If you are the kind that goes to the woods often, you will be familiar with a wolf’s howl. That sound pierces the night and reminds the creatures of the woods who their predator is. The howl keeps you on your toes and reminds you that the woods are not yours alone. It’s a sound not out of place in the woods, but that same sound in a city block from your puppies can be chilling.
So, you wonder why, and you wouldn’t be the only one to wonder. No one knows the exact answer to why your dog howls at sirens. Sometimes, your dog howls to compete with sirens when it hears the sound. There are only theories, these theories are intriguing.
First off, while that sound may catch you unaware, you are most likely safe. Yelping is something dogs do, and as you may have noticed, certain sounds trigger them. One of these sounds that most dogs react to is sirens.
Do Sirens Hurt Dogs Ears?
There are various theories why your doggy could be crying at sirens. However, howling at sirens doesn’t necessarily mean that your hound is scared. It also doesn’t mean that the siren hurts your dog’s ears. It would be an excellent thing to shield them from consistent noise pollution.
So why do sirens make your hound yelp? Here are a few reasons:
Dogs Pick On High Pitch Sounds
At some point in their evolution, your pup were wild wolves that man domesticated. Some studies claim that the earliest humans created dogs by breeding wild wolves. Researchers also say the early humans and their hounds lounged around hearths. Michel Garcia, a prehistorian, discovered a child’s footprints and a dog’s together.
With dogs descended from wolves, they have some of their ancestors’ traits. One of such traits is how a wolf pack tries to find other pack members when separated. They use their howls to tell the rest of the pack where they are. Wolves make high pitched sounds, and your dog hears that pitch, whether close or far.
A siren is a high-pitched sound, and as a result, your pup’s wolf instincts make it react by howling. The return howl from your hound may be a response to alert the siren as to where they are.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you trained your furry friend or not. The prospect of having a furry comrade in need of their help may make dogs feel compelled to yelp to help their furry comrade.
The Hound Feels Fear
Like how people react to fear, so do puppies. Some puppies become destructive or fidgety as they get stressed; other dogs bark or howl. Stress doesn’t mean that the canine is doing something that can physically exhaust them. Specific sounds like sirens can stress them and make them howl.
Howling due to emotional stress is an ancestral thing for puppies, and they got it from the wolves. Some studies show that emotional stress could cause wolves to howl. So, your puppy could fear the sound so much that it conveys its fear by howling.
You may also notice that your doggy paces, tilts its head, and pants. When you see these actions, it could mean the siren sound causes your doggy to feel stressed.
It Could be to Protect and Alert You.
As pet parents, your doggy could be howling to protect you, and experts theorise that this could happen in two ways. Your hound could try to alert you to the unusual siren sound. In addition, your hound could be trying to chase the sound away.
Pups are your companions. They provide company for you, and as their companion, they feel the need to protect you. When a siren passes through your street or so far off that you can only faintly hear it, your canine becomes alert. They might think you are in danger and want to save you from that danger.
The howl in response to that siren could be to show that a higher predator is around. It may also be to tell you of the possibility of danger so that you may fight or flee.
Why do Dogs Howl at Night?
You have theories on why your canine howls at sirens, but you have noticed your dog howling dead in the night. If your furry pal howls at night, it could be that it feels distressed or it is anxious. Maybe you just moved to the area, and your puppy isn’t comfortable with the environment yet.
Being in a new environment and not sleeping in the same place as your pup can make your pup feel alone and separated. Dog owners should know that not all dogs howl at sirens. The howling behavior is more common in certain dog breeds.
Do Dogs Howl When Someone Dies?
Some people believe dogs howl because someone has died or death is near. A hound howling is none of those things. Howling is a form of communication for canines. It is not as spiritual as people would like to believe.
Some religions believe puppies can see spirits human beings can’t, and dogs yelp when they see these spirits. The yelp is in reaction to these spirits and their spiritual activities.
Does the Moon Make Dogs Howl?
Moon doesn’t make dogs howl. Wolves that are the ancestors of puppies don’t even howl because there is a full moon. Dogs howling at the moon is a media thing. There is no proof of this.
Do Dogs Howl for Fun?
Puppies are funny creatures, and they can be pretty playful too. There have been instances where dogs have howled for the sake of fun. Hop on YouTube, and you’d see numerous videos of dogs howling along to specific instruments. There are various videos of puppies howling to pianos as if they were singing.
How to Make Your Dog Stop Howling After Sirens.
It is possible to make dogs ignore sirens. First off, howling is a natural thing for pups, and most times, it is harmless, but we admit it can get a bit annoying. The good thing is that you can train the yelping out of your canine without needing a dog trainer.
You should issue a command that will get your canine to stop and reward it for listening. When you do this, your puppy will understand that howling after sirens isn’t cool and will want to please you.
Also, don’t give your pup attention when it begins to cry, and it will start to learn to stop. It may take longer, but your pup will understand in the end.
Dogs and Sounds Generally
Dogs are remarkable animals. Are you having trouble sleeping? Get a pup.
Dogs help soothe their owners and help them live a better life. For instance, people who own puppies have more walking exercise than people that don’t. Also, when you spend time with your furry companion, your body releases oxytocin. This hormone has a soothing effect on your body and helps eliminate stress.
In addition, they entertain their owners, thereby eliminating the instances of loneliness. They help balance the emotions of their owners. Dogs have a fantastic sense of hearing. Dogs hear sounds that you can’t even hear even if you paid attention.
Due to this, dogs could react to sounds unexpectedly, and this applies to trained dogs. Some sounds may cause your hound to respond in fear, others cause them to react excitedly, in some cases your dog starts howling. These are some of the sounds that make it react:
- Sirens
- Vacuum cleaners
- Gunshots
- Thunderstorms
- Wailing babies
- Erratic skateboard sounds
- Construction sounds
- Car alarms
- Aeroplanes
- Fireworks
Conclusion
Your canine howling after sirens isn’t out of place. It is something that they are genetically programmed to do. However, with patience, you can train it out of your canine.
*photo by Westsib-depositphotos