24
Feb
It is possible that the sound of an approaching siren triggers this instinctive reaction in dogs. No two dogs are the same but the main reason seems to be related to breed and genetics.
Dogs coyotes and wolves are all related and all three groups are social.
Why do some dogs howl at sirens and some dont. A passing siren may startle a nervous pup causing them to howl until the siren fades away. Dogs display fear in many ways ranging from constant barking to destructive behavior. If your dog turns to howl when they are in stressful situations they may be howling at the sirens due to fear.
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. You may be reading this and wondering why it is that your dog doesnt howl at sirens particularly as many of the reasons can be attributed to canine genetic traits. The reason is that all dogs are different and some simply wont respond to the siren stimuli.
Sirens trigger some dogs to react by howling but not all dogs react the same wayor at all. No two dogs are the same but the main reason seems to be related to breed and genetics. Animal behaviorists and researchers believe that the closer a dog is related in ancestry to wolves the more likely they are to have the howl trigger.
Howling in domestic dogs isnt a well-researched field. But there are some credible theories from dog behaviourists that we can explore. One such suggestion is that dogs are bothered by the loud noise of sirens from emergency vehicles.
They may be howling as. Miller states that dogs generally dont react to sirens in ways that suggest pain especially if they respond by howling. Signs that a dog finds sirens aversive might include hiding trembling and running away from the sound rather than staying in place and howling she says.
Although not all dogs howl at sirens it is quite a common problem for owners. Howling is a form of communication but it is not always easy to determine what the dog is trying to say. It may be a sign of distress or it may be intended as a signal to other dogs.
Two main explanations for howling at sirens have been suggested. 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. Why do some dogs howl when they hear sirens. This is a good question.
If you have ever been camping or live in a rural area you may have heard coyotes or even wolves howling too though probably not in response to sirens. Dogs coyotes and wolves are all related and all three groups are social. In fact this is the more popular explanation for why dogs howl at sirens.
Wolves use howling as a method of communication and as a sort of primitive form of GPS to locate one another. Dogs as descendants of wolves may be expressing this instinctual behavior when prompted by the sound of a. I RECOMMEND YOUCLICK HERE httpstubienestarclubTrainingDogs Behind some types of howling are problems of anxiety about the separation of their.
The howl is considered to be a long distance doggie telephone call since the long drawn-out sound can travel for distances of several miles thus alerting other dogs to. The truth is that dogs that bark or howl at sirens may be actively responding to an ancient call of the wild. Howling is a form of communication over long distances that dogs have been practicing for centuries.
It is possible that the sound of an approaching siren triggers this instinctive reaction in dogs. Howling is among many forms of vocal interaction used by dogs. Dogs howl to draw in attention to make contact with others and to reveal their presence.
Some dogs also howl in response to high-pitched sounds such as emergency situation lorry sirens or musical instruments. Continue reading to discover what to do if your dog howls exceedingly. You may be shocked to know that dogs dont howl because sirens hurt their ears.
According to experts if sirens did hurt their canine hearing dogs wouldnt howl but would instead display other behavior such as running and hiding from the noise. Observant pet owners would notice that this is the case during 4 th of July fireworks.