Mary Allen
When a dog howls, it is exhausting for the owner in the long run. The whining is usually an expression that the four-legged friend is missing something – either mentally or physically in the form of pain. In order to help your furry friend, you must first find out the reason for the behavior.
If your dog howls for no apparent reason, the causes of this behavior are usually harmless. However, in order to fathom this, you have to observe your four-legged friend closely: In which situations does he tend to whine?
Howling Because the Bitch is in Heat
For example, if your male appears to be in good health and in top shape, but suddenly howls while going for a walk, a female in heat may be behind it. Her smell turns your darling’s head and he literally feels like crying. After the walk, simply give him a moment to calm down.
Territorial Howling as the Cause
As soon as one of the four-legged friends in a group of dogs starts howling, the rest often join in. Your dog will then howl like a wolf. This is because dogs are pack animals. They will automatically join in the whining to demonstrate their affiliation with the group. At the same time, they signal their power as a pack to other dogs nearby: “This is our territory.” This territorial behavior is particularly common when several four-legged friends are kept together.
Howl at Sirens
Howling is not only contagious among conspecifics, sirens or other warning sounds can also induce a dog to give a howling concert. Reason: For the four-legged friends, the tones do not sound like sirens, but just like other howls. Keyword: territorial howl. Whoever howls along belongs to the group.
Dog Howls When It’s alone
However, your dog may also howl because it is distressed. For example, numerous dogs will whine as soon as you stop “fun” them, feed them, or stop walking them. Some dogs generally howl when their caregiver is absent.
The reason for this is that the four-legged friends are very social creatures and therefore do not like to be alone. Puppies in particular need to practice being alone and get used to the fact that you’re not always there as they grow. The fact that a dog howls when its master or mistress leaves means, first of all, that it is loudly demanding your attention.
Dog Howls While Playing
Even howling while playing is to be understood as a clear request. It means something like: “Deal with me!” Your furry friend will often bring you a stick or a toy, squeak and/or nudge you. A happily wagging tail combined with howling is also a clear sign that your dog is demanding your attention.
Dog Howls at Night
Does your dog howl in its sleep? Then he’s probably having a nightmare. You shouldn’t wake him up, but you can talk to him gently and pet him to calm him down.
If you adopted the dog from an animal shelter or from a previous owner, it may whine at night because it misses its old family. A dog also howls and squeaks when he is unsettled or stressed by many new impressions.
If the whimpering doesn’t stop at all, an anxiety disorder can also be behind it. In this case, going to an animal psychologist or dog trainer is advisable.
Dog Howls in Pain
However, whimpering can also be a sign of pain. Normally the dog hardly ever howls, but if it whines almost continuously now, that is an alarm signal. Or does your dog suddenly howl when he puts a toy in his mouth or eats it? Even then, you shouldn’t take whining lightly!
Other signs that may indicate pain:
- slow or cautious movements
- loss of appetite
- listlessness
In this case, be sure to take your dog to the vet so that they can check whether your darling has joint problems or toothache, for example.