Dog howling at the…what?

Dear Fisher,

I’m a two-year-old mixture of Maltese and poodle, and live with 2 other little dogs much like me, and a cat. We are lucky because we’re very social and get to go out a lot with the humans. I’m very social and rarely bark when in the company of lots of people and other dogs. If they don’t take me with them, I cry when they leave, but that’s not the real problem.

I am sure you have heard of the “cat’s meow” – but have you ever heard of the “dog’s howl?” If my humans don’t take me with them, I howl and howl when they come home. It’s a real howl, very loud, and I can’t seem to stop. The humans can get very annoyed at this. Do you have a solution?

Poshy

Dear Poshy,

No, I have not heard of the “dog’s howl.” I did some checking, though, and it seems dogs who would not normally howl may tend to when they are left alone. Of course, this does not address why you howl when they come home. Consider yourself quite unique – if you have not already done so.

There are several reasons a dog howls. Some will howl when they hear sirens, or certain kinds of music. The tones trigger some unknown reflex and they feel compelled to do it. I have heard of dogs who will howl along when their humans sing, or perhaps play the oboe. This may be a wake-up call to the human to try a little harder to perform on key.

A dog left alone and feeling very lonely may howl. Or, the howling may come about due to some ancestral genes. Wild dogs such as coyotes and wolves traditionally howled to gather their clan. It was their only way to call a meeting when all were spread out far and wide.

In her article, “Howling – why do dogs do it?”, Glynne Anderson provides some explanation and then asks the thought provoking question, “…are our dogs serenading, crooning or lamenting?” I might add…cajoling?

But, you are not alone with 2 other dogs and a cat in the house, and surely they cannot be spread too far and wide. Poshy, consider why you are howling when your humans come home. Some possibilities include:

1. you are more than a little miffed that your humans went off without you
2. you want ALL the neighbors to know your humans stayed out very LATE
3. your timing is a little off – the clan is gathered but you want to take credit for it

Getting to the cause will go a long way in your deciding to stop your howling behavior. On the other hand, your humans may choose to return home at a decent hour?

Your friend,
Fisher