21
Sep
Two main explanations for howling at sirens have been suggested. Not all dogs display this howling behavior and even ones that do dont howl at emergency sirens all the time.
Dogs do have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing compared to humans.
Why does dogs howl at sirens. So why do dogs howl when they hear a siren or similar sound. Well it turns out there are many reasons why dogs howl. But when it comes to howling at particular noises there are likely two main reasons.
Bringing the noise to your attention and verbally scaring the sound away. Why does my dog howl at sirens. Dogs howl at sirens because to them a sirens high pitched noise sounds like another dogs howling.
Resultantly they join in the singing. Sometimes they might sense something off and might try to warn their humans. Mostly it is a breed thing some breeds like basset hounds simply howl more.
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. 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.
Why Dogs Howl at Sirens. As most people know dogs are the descendants of wolves. While you definitely see this in some breeds more than others all dogs carry that wild ancestry with them.
Howling it seems is hardwired into doggie DNA. Dogs like wolves howl. No one really knows for certain why dogs howl at sirens but there are several good theories.
The first is that the sound hurts their ears and they are howling in pain. The other one involves dog communication. Lets examine both of them to see which one seems to hold true.
Dogs do have an extremely sensitive sense of hearing compared to humans. So why does my dog howl at sirens. Possible reasons your dog howls at sirens are that it is due to its ancestry it does it naturally to communicate with other dogs or that it triggers a fight or flight response.
There are actually a number of reasons why your dog might. While howling at sirens is common among dogs not all dogs do it. Unfortunately there werent many studies dedicated to studying this behavior.
We might never know the exact reason but some educated guesses why some dogs dont howl at sirens are. When dogs howl at sirens they typically stop when the siren has passed. But if you live near a hospital or fire station you might be dealing with howling throughout the day and night.
Its not easy to train out a behaviour as ingrained as howling but there are solutions. Sirens and howls both contain high-pitched sounds and scientists think that a dog howls when he hears a siren because he thinks he is hearing a howl from another dog. Essentially the dog thinks he is communicating with another dog.
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 siren.
Why do dogs howl at sirens. Dogs howl at sirens can indicate several things. It is tough to determine if the howling is a simple whining or a warning signal from some danger.
It is more common in dogs that are bred to bark. When a barking dog suddenly howls and whines the owner may fear the worst and will do anything to get the dog to stop crying. Why Do Dogs Howl at Sirens and at high pitched sounds.
This is why your dog might always howl at sirens. Your dog thinks that it is doing. Wolves tend to use howling to locate each other and loud persistent sirens can trigger this.
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. By Victoria Schade CPDT-KA i Sometimes the sound catches people off guardthe long low howl that erupts out of the family dog when an ambulance passes by or a fire truck races down the street.
Not all dogs display this howling behavior and even ones that do dont howl at emergency sirens all the time.