Mary Allen
When dogs whine or howl, it is hard for their owner to endure. A Danish study recently found that howling dogs sounds as sad to dog and cat owners as crying babies.
A group led by Christine Parsons of Aarhus University has found that people who keep cats or dogs have more negative opinions about howling dogs than people without pets. And regardless of whether the participants themselves had pets, the howling of dogs seemed to them sadder than the meowing of cats.
“The result shows that dogs are better at communicating pain or distress to humans than cats, and that pet owner is more sensitive to these sounds,” explains Christina Parsons. And that also makes sense: after all, dogs are completely dependent on the care and attention of people. Therefore, the noises to which we must respond must speak of feelings.
Dogs Cry for Help
Cats are more independent than dogs, explains Parsons’ book co-author Catherine Young of King’s College London. Dog owners usually devote more time to caring for their pets: you walk them, feed them and take care of them. On the other hand, cat owners usually have less commitment. “This difference in animal independence may explain why a dog’s howl is perceived more negatively than a cat’s meow, even by cat owners.”
The study involved 500 young people, some of whom had dogs, some had cats, and others had no pets at all. “Those who keep pets are more sensitive to the sounds of needy animals. This may be one of the reasons why we willingly invest a lot of time and energy in our four-legged companions, ”says Christine Parsons. “It may also explain why we find companionship with pets so enriching, and why both positive communication cues like purring and negative communication cues like meows and howls affect us emotionally.”
Different Reasons for Howling Dogs
But why do dogs howl or howl at all? “There are, of course, different reasons for this, from physical pain to stress,” explains trainer Pat Miller of the Whole Dog Journal. The following circumstances can cause your dog to howl:
- Pain or discomfort: As a first step, you should always check if your dog has injuries or other pain. See if you can identify the problems yourself. If not, you should take your dog to a veterinarian. But other factors, such as too cold or too hot an environment, can make your dog feel uncomfortable and whine.
- Stress and anxiety. In addition to pain, stress is the second major cause of screaming. For example, anxious dogs do not want to be alone and howl as soon as their owner leaves the house.
- Disappointment: Does your dog whine when he is not receiving food from you? Pat Miller describes this type of howl as a frustrated howl — for example when your dog “demands” something from you that you don’t give it.
- Excitement: Feelings of joy can also cause dogs to howl. Some dogs whine when they are under positive stress, for example, because they are so happy they are nervous. For example, some four-legged friends are happy to see each other again.
Important: Never punish your dog if it swaddles or howls. Instead, you can try to train your dog to calm down by giving him a balanced daily life.