Have you ever come across a dog howling a lot and wondered what it means? This is actually a very frequent question among pet guardians and the behavior says a lot about canine communication. After all, as much as animals do not have the same ability to speak, as humans, it does not mean that they cannot communicate in some way.

But then why do dogs howl, and why do these sounds happen mostly at night? Is there a trigger that sets it off? To better understand about dog howling, what it can be and how best to deal with your friend's behavior, we have prepared a special article on the subject.

Dog howling: what does it mean?

It is very simple to understand what howling means: this is a habit inherited from their ancestors (wolves) and which is still very present in canine behavior today. That is, in practice, it is a form of communication between members of a pack and is very common especially among breeds such as the Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute.

While some dogs bark, others howl - but logically, one habit does not exclude the other and a dog can bark just as much as it can howl. The big difference is that howling is used to facilitate communication over long distances, as it has a much louder timbre than barking. Therefore, the sound can be heard from afar by other dogs, who have very keen hearing capable ofidentify frequencies up to 40,000 Hz. The practice is mainly used as a way to attract attention and locate other animals.

The dog howling at night has several explanations

Even though it is a purely instinctive behaviour, there are also other explanations for a dog howling at night. The age of the animal, for example, is a factor that influences this: old dogs and puppies sometimes have the habit of howling as a way of alerting that they are feeling some discomfort at bedtime. In the case of puppies, it is often a sign of hunger, coldWhen it comes to an older dog, the biggest reason is usually joint pain - but in this case, the puppy will also howl during the day.

There are also other possibilities, such as boredom and loneliness. Sometimes the howling dog wants to get the attention of the family because it is feeling very lonely, does not receive the necessary stimuli during the day or even because it even misses a particular member (which occurs especially when there is a death of someone close). Yes, the dog misses people, and the howl isjust one of the ways these animals demonstrate this.

Last but not least, dog howling a lot can also occur because of external stimuli. If your pooch hears another dog howling, even if far away and inaudible to human ears, he may howl back as a response.

One reason why dog howls is to facilitate long distance communication

How to deal with a dog howling a lot?

Now that you know why dogs howl, how about understanding the best ways to deal with this canine habit? To prevent the noises from disturbing neighbors or waking up the residents of the house, it is worth trying the tips below to reduce the frequency of howling:

1) Do not reward behavior. Sometimes pet owners think this is the best way to calm their dog down, but it's something that ends up reinforcing the attitude even more. This means that the dog will bark even more to get the treats offered.

2) Seek to understand the reason behind the dog howling. If it is hungry or cold, for example, it is important to meet your friend's needs to stop the howling. One way to do this is to always ensure a warm and cozy environment for the dog, as well as feeding him before bedtime.

3) Spend the dog's energy during the day. This helps to tire the dog out and make him more relaxed, so he won't be bored or anxious during the night. Consequently, he won't be howling as much. The best thing is that there are several ways to play with a dog, whether outside or indoors.

4) Have regular health check-ups for your dog. As already mentioned, sometimes the dog feels pain and the way they find to indicate this is through howling. Therefore, visits to the vet should not be overlooked.