One of Gus’s unusual behaviours (he has several…) is that he sits and howls in the hall downstairs whenever I have a shower.
The trigger is the shower turning on. He’ll howl intermittently for the 15 or so minutes I’m in there, then stops as soon as the shower is turned off. It started when he was a tiny puppy and has continued. I wonder if it might be related to him knowing that that noise means we’re getting up and will soon be coming downstairs.
I suspect it’s something to do with the specific sound or tonal mix of the shower motor – perhaps it sounds like another dog howling and Gus feels he has to join in! It may sound mournful and sad but Gus is quite content, as are many dogs who howl.
Some dogs howl to other sounds, such as emergency sirens or certain musical instruments – one client of ours needed help because her dog always howled when her son practised the clarinet.
Howling is a dog’s equivalent of using the phone. It’s used to attract attention and it’s how the dog makes contact with dogs in other territories, even when they are a great distance away.
There are different types of howl:
- A sing-song howl is used to contact other dogs and means that the dog is curious or happy
- A plaintive, mournful howl may signal that the dog is in distress
It’s important to rule out any problems.
Some dogs howl when they are left alone or otherwise separated from their owner and this can be a sign of separation distress.
There are often other signs too, such as pacing, scratching at external doors or windows, destruction of household items and pee and poo eliminations.
Medical causes need to be ruled out – dogs may howl when they’re hurt or sick.
Finally, dogs may howl because they’ve discovered it gets your attention – and dogs do what works for them.
You may not need or want to do anything about some howling, such as Gus howling when we shower, but if it’s annoying, or neighbours are complaining, or the dog is clearly distressed for some reason, then please do seek help.
You can book a Doggy Doctor House Visit or Consultation Call here and we’ll sort it out together.
Keep training,
Carol