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BS: Why do dogs howl?
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 11 Mar 05 - 11:01 PM Good grief! I'm going to have to eat my words here. Westies do howl! They have to be coaxed with glissandos and it took awhile between wreckless leaps, slurpy dog kisses and laughter, but young MacDuff finally proved his worth, threw back his head and sang with my daughter this evening. He's a little tentative and not very loud, but I do believe there may be some soul there after all. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 06 Mar 05 - 06:32 PM Blackwater Camp is now on line in the Member Photos, as of minutes ago, thanks to the never tiring efforts of Jeff... thanks again Jeff. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Strollin' Johnny Date: 06 Mar 05 - 04:16 PM Why do dogs howl? Don't ask me, I don't know-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 06 Mar 05 - 02:21 PM Of course, that was me. I've had too many glasses and forgot to put on my glasses so I clicked the wrong door. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST Date: 06 Mar 05 - 02:04 PM If you ever drop by Blackwater Camp, you'd better bring your own coffee. All I have is tea, King Cole Orange Pekoe tea blended and packaged in Sussex, New Brunswick. No Red Rose tea from Uppity Canada and, most certainly, none of that tea that makes the little elves dance with their little jingle bells. We got a varmint bounty on them. Oh yeah, it's Tetley (spg?) tea, from The Rock, I think. Now, I'm not being nasty. As a matter of fact, you get three choices : black, canned milk or powdered skim milk. Fancy spot. I think I know why I have been posting so much about the camp and the yotes and such. I haven't been to the woods since the snow began to fly, for various reasons I won't go into. So it's simple. I'm homesick. I even miss the mice that started getting in the camp during the last couple of weeks before the snow. Okay, one more story. Mice. I trapped a couple one night and chucked them onto the lawn in the morning, figuring Hooty or Weaser or someone would collect them. What a shock when a Moose Bird (Grey Jay, Canada Jay, Whiskey Jack, and a hundred other names) swooped in and grabbed one, followeded immediately by another Moose Bird who grabbed the other one. Never woulda thunk it!! Wouldna believed it unless I saw it with my own two eyes neither. Okay. I'll try to shut up now. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Peace Date: 06 Mar 05 - 01:48 PM I got used to the notion of tea that is prevalent in many northern communities. Put a few bags in and boil it. As the tea gets drunk, add new bags and water as needed. Clean the pot once or twice a month. Funny, but it's actually possible to like the stuff. It would make our British friends blanch. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 06 Mar 05 - 01:18 PM Although it could be because of the tradition of trying to avoid the king's penny. BG |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 06 Mar 05 - 01:11 PM Funny, yesterday I was commenting that it took me a long time to figure out why I habitually leave the last half inch of coffee in a cup, no matter how its brewed. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Peace Date: 06 Mar 05 - 12:57 PM You forgot to mention the coffee grounds one spits from between one's teeth--although I've always been partial to chewin' them and letting them ease on down the line. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 06 Mar 05 - 12:30 PM For those who don't know, the best coffee in the world is boiled outside, flavoured with inedible white oil product, stirred with a dead twig broken from a tree, garnished with organic debris and ash and so hot it sears your tongue.......Owooooooooooo. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 06 Mar 05 - 12:17 PM I think he'd also make a damned fine eocotourist camp operator and guide too Ebbie....now if he could just figure how to make a good cup of coffee. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Ebbie Date: 05 Mar 05 - 06:00 PM g-nu, I think you'd fit very well into Alaska's north country. People who are so finely attuned to their environment always amaze me. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 05:54 PM Okay. It means "Come here." Depending on the vocalization (they can tell who it is) it's usually a help call for emergency help or I need help with something non-urgent but important (like a fresh game trail) or I need help to eat this thing. The last is ususally confirmed when a bunch start up with short but high pitched howls that seem like they are singing together. It's quite an eerie sound that gives you goosebumps. Shite! I've got to stop this. I sound like Steve Irwin of the bog country. My apologies. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 05:29 PM No, "Are you out there?" is usually in a very low pitch, which carries futher, especially in humid or windy wether. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Ebbie Date: 05 Mar 05 - 05:18 PM "Are you out there?" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 02:54 PM Okay, since I stalled this thread with my own selfish verbosity... what does a solo, long, really high pitched howl, repeated about every minute or two, signal? Not from Little Hawk, or Chongo, from a wild dog. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 01:10 PM Um, didn't make that "cut" very clear. The woods south of the river, for about four km from my camp, were last cut about 100 years ago. To the north (and further south, actually), there's a main lumber road, horseshoe shaped, off the highway, Route 116. Most of the woods off this road, and the southerlyroad, have been cut during the past fifty years, and the logs transported by truck. Prior to that, the previous cuts, back as far as the late 1700's, used the East and West Branch of the Little Forks, and the Big Forks for spring stream drives. Due to the lumbering that took place from 1950 to 1990 with modern equipment, the land couldn't stop the spring runoff from clogging up the streams. And the beavers were decimated because they f*** up the roads. The result is that the streams have few good spawning grounds for fish and that you couldn't float a toothpick down the upper portions of them. A lot of the cuts from 1950 to 1970 were old growth. I've stood on pine stumps about six feet wide. Then, from 1970 to 2000, the old growth hardwood was cut. Take the Silver Birch. Anything over 400mm at the butt and over 150m from a waterway was turned into veneer for plywood. The saws and trucks ran 24/7. I can remember counting over two hundred Birch Partridge (Ruffed Grouse) "budding" in the tops of these magnificant trees in the last hour before dark, from the top of a rise where I use to set up my tent. Now, the grouse population is about a quarter of what it use to be. Same for the deer, same for the moose, the porcupines, the pine martins, the mink, the Lynx, the rabbits... even my favourite, the moose birds (Canada Jay, Grey Jay, Whiskey Jack, Camp Robber and a half dozen other names). Sniff. The saddest part of this story is that it has been, and is, taking place globally. My old man used to say that we could never cut it all down. Maybe not, but we are sure trying. Hopefully, with modern sylviculture and a greater respect for what the beavers and other animals can contribute to a sustainable forest, we may see a reversal. But it will take time. The damage was deep. And that's what makes this old dog howl. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 12:18 PM You got the aerial photo. No words, grids, properties. Just bush. You can zoom in only so far before the resolution goes flooey. Since you haven't been in these woods and because these are the old type photos, it would be difficult for you to gleen much info. I can tell hardwood, softwood, spruce bog, bog bog, clay, sand, gravel, steepness of the banks of waterways by type of tree and vegetation, etc. But, unless you've been there, done that, it's difficult to interpret. If you zoom on the camp cluster, you can pick out No. 2 to 6. There's not much else to see in this grid square because the lumbering took place years ago. If you go back to the main map (N.B.) you can see that the lumber roads to the north of the camp are much more numerous. If you were to look at those orthophotos, you would see a great difference as the latest cut was over the last fifty years. Note the lack of waterways. She's pretty FLAT. Great walking. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Amos Date: 05 Mar 05 - 11:48 AM Got it. The downloaded TIF doesn't have the word "River" on it -- its more of a photo. But I think I see the river and the general area. I guess I got the photo instead of the ortho map. Beautiful country, by the looks of it! A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST,gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 11:05 AM That was me at 10:27 AM, thru the back door. Gotta get me a piece of string. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST Date: 05 Mar 05 - 10:27 AM Amos... more specifically, https://www.web11.snb.ca/snb7001/e/2000/2900e_1b.asp click Map No. 56 one grid square up from the bottom right grid square, No. 46306550 in the upper left corner, at the end of the word River, just to the left of the white area (white denotes privately held land), there is a cluster of six camps. Mine is Camp No.3 (and No.2, but that's a long sad story - wanna buy a camp?), read from right to left as you look at the map, although you can't see them at this scale. The dens are across the river, to the right. You can see the rill near the left edge of the white area to the right of my camp. Most dens are between the river and the first beaver dam. Above the dam, there are some geezly big moose and they don't get along with the yotes. You can download the orthophoto by following the directions. Use the TIFF download. Note, it may take a few seconds for this option to come up. Download normally takes 11 minutes 20 seconds. The server will begin download at a very fast rate but quickly slow to a very slow rate, depending on demand. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST,Moki Date: 05 Mar 05 - 10:19 AM "Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST Date: 04 Mar 05 - 11:38 PM Richard H - based on your postings - you appear to be a DICK" Richard, ignore this guy. Ever since his testicles dried up and dropped off he's been in a mood. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 09:55 AM I live in Moncton, my camp is in Salmon River, a one hour drive. I was thinking of calling the camp "No Service". No power, no telephone, no cell service. It's beeeeautiful, man. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Amos Date: 05 Mar 05 - 08:20 AM Gnu: Man what a great story. How do you get on-line living out there? A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: gnu Date: 05 Mar 05 - 08:04 AM There's a pack of, I'm guessing, about ten coyotes that have a series of dens along a small rill about 500m from my camp, on the opposite side of the river. I often listen to them howling and try to figure out what they are communicating. The variations are truly intriguing, especially at dawn and at dusk. But, what I anticipate most is the relative silence that occurs when the pups are born. At that time and for several weeks, they seldom howl when they are near the den. If the river is low enough, I cross and scout the rill for the active den. I've been lucky enough to twice watch the pups at play, while mom and dad watched me without blinking an eye. Each time, there were no other yotes around. I assume they were out hunting. I won't be going again, though. When I made a second trip to the active den last year, the next day, they were gone. I figure they got nervous and moved the pups and I don't want to bring them any hardship. Or have them get used to a friendly human. My neighbours aren't so friendly. Speaking of communicating, I received a personal message from one of them last fall. I keep a couple of lawn chairs tied to a tree on the bank of the river. One morning, tea in hand, I went down to watch the Canada Geese and ducks, only to find a large coyote turd on one of the chairs. I wiped it off with reed grass. Then, after my tea, I pissed on the turd and as much surrounding ground as possible. S/He hasn't "spoken" to me since. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: LilyFestre Date: 05 Mar 05 - 07:31 AM I have no idea why dogs howl but I do know this, howling for humans is a HUGE release! As some of you know, I have had a rough year. One day while sitting home alone and feeling empty and pitiful and miserable, my dog Amos jumped up in my lap. I had been crying and had reached that I'm so tired that I don't want to even blink my eyes stage. I looked at Amos and threw my head back and just howled.....LOUDLY. Amos looked at me, threw his head back and howled along. Pretty soon all 9 of our dogs were howling. I have to say, it felt WONDERFUL. The only other times our dogs howl is when their Papa leaves early in the morning to go to work (they start about 5 minutes after he leaves) and on days when the wind is not blowing and things are very still, and of course, when their mama lets out a soulful howl of her very own. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: John Hardly Date: 05 Mar 05 - 06:41 AM Howling among wolves serves an interesting function -- the distant wolf pack within earshot gets the picture -- this is another pack's territory. And they further deduce the size of the individual members of the howling pack by virtue of the lowness of pitch in the howl... ...just as they deduce the size of male wolves by how high up the tree the wolf has made his urine marking. As someone up thread pointed out, an apt description of domesticating wolves into dogs is a selective breeding that focuses on the puppy behavior. Domestic dogs are, relative to wild dogs, always puppies. Just as wolf pups imitate but do not engage in adult wolf behavior, many of the behaviors of wild dogs are echoed in domestic dogs, and sometimes for "puppy" reasons. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Kaleea Date: 05 Mar 05 - 02:49 AM Top 5 reasons Dogs howl. . . *to see (hear) who answers from the other side of the road. *sumthin' to do. *to alert the burglars that the homeowners are home. *to find out how far away the pack of coyotes are tonight. * just singin' along with Brunhilda on "Flight of . . .& Ride of the Walkyrie." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST,Another GUEST Date: 05 Mar 05 - 12:26 AM You're just seeing your own ugly reflection in the mirror of life again, jerkweed. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST Date: 04 Mar 05 - 11:38 PM Richard H - based on your postings - you appear to be a DICK |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST,Richard H Date: 04 Mar 05 - 11:14 PM My thanks to all. I stand enlightened. And am even more impressed by the depth of expertise available on Mudcat. I tried today to match the pup's note ("Sir Charles" is his name; not my doing) in case we could work out a few harmonies or descants. But without sucess. My sincere apologies also to Little Hawk for doubting his pronouncements on dog-yowling. It seemed unlikely that an expert in ear-wax removal would also be into canine vocalisation. But he has proved me wrong. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST Date: 04 Mar 05 - 11:14 PM Do not trust - GUESTS - LittleHawk nor Brucie
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Scoville Date: 04 Mar 05 - 10:05 PM Some dogs are just vocal. Our first American Eskimo dog loved to howl. We would all howl together. He also howled if you sang "Happy Birthday" (he never did it with any other songs, just that one). Our current dog doesn't howl (same breed, but unrelated to the first dog) but she "talks" constantly--growls, snaps her jaws together, etc. but not in an aggressive manner. She does it when she wants something; she must be terribly frustrated that she can't speak like we do. Most of the German shepherds I've met are quite whiny, and since Akitas are related to the spitz breeds I would suspect they tend to be noisy, too (I know huskies and malamutes are great howlers), so if that's what the puppy is I'm not surprised that it sings. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: wysiwyg Date: 04 Mar 05 - 06:35 PM Because they have no "National Pets" day and never get Hallmark cards? (We could start that here at Mudcat.) or-- Why do they howl-- wouldn't you, if you could? or-- Because they are learning in their new pack that this pack makes loud scoopy noises, and that's what they should do, too? I am sure they would rather we gave them the same instruments we play, but alas, GAS does not mean the same with dogs as it does with humans. It's amazing how dogs adapt to our differences as humans (our not being dogs ourselves), yet accept that we form a pack regardless. Just yesterday Faulkner shoved a cold, wet nose firmly into my cupped hand dangling over a chair arm-- and I realized that when they sniff each other's butts, the noses can be quite, um, TACTILE to the recipient! Yet he understood that he could sniff/poke me there but not in the butt! Amazing adaptation. They realize our hands are what we use for so MANY dog functions that, for them, would employ a wide range of canine body parts. Lick our hands? Cuz we don't all like a face lick. Obey hand signals? Cuz our short-snouted snarl just does not cut it as well as an emphatic hand signal. And so forth. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: sue exhull Date: 04 Mar 05 - 05:05 PM Talking of strange things dogs seem to 'know' when my mum died 3 years ago, I was at the hospital all day with her, leaving my son looking after my daughter and my two dogs plus mums two, She had a year old Border Terrier(which I have now inherited) and at the exact time mum died, Meggy scratched the door to go out and sat in the corner of the garden whimpering and shaking and no amount of coaxing from my son or daughter would bring her in, especially odd as she wouldnt normally go outside unless one of the other dogs was with her, in the end, my son had to pick her up and carry her in, when I rang from the hospital to tell him what had happened, he asked me straight away what time mum had died and then before I answered told me! Im sure she knew :( |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Peace Date: 04 Mar 05 - 04:57 PM The Shepherd I was talking about was the best and smartest dog I have ever met. She had been treated very badly: ear broken, tail broken. She became the best of all the dogs that passed through my life. She liked folkish music--but didn't care for classical when it was on the radio. I saw her go to the plug and pull it from the wall when acid rock came on. She never mastered the knack of getting it plugged in again. I still have a picture of her, and it is one of the few things in life I really treasure. Dogs--pets--can come to mean so much to humans. Strange, that. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Cool Beans Date: 04 Mar 05 - 04:30 PM Remember the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album "Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy." Great album and it includes a recording that one of the Grittys made of his uncle (Charlie)coaxing his dog (Teddy) to sing "The Old Rugged Cross." The dog howls along with a bit of harmonica playing. It doesn;t exactly sound like "The Old Rugged Cross" but it is songlike. Then it segues into "Mr. Bojangles," sans uncle, sans dog. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 04 Mar 05 - 03:02 PM Quite possibly brucie, Westies don't seem to howl, nor do a lot of the terriers. However, Our Old Wort was mostly dachshund and had one of the finer voices I have heard. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Peace Date: 04 Mar 05 - 02:28 PM I had a German Shepherd who liked to woo-woo along with some songs. Neat dog. Maybe the howling is something specific to breeds. Anyone know about this? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 04 Mar 05 - 02:26 PM wankers type because wankers type. LOL The socially and sexually maladjusted find it impossible to relate to animals. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 04 Mar 05 - 02:20 PM I know that harmony John, when I was young, my pals were two bluetick/redbone hounds and as as a kid I spent hours singing with them to click into the the harmony thing that makes your chest and sometimes even your lips and head vibrate. Sort of like canine throat singing. LOL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST Date: 04 Mar 05 - 02:13 PM Anthropomorphism. They howl because that is what dogs do. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Mr Red Date: 04 Mar 05 - 02:12 PM New Scsientist has published lots on this. The theories abound but one that gets repeated is that the dogs, in their breeding, have been selected for puppy like behaviour - which makes them safer to be with than wolves. The timidity would have evolved over generations as wild animals just hanging around settlements. And they would have been fed scraps or scavenged. They would have been tolerated because their howling is a sign of attention and usually means danger in wild animals. Guard Dogs first, pets second, hunters third. That's the best I can say - but I think it is the dogs danglers. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: John Hardly Date: 04 Mar 05 - 02:11 PM I actually feel good after a good 5 minute howl with the new mals, Aspen and Blitz. Bear was a better singer -- we'd do endless call-and-response where I would get quieter and Bear would follow suit. I would shorten the howl -- even make a little "oo", and Bear would imitate me. All the Malamutes seem to like this weird "Harmony" that I can do with them. When they get going I start changing pitch until there's this peculiar dissonance that HUGELY resonates. You can feel it in your chest, and I think the dogs do too. Blitz likes it when we howl with a trill in the howl. Mals are great singers. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:55 PM It has always been my heartfelt feeling that people who don't know dogs, don't know what dogs know. Dogs "sing" for the same reasons we do, to communicate with others, to express joy and to express sorrow. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Alba Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:50 PM Oh John that's so sad... Poor Sadie saying Goodbye to Her Friend Bear... Blessings Jude |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:48 PM aw the stuff dogs know..... brought tears to my eyes John. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: John Hardly Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:37 PM My wife and I own malamutes (think Yukon King if you're my age, wolf-looking dogs if you're not). My first male, Bear, was an ornery guy who stole my heart with his comical antics, his love of running with me--5 or 6 miles a day for 9 of his 11 years, and his "talking" (mals are very "verbal" they grumble and howl like wolves-though they rarely bark). Our female, Sadie, was the lover of the pack. She was the one who laid at our feet in the shop while we worked--just to be near us. Sadie just happened to be at the groomer's the sad day when Bear could no longer make it. Our vet is also a close friend and was nice enough to come to our home to put Bear "to sleep". Of course we were heart sick for weeks but the strangest thing happened. My wife and I were busying ourselves in different parts of the house when we both became aware of a VERY strange sound. We both made our way to a window and looked out to see Sadie, sitting in the exact spot where Bear had last lain (remember, she was at the groomer's at the time Bear was euthanized), head reared back and crying the most mournful howl I have ever witnessed. I'm chilled just remembering. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:29 PM Our Westies watch TV and have very strong opinions about what they like and dislike. The oldest when she first started, would run to the window beside the TV to see where the herd of wildebeasts had gone, that she had just seen running by on the screen. There are quite a few of commercials that she just hates and will come running in from outside when she first hears the music introductions for them and then she attacks the TV. We have a lot of dog saliva smeared all over the screen, because by and large, there are more programmes that they dislike than like. Smart dogs. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST,Mrr Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:29 PM Giok - no fair - that's Doc Watson! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Little Hawk Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:05 PM Yeah, it's hilarious. Friends of mine had a dog that would go nuts if there was a bus shown in any scene on TV. He appeared to find it very exciting. He would ignore the TV the rest of the time. No one ever found any explanation for it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Alba Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:01 PM I'm with LH. My Dog, Barney the wonder Dog, sings/howls along when I play the Blues...Memphis Minnie songs particularly....although he has joined in at times with other Blues numbers. I don't think he enjoys Folk as he never bothers then! I think he is just being a part of it.... Or maybe he is telling me to shut up :>+...either way...He's communicating and I love it. I used to have a Sheltie that Howled along with the Theme Music from a British Soap my Mum watched called Crossroads. No matter where he was he would fly to the front of the TV and sit there Howling along....it never failed to make us laugh. Blessings Jude |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Little Hawk Date: 04 Mar 05 - 12:55 PM Chihuahua. "chee-waa-waa" That would be damn funny. Wish I'd been there to see it... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: frogprince Date: 04 Mar 05 - 12:51 PM A local band here in MI., "The Picks and Sticks String Band", bring a chiuawha (how ever you spell it) in a cowboy hat in on their rendition of "Cattle Call"; I wish I could really communicate the effect, audio and visual, for you. People were just about on the floor. They got a standing ovation, in mid concert, for what could be classed as just a silly stunt in an otherwise "straight" performance. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: kendall Date: 04 Mar 05 - 12:22 PM Dogs howl for the same reason wolves howl...to communicate. I had a Beagel that howled when I played the banjo. Son of a bitch was just agreeing with the rest of the family. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Cool Beans Date: 04 Mar 05 - 12:18 PM For the same reason that bees hum. (Wait for it.....) Because they don't know the words. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: John MacKenzie Date: 04 Mar 05 - 12:08 PM He's a howlin' cos he's a settin' on a thorn Just too darn lazy to get up. Giok |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Rapparee Date: 04 Mar 05 - 12:07 PM Because I'm playing my trumpet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Georgiansilver Date: 04 Mar 05 - 11:56 AM Some dogs like to drown out the sound of their owners....wonder why. Best wishes, Mike. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Peace Date: 03 Mar 05 - 11:59 PM Some dogs like to sing along. I agree with LH. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Metchosin Date: 03 Mar 05 - 11:59 PM Trust Little Hawk on this. Our old dog Wort used to sing with our daughter when she sang classical pieces. He would even sing with recordings of her, Leontyne Price and Mirella Freni. He would not sing with Maria Callas because she sang off key. I'm guessing you play the sax well and on key and your daughter's puppy is developing a good ear. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Little Hawk Date: 03 Mar 05 - 11:32 PM Your daughter is completely wrong. The dog loves the music and wants to join in. That's my opinion. When dogs don't like a noise (like the noise of a vacuum cleaner, for instance) they either flee from it, or they run around barking, threatening, and protesting until the noise stops. I've seen this numerous times with vacuums and other machinery. There are several reasons for a dog to howl... 1. Communal celebration and communion with the pack or with other nearby dogs. I've witnessed that many times, specially in Trinidad, where there are a huge number of outside dogs. At certain moments in the night they will all start howling together for about a minute, and it just goes up to the sky like a strange, heavenly chorus. Wolves, coyotes, and hyenas do the same thing. 2. In mourning. Dogs will howl in grief if someone they love has died or is missing. 3. In loneliness and/or fear or forboding. A dog that has been left alone in a car or house will often howl in lonenliness until his family returns. Many dogs that sense an imminent earthquake will howl, prior to the first tremors being felt by humans. So, it can be either a joyful thing, in which case it's singing...or it can be a mournful or fearful thing. I am 100% sure that your dog loves to sing along with the saxophone, and that's why he comes to you. I find that most dogs can be enouraged to howl along by either playing a harmonica or by just howling like a dog yourself to give them the idea. They like it, and they will join in enthusiastically. A human voice howling certainly would not hurt a dog's ears. They will also howl along with the sound of a passing ambulance or police siren. It's almost like the laugh reflex in humans. We often laugh automatically, triggered by the laughter of others. The dogs are like that when it comes to howling. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: Peace Date: 03 Mar 05 - 11:16 PM Maybe he just likes to make noise? |
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Subject: BS: Why do dogs howl? From: GUEST,Richard H Date: 03 Mar 05 - 11:05 PM We have five dogs who show no interest when I play instruments. But my daughter has recently brought home a puppy (Japanese Akita X German shepherd). And it howls like nobody's business every time I play the sax. My daughter and I have had a big row over this because she thinks I'm hurting his ears. The thing is, no matter which part of the farm I go, he comes running to sit near me and yowl. If he doesn't like it, why come listen? In a previous thread, Little Hawk opined that dogs howl because they want to join in the music. Any updated opinions? Can Little Hawk be trusted? |
