is pain. Your dog may be witnessing some sort of pain. So, check the health status of your dog, especially if your dog has been gone through any kind of injury or surgery. The best option in such a case is to consult your vet.
Change in Routine:
Dogs generally like to follow a fixed routine and at a fixed place. If in case you have made changes in their sleeping or daily schedule, they feel discomfort and thus howl. In such cases, you have to be patient with them and wait for the time until they get adaptable to the new routine.
Behavior Problems in Older Dogs
When a dog gets old, it witnesses pain in its joints. Due to this, they usually howl at any time of the day when the pain increases. In such a case, you have to consult your vet and get them to diagnose to understand the problem with your dog.
Isolation:
If you are leaving your dog lonely for long times, they may develop some unusual habits like howling. You may also see them ruining the carpet and chewing your shoes when you left them alone. In such cases, you can make arrangements so that your dog is not lonely for a long time. You can leave your dog with any of your trustworthy friends or neighbours. You can also get them admitted to any of the daycare centres for dogs. By this, your dog will get a chance to socialize with new people and other dogs.
Excitement
Some dogs also howl as a victory signal when they have achieved something. It is a natural way of communication in dogs, particularly hunting breeds of dogs. In this case, your dog needs little appreciation from you for the success they have achieved in a particular game or task.
Irritation:
If your dog is sad or feeling annoyed, she or he can express such emotion by howling. For example, some dogs are irritated by the sound of music (like mouth organs), sirens of the police van or ambulance, etc. All such sound trigger their howling.
Such howling can also be heard at night when dogs want to sleep peacefully, but a sudden loud noise makes them scared, and they just start to howl.
Essential Things to Consider When Your Dog Howls:
Below are some of the parameters that will help you to figure out the reason behind the howling of your dog.
- You have to observe the scenario when your dog has howled for the first time. Also, see what had happened when he stopped. If your dog howls suddenly, then the problem can be with his changes in diet, injury, or changes in sleeping pattern.
- If your dog does not howl on a particular night, then observe what the reason behind it is. It may be possible that you have changed their wedding, closed the window, or provide them with a different meal. Observing all these changes, you can find out the reason behind their howling.
- Age factor is also one of the crucial reasons behind howling in dogs. If you have a puppy in your home, then the possible howling reason maybe needs to Pee, attention, food, or separation anxiety. But in the case of a mature or adult dog, the reason can be body pain, changes in daily routine, diet changes, lack of exercise, etc.
Ways to Stop Howling in Dogs:
As of now, you are familiar with various reasons behind Why does my dog howl with me. It is important to determine the correct reasons behind howling in dogs. You should not encourage excessive howling in dogs and should use some of the techniques to curb such behavior of dogs. Here are some of the useful ways to discourage howling in your dog-
Encouraging your dog not to Howl for Attention:
There are several breeds of dogs that howl only to seek attention or ask fr something. To curb such behavior you have to make your dog understand that howling is not the correct way to seek attention. You should never scold or punish your dog for howling; instead, you should stop touching, looking, or speaking to the dog at the moment they howl. Many dogs feel self-rewarding when they howl, so if you ignore them for howling, you will surely be able to stop howling of your dog.
Reward dog For Staying Quiet:
You can also stop howling in your dog by rewarding them when they are quiet. For this, keep your toys and treat ready with you. Make sure that you do not reward them until they are silent for at least seven to eight seconds. So, if your dog is howling for something does not provide them with anything, and do not give attention to them until they are quiet for seven to eight seconds. You can also supply them with treats anytime when they are quiet.
Train the Dog to Obey Quite Command:
Remember how you train your dog to speak, stop, run, and jump. You can also train them to listen to “quiet” commands. You can say “hush” to your dog whenever they howl. For this, follow the below mention steps-
- At first, command your dog to speak and try that your dog makes some noise.
- Then reward your dog with the treat as soon as they make any type of noise. This will make the dog understand that they are commanded to speak and will rarely howl in the absence of the command.
- Similarly, command your dog with “hush” to keep quiet and reward them when they are silent for at least 7-8 seconds.
- Repeat the steps daily until your dog is perfect in absorbing the command.
Some Common FAQs:
QUE: Why do Dogs Make Howling Sound In Morning?
ANS: Dogs usually howls when they hear some high pitch noise that is unbearable to their ears. In the morning, several types of noise are generated by the machines and human activities, and so dogs howl the morning.
QUE: How to Discourage This Type of Howling?
ANS: Not reacting to the howling of the dog is the best way to discourage howling in dogs
QUE: What to Do About Excessive Howling?
ANS: You can control excessive howling in your dog by not paying attention to your dog or escaping from the scene. By this, your dog will understand that howling is not the correct way to seek attention.
QUE: What Is the Reason for Puppy Howling?
ANS: Puppies usually howls when they require something or want to get your attention.
QUE: What to do about your dog howling?
ANS: Avoiding eye contact with your dog, escaping from the scene are some of the easiest ways to stop howling in dogs.
QUE: What Noises Make Your Dog Howl?
ANS: High pitch noise coming from horns of vehicles or noises made by huge machines are some of the noises that make dogs howl.
I hope that now you are familiar with the reasons why does my dog howl with me. Keeping a dog is full of adventures, and you get to know some particular traits of your furry friend. Such behavior in dogs is common and is transferred to them from generations. But one can easily curb such behavior by using positive training tactics.