Have you ever wondered in what situations dogs howl and why do they even do it? How is it possible that they still hang on this wolfs’ behaviour when they were domesticated such a long time ago?
The fact that howling is innate behaviour that dogs have from their ancestors – wolfs – is probably a well-known thing. Among wolfs, it is a natural way of communication which is necessary for survival. But what is the reason domesticated dogs still do that?
Let’s have a look at it from the basics and summarize all the reasons wolfs and wild dogs have for howling and match them with today’s world experience.
The first reason everybody probably assumes is calling the pack together or in other words the organization of the pack and its guiding. Members who are far away answer by howling to let the pack know about their location and both sides repeat that until they guide each other to the meeting point. That might be the reason why your dog howls when it is ate home alone or someone looks after it in an unfamiliar environment or with unfamiliar people. It calls its family and expresses sadness when they are not around.
However, howling also has the function of warning other pack members against danger – other dogs, for example. Therefore, it is a kind of a defensive mechanism. It sends the message to its pack telling “watch out” as well as intimidates the intruder. That might be the reason why your dog companion howls when it can hear a stranger behind the door or there is a strange dog walks alongside the fence. Howling also strengthens the bond in the pack and shows others the territory has already been taken.
However, this acoustic expression may also have simpler reasons. A dog companion might express its anxiety or frustration that you leave it at home alone again, you don’t pay enough attention to it and it feels lonely. It is a symptom of the separation anxiety.
By howling, a dog might only react to loud noises, it is a response to intensive and unexpected stimuli from the environment. It is often a dog’s reaction to sirens, sometimes even to singing or music. It is a response to what it thinks is its own or another pack. Also, a dog will react if it hears other dog’s howling.
Your dog might also use howling as a way to bring your attention to its injury or to the fact something hurts it. Another reason for howling might simply be happiness, it is the same way of expression as when people sing. Some breeds, such as huskies or malamutes, howl more often, it might be due to their stronger feeling for packs.
What about your dog companion, does it howl often or you haven’t heard it yet? And did you know you can even teach a dog to howl? It is used for hunting dogs to report prey, for example.
Food is one of the most basic needs of dogs as well as humans. How to make sure your dog has enough necessary nutrients? And if you opt for dry food, what options are there? And what to consider when choosing?
Most of us care about the contents of the packages with dry food but have you ever thought about the packaging itself? Do you know what is used for the packaging of dry food, how different are individual materials and what innovations can you find on...
You can recognize a Burmese cat mainly because of its silky fur and beautiful, deep gloss with typical signs of a colour that is not present in any other breed. Besides its glossy fur, this breed has also a great nature which makes these cats great...
Dachshunds, from smooth-haired, wire-haired and short-haired to long-haired, are popular companions and not only in the Czech Republic but in the world as well. And they are great companions! Even though they are quite stubborn.
Cats may bite from many reasons and if you would like to make this undesirable behaviour stop, it is important to understand why they do it. The fundamental thing is to eliminate the cause but we can also help with other things.
Do you like baking and you have noone to bake for? You probably haven’t thought about your dog companion. However, you might also make some tasty and healthy goodies at home for it as well. I’ll tell you how.
Only a few per cent of loss of water may cause serious problems for your dog. However, we often don’t pay attention to its drinking and underestimate its importance. When there is a risk of dehydration, do you know how to avoid it or recognize it?
Dry food with larger proportion of meat might not only have positive effects on dogs’ organisms, when processed well, it will also make happy even the pickiest gourmets that usually don’t like dry food. Thanks to a holistic approach, you’ll keep the...
The days are getting warmer and our dogs and cat starts to shed. This has a negative impact on your household with all the hair. Have you found a way to reduce the contamination with hair at least a bit and speed up the process of shedding?...
Do you also barely resist the temptation to cuddle a dog, no matter if yours or someone else’s? It’s no surprise, a new study shows that such contact with a dog is like a drug for human brain.
There are plenty of reasons why we get flat-faced dogs. For their specific appearance, great nature, loyal love to their owner... And maybe also for their need of constant attention that makes us feel well. The flat-faced dogs are simply cute....
Brown rats, mice and hamsters as well as other rodents are quite small pets and sometimes, we don’t even think about dealing with them being overweight. However, if we like our pets and we want them to be well and stay with us as long as possible,...
