16
Feb
As it turns out the reason dogs howl at sirens is because of their ancestrynamely the wolf. Some dogs have a hard time with loud noises such as sirens or fire extinguishers.
Others have suggested that the siren could sound to the dog as if it were coming from a distance.
Why do dogs bark at police sirens. A lot of people fear that their dogs are barking or howling in pain at the sound of an approaching siren. Typically when a dog is in pain they attempt to flee or display several other signs of injury and fear. This is not the case for dogs howling at passing sirens.
The truth is that dogs that bark or howl at sirens may be actively responding to an ancient call of the wild. Another common belief as to why dogs may howl at sirens harkens back to some dogs being utilized as a protector or watchdog for a family. Your dog may hear a siren in the distance and not know what it is.
This new sound may be harmless but it may also be a threat and as they say its better to be safe than sorry. Dogs may experience howling in similar ways. If your dog howls at a loud sound it might be to get your attention.
In the case of an emergency vehicle siren or a home alarm they may simply want to make sure youre aware that an abnormal sound is occurring so you can do something about it. Dogs often bark quite low in pitch but their howling is quite high in pitch. And emergency sirens like police cars fire trucks and ambulances are also high pitched.
So scientists believe that dogs respond to these loud siren noises because they think theyre communicating with another dog. Even wild coyotes howl at vehicle sirens. Two main explanations for howling at sirens have been suggested.
One is that the sound is painful to dogs and the other is that it is instinctive behavior. A response to a noise that sounds to the dog like another dog howling. The second theory is more generally accepted.
Some dogs will start howling at a siren even if they recognize that it doesnt belong to another animal. This is usually because they want to alert you a de-facto member of their pack that something loud and unexpected is happening that deserves your attention. Dogs hear a higher frequency of sounds than a person which is why ultrasonic signals such as those used in training whistles can be heard by dogs.
This has led some to wonder if the sound of sirens actually hurts a dogs ears. When we hear a loud sound we tend to cover our ears with our hands to block out the noise. Dogs howl at sirens for the simple fact that dogs are animals that are prone to vocalizing in response to certain sounds.
Understanding this behavior requires taking a closer look into a dogs genetic past. So when a dog hears a siren he believes that another dog is revealing the location hence he will respond. The situation is the same when he.
Imagine how a squealing siren would affect a dogs hearing. Although sirens from emergency vehicles are the main impulse for howling dogs researchers do not know why dogs howl. Some people think that when a dog hears a siren it hurts its ears but that is not confirmed.
Others have suggested that the siren could sound to the dog as if it were coming from a distance. Dogs can howl or bark out of pain to communicate a need or want or just to say hi. And sometimes they will howl when they are provoked by a sound.
So read on as we explain why do dogs howl at sirens. While speeding to a fire or racing to a medical emergency or in route to a robbery. Emergency vehicles use sirens to notify drivers and pedestrians to get out of the way.
As it turns out the reason dogs howl at sirens is because of their ancestrynamely the wolf. When members of a pack are fractured and spread out their companions will. It is impossible to deny the fact that dogs do like to vocalize and many do so in response to auditory stimuli within or near their home environment.
If you have a dog that shrieks and howls at the sound of police sirens or horns you are not alone. Many dogs respond by barking shrieking or howling in response to the noises vehicles make. Okay there is one another reason why dogs howl at sirens.
When your dog senses something completely new and unusual he might see that as a potential threat so they may use howling as a way to warn you that something isnt right. Some dogs have a hard time with loud noises such as sirens or fire extinguishers. The passing siren may shock the nerve bones causing them to sway until the siren disappears.
The dog e xpresses fear in many ways from constant barking to lethal behavior. Owners of dog sirens allow the behavior of loud barking because WHY SHOULD YOU APPROACH THE OWNER FIRST. Either they dont care or they are not aware.
Maybe the owner recently moved from a rural area and is not used to having a close neighbor. Dogs will use their bark to express a number of emotions and a bark can mean different things depending on the situation. However excessive dog barking is a nuisance and can be considered a behavior problem.
Some dogs only howl in response to certain loud sounds such as when they hear ambulance or police sirens. It is also a warning sound for examplewhen a dog feels threatened by another dog or a person invading its territory.