Whether your heart melts when your dog howls, or your nerves get turned up to eleven, you probably want to understand what's going on. Why do dogs howl, when should you be concerned, and what can you do to help?

There are many dogs in the world, and they're all different, but there are a few things that they all have in common. One of those things is a habit of howling in response to certain noises and situations. Yes, it can be menacing and, yes, it can have a few negative connotations, but it is best to understand dog howling before you draw any conclusions.

In this dog guide, TAG24 will take a look at why dogs howl and what you can do to stop a dog from howling. Is your darling doggo scared, is it seeking attention, or is it simply singing? Let's find out!

The first thing that needs to be understood about dogs is that they can hear acoustic stimulus that we humans aren't even aware of. Dogs can perceive frequencies between 15 and 50,000 hertz, while humans can only perceive between 20 and 20,000.

As a result, our canine companions will hear many things that we won't, but what does that have to do with howling? Well, a dog will often howl as a response to audio-based stimuli and, as a result, it may seem to us almost like they are howling for no reason whatsoever.

When a dog howls, it is either responding to a noise it has heard, or it is expressing some form of emotion. Perhaps your dog is scared, perhaps it is happy, or perhaps it simply wants some attention.

Dogs are social animals, having evolved from wolves, and they typically live in packs. As a result, domestic doggos consider their owners the head of their packs and will behave accordingly. Your dog doesn't want to be alone, and it wants to be comfortable, so it will howl, whimper, and whine if it doesn't receive what it desires.

Here are five reasons why your dog might howl from time to time, ranked in no particular order. This is not an exhaustive list, but should give you an idea about what's going on with your perfect pooch.

A vast variety of different sounds, such as sirens and musical instruments, trigger howling in dogs. This is based on the fact that dogs often interpret acoustic stimuli as the howling sounds that their fellow doggos use to communicate with them. In particular, howling is used as a way for wild dogs and wolves to find each other in the wilderness.

If a group of dogs howls together, they are not only communicating their locations to one another, but also indicating a social cohesion that's very important for the continued survival of their pack.

While not nearly as territorial as cats, dogs will howl to indicate which land belongs to them and their family. They also mark their territory through urine and feces, indicating through scent that other dogs should be weary that they're not at home here and should respect the other dog's property.

You are a member of your dog's pack, and your house is part of the pack's territory. Now, unlike cats, dogs won't immediately get aggressive if another doggo suddenly appears, but they may howl to indicate ownership.

Dogs are remarkably social and sensitive animals, and aren't particularly fond of spending long periods of time alone and without their humans. As a result, dogs will sometimes suffer from separation anxiety when left alone too often. One of the key symptoms of such an affliction is incessant howling.

On top of this, generalized dog anxiety can also cause a great deal of stress (and, therefore, howling), and can be caused by a variety of factors. Are there major changes going on in your life and around the house at the moment? Has there been some arguing between you and your partner, have doors been slammed? Or perhaps has another, slightly more dominant animal, been around lately?

If your dog has started howling all the time of late, it could be because of stress or separation. As a result, it's important to recognize why your dog might be unhappy and address those issues.

When a male dog smells a female dog in heat, howling may ensue (as well as humping, a lot of humping). It is not entirely clear why a male dog will raise his voice to this level, but some speculate that it is a way of offering himself to her. This particular behavior can become a real problem, however, seeing as female dogs will generally remain in heat for around three weeks.

Male dogs are not the only ones that will howl when in heat, as their female partners will often do the same thing. It is not entirely clear what's going on with this strange behavior, but we can say that it's incredibly annoying...

If your dog is sick or in pain, it is likely to whimper, weep, huff, and howl. It is theorized that this is a way for dog's to show their strength during difficult periods and, evolutionarily, protect themselves from being attacked due to their induced weakness. Dogs that are howling suddenly and intensely should be immediately paid attention to.

When a dog is howling due to pain or sickness, it should be taken immediately to the veterinarian. They will only howl once the pain becomes unbearable, so if this happens then the situation may be critical.

Dogs will howl when you howl as an instinctive bonding exercise, meant to communicate with you in a reactive way. If you are making a noise reminiscent of howling, your dog may perceive it as a call meant to express emotions over something. You are the leader of their pack, so it is only natural for them to imitate their leader as a way to express solidarity and love.

Ultimately, howling is used as a communication tool between dogs and, when you howl, you are using this tool in a familiar way. They are reacting to this communication, though it is never completely clear what they are actually communicating or what they think that you are communicating with them. On top of communication, howling is also thought to be about pleasure.

Indeed, there are many reasons why dogs might howl when you howl. It can also be linked to anxiety, it can be simply a bit of fun, or it can be an instinctive reaction.

It is not cruel to make your dog howl as long as you are not forcing it to do so, or inducing a howl through fear or punishment. You need to pay attention to why your dog is howling. Does it think you are in danger? Is it getting anxious? Or is it perhaps just having fun and trying to bond with you?

While it isn't the best idea to encourage howling (after all, it does motivate them to continue the behavior), it's perfectly okay to partake every now and again. This goes especially when you are playing with your dog, have been bonding through agility training or puzzles, or are having a good long cuddle.

Howling dogs should be treated seriously and checked for any potential injuries that could be causing them pain. Once absolute disaster has been ruled out of the equation, it's a good idea to have ways to deal with different howls. The reason for this is simple: you don't want your doggo making too much noise!

Here are a couple of ways to stop your dog from howling:

• Keep your dog busy by playing with it, giving it a cuddle, or enjoying a few different activities. This will stop it from howling by distracting it from whatever is causing the behavior.
• Get your dog trained from a young age and teach it commands that will stop it from howling where possible. If you can, include a number of physical signals to be used when you can't talk.
• Train your dog to be alone for longer periods of time, or find ways to resolve the issue (for example, see if you can bring it into work with you). If there is no solution and your training has failed, see if a neighbor could look after your doggo when you're out.
• If your male dog has a particularly strong reaction to female doggos going into heat, it might be a good idea to get the veterinarian involved.

It's important to identify why your dog is howling before taking action. Be cautious, though, and take your dog to the vet if you have any concerns or uncertainties.

Many places in the world have genuine restrictions on how long, when, and how loudly your dog can bark and howl. While this is, admittedly, kind-of bizarre (it's not like a dog owner has a strangle hold on their doggo's vocal cords), it is yet another reason why getting your dog trained at a young age is so important.

If your dog is consistently howling, a visit to the vet may also be in order. It is normal for your doggo to howl, but rarely, and only when there is a clear stimulus that's causing it. Dog howling can be a real issue, and should be taken seriously.