Why Do Dogs Howl? Reasons and Meaning

You've surely heard wolves or dogs howl at some point in your life — a very distinctive, unmistakable sound that helps them communicate or express themselves. But... do you know why dogs howl? Obviously, because they descend from wolves, but the meanings behind howling can vary depending on context.

Understanding your dog is very important, to be able to know what's going on with it and help it if needed. Let's look, one by one, at what dogs are trying to express when they howl.

Meanings Behind a Dog's Howl

Every howl your dog lets out will sound the same or nearly identical, varying only slightly in tone. So, the only way to know the real meaning behind your dog's howl is to look at the situation and see if it matches the following.

Dogs That Howl Out of Loneliness

As sad as it might sound, it's a reality. Many people keep a dog isolated in a yard or garden, tied up for life to a chain guarding a warehouse, house, and so on.

Dogs howl because they feel extremely alone, abandoned, with no family/pack to care for or accompany them. That's why they howl, letting out a sound that can travel for miles looking for another dog to hear their howl and communicate with, and that dog will howl back too.

Domestic dogs, the ones living inside the house with their pack (family), sometimes also howl when left alone, or at night when confined to the kitchen or living room so they sleep separate from humans. They simply howl because they feel lonely or scared.

Other Dogs Howl Out of Imitation

Another reason dogs might start howling... or even keep at it for a while, is imitation. If they hear the sound of a police, ambulance, or fire truck siren, they interpret it as another dog howling, and out of imitation or solidarity, they start howling too.

If their owner makes similar sounds, singing, howling, or letting out high-pitched sounds, the dog will also imitate, approaching immediately to check it's not a distress howl, and once it realizes it's just its owner being a bit silly, it starts howling along with them.

Howling to Call the Pack or Express Pain

When a dog wants to call its pack, which may be somewhat far away... it howls. This is a sound quickly recognized by any dog, even coming from another dog miles away. We shouldn't forget our dogs' incredible hearing — it's not just about smell... They hear the call from a pack member and go join them, or simply howl to let them know they're also nearby, in the area.

Pain is another cause that can make a dog howl — when they're in pain, they don't express it with words like humans... they do it with sounds. They whine, cry, and often, they howl.

Most curiously, if your dog sees you've hurt yourself, are suffering, crying, and so on... it'll also howl, sharing your pain this way. Without a doubt, dogs are incredibly wonderful beings.

The Welcoming and Happy Howl

There's another, somewhat softer type of howl that simply expresses joy. For example, when we get home and our dogs, instead of barking, howl to welcome us. It's just another form of canine expression.

Anxiety Also Causes Our Dog to Howl

It's been shown that dogs with separation anxiety (regardless of the cause or condition producing this anxiety) howl much more than dogs without anxiety. This shows it's another way of signaling there's a problem with the dog, which it draws attention to with its howls.

Marking territory is somewhat less common when it comes to howling, but not impossible. Many dogs howl to tell other dogs this is their territory — we'll notice because we'll hear more dogs howling in unison or approaching the spot.

My Dog Howls in the Middle of the Night. What's Wrong?

Analyzing the context here is also essential — during the night, there's less noise, so another dog's howl or a siren's sound is much more noticeable to your dog. And if it hears it, it may want to respond or imitate it.

That said, we shouldn't rule out a health issue — if it's in pain or feels very alone, it'll howl. This is how some dogs cry.

What to Do When a Dog Is Howling?

If we see our dog howling, we shouldn't bother it or scold it — the right thing is to think through the options mentioned and check which one is most logical. By assessing whether it's alone, scared, sick, or if we've recently heard other dogs howling, we'll know exactly what's going on and what to do.

1. If it howls out of imitation, we can distract it with a game if we want to prevent it, but never scold it.
2. When it howls to respond to other dogs' howls, we shouldn't stop it either — it's its way of communicating.
3. If its howl is out of pain, we can give it pets and love while calling the vet to examine it.

Is It True Some Dogs Howl When Someone Dies?

It's been rumored since ancient times that dogs have some extraordinary senses unknown to humans. It's unclear whether this is a myth or reality, but some claim they're able to predict disasters, deaths, and so on.

So, there are urban legends stating dogs howl when someone is about to die or has just died, as a sign of mourning. But this isn't something scientifically proven, so no one can confirm it.