Why does a dog howl? When should this behavior cause concern?

Although dogs cannot speak, they have a wide range of ways to communicate with the world around them. First, it’s worth paying attention to the dog’s body language – it reveals a lot about the dog’s emotions, intentions and needs, but you can’t ignore barking and howling.

Dogs also show their emotions and intentions by vocalizing. A dog showing fear and sending a warning of a possible attack will bark differently and be in a better mood than a playful dog.

The same is the case with howling. This type of vocalization is deeply rooted in the dog’s genes, and although comparisons between dogs and wolves are avoided, some features are indeed similar in these animals.

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Primitive breeds such as the Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute exhibit a higher frequency of communicating with the environment by howling than other breeds.

But when is howling due to their nature, and when should it concern the owner?

One of the reasons for howling is the dog’s emotions, positive and causing unpleasant tension in the animal. Dogs often vocalize and howl when exposed to stressful stimuli such as isolation.

Therefore, a dog left at home suffering from separation anxiety may howl. Similarly, when the dog is placed in another difficult situation without the support of its guardian – left outside a store, too close contact with a stranger.

Anxiety can interfere with barking in situations like howling. However, howling appears when the dog feels a lot of positive emotions – for example, when greeting the owner after a few hours of separation.

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The reason for the screaming may even be…boredom and related frustration. Dogs chained in kennels often howl for this reason, and the dog’s unmet needs exacerbate this and other problems.

Howling is never the only way to judge a dog’s emotions and well-being. You should always analyze the rest of the signals, including the animal’s body language.

Howling can also be a sign that your dog is in pain and should never be ignored. Dogs often use various strategies to hide their illnesses.

So, when growling, baring teeth, fearfulness, tucking the tail under the belly, pricking the ears and howling occur, you need to act immediately and take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

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Here you need to keep a close eye on your dog. Under which circumstances he vocalizes properly and may cause him pain or discomfort. Such attention can be invaluable when a dog is diagnosed at the vet’s office and can help quickly identify the source of the problem.