Why do dogs howl? My neighbors dog howls all the time- it makes me really sad I am afraid something is wrong -

Question

My husband thinks he is just lonely, I am worried but I don't want to confront my neighbor and I can't see the dog's kennel to know if he is skinny or what is wrong!!

I think it is a Husky

Answer 1

IThe response is a
throw-back to the wild instinctual behavior of howling in response to
another dog's howl.
Pack animals like wolves and dogs will howl in harmony as a form of staying
in touch over distances and communicating between packs. You begin to
"howl" and your packmate simply joins in.
It's the reason all those dogs howl on the video shows when their owners
play the clarinet, howl, sing,or play songs on the radio. It's an
instinctive wolf behavior.
Wolves will howl together as a social and territorial ritual. They also
howl to locate each other when the pack is split up, to help coordinate
hunting activities or to reassemble the pack.
Check out the following sites:


http://www.desertusa.com/june96/du_cycot.html

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/coyote.html http://www.wildlifetech.com/sounds.html
http://w3.one.net/~tjones/coyote.htm htm
http://www.bright.net/~swopejak/coyote.
http://pc65.frontier.osrhe.edu/HS/SCIENCE/zocoyote.htm

Hope you get some quiet time soon.

Answer 2

Depends on what kind of dog it is. Mine howls ALL the time, it's her way of talking. She howls when she gets lonely, yes, but she howls more when she's happy and excited.

Maybe go for a walk when the neighbors aren't home and see if you can sneak a peak at the dog.

Otherwise call animal control. If nothing's wrong with the dog, they won't do anything. If there is, they will do something. It may sound cruel to think about calling them but you can't legally do anything. Even if you offer it food you can be sued by the owner for doing it.

Answer 3

Most dogs do howl when left outside for long periods of time.That is normal.However my moms friend dog never did howl before and was a inside dog except to go out to use the bathroom.This dog started howling most of the day and night.After a few days of the owner not getting any sleep she took the dog to the vet.The dog had a real bad ear infection.Was given antibotic at the vet through a IV and was given strong pain medicine at the vet.Was sent home with both medicines.The dog stopped all howling.Your neighbors dog could be in pain or it could be howling because thats what alot of dogs do.

Answer 4

Hi First thing is contact your local council they will have a noise enforcement office, they will come to your house at all different hours and assess the noise. They can then issue them with a warning, if the warning doesnt work they can fine them and depending on how much longer it goes on it can actually end up in court. Even if they own their house they can actually be evicted from it as they are causing harassment to other people. Also I would report them either to RSPCA or SSPCA depending on whether you are in Scotland or England about the way the dogs are treated, they again can go and speak with them and assess the animals situation and issue a warning or remove the animals. Im afraid there is no quick fix you just need to get onto the council and let everything take its course. It will work eventually Good luck and get some ear plugs lol!

Answer 5

Our dogs also howl, but we have an Alaskan Malamute as well as a Siberian Husky. They howl when we come home from going out, or we are where they want to be. They aren't abused in any way, it's just them. Sometimes we actually howl with them and at them to get them to howl. For these two breeds, I think howling is their main form of communication, or at least a modified howl at best. they hardly bark and when they do bark it's once, maybe twice and them it turns into a howl.

What breed of dog is it?

Answer 6

Actually, your husband is quite likely correct. As you know, the domestic dog and the wolf are the same animal.

Wolves are, like us, a very social species. Wolves howl as a form of communication.

They will howl together as a pack as a 'symbol' of unity and to mark territory.

A wolf separated from the pack will also howl to locate the other members of the pack. A wolf will also howl from despair if it has been rejected from the pack.

If the dog has not seen the human members of it's "pack", it very likely feels rejection and is howling out of loneliness and despair.

The evolutionary reasons for this behavior are very simple. Wolves hunt as a unit, very successfully. As a "lone wolf" the chances of survival are greatly decreased. And mammals do feel emotion to varying degrees, as we do.

The limbic system, the seat of emotions, is after all, a mammalian "invention".

Answer 7

some dogs howl when they're seperated from their human pack (like when their owners go off to work) it's their way of communicating and calling the rest of their pack members.

My labX will howl if I howl first.

We have a Husky that comes in to the groomers where I work that will howl when her owners drop her off and each time one of us workers leave the room and go into the other room.

Answer 8

Huskys howl, alot! They have great hearing and howl at high pitched sounds that maybe we can't hear.

Do you live near a busy street or highway? They may hear cars with squeeky noises. Near a train? Squeeky tracks.

It could be lack of human contact or lack of food or water. I agree with the others, it wouldn't hurt to call animal control just to have them come out to check the dog.

Answer 9

I have a lab & he only howls when something's wrong or if he's upset. Maybe you should check on him or call animal control to check it out like animal cops or something? At least look at him to see if he's physically hurt.

Answer 10

It depends on what kind of dog they have some dogs particularly hounds are bred to howl .we have a Beagle and she howls instead of barks and when she is outside it is very frequent .