How To Make Your Dog Howl on Command

For an animal that descended from wolves, it’s not surprising that dogs love howling, too. There’s a way how to make your dog howl on command, which is a fun trick to teach. You can start by howling yourself or playing a musical instrument. A whistle may also trigger your dog’s howling as well as videos of other dogs doing the same thing.

Since howling and vocalizing can be annoying, controlling it through a command is a cool way to discipline your dog. Aside from that, your dog’s howling will be another trick in the bag.

How to get your dog to howl

Training your dog to howl isn’t difficult. Many breeds already have an affinity for “singing”, so you only have little work to do. The following are some of the easy ways to get your dog to howl on command: please read here how to teach a dog to growl on command.

• Method 1: Show how it’s done

For my dog Sherlock, this method worked like a charm. I simply howl, and he will follow suit. I suggest saying the word ‘howl’ or ‘speak’ before making the sound to associate the act to a verbal cue.

Keep practicing this with your dog and give a reward if your pet howls on command. Later on, you can stop howling and say the verbal cue, so your dog will vocalize as you wish. You should also shed the treats and replace them with affection and praise.

• Method 2: Play the harmonica

Some of my friends who trained their dogs to howl used a harmonica to induce the sound. The good thing about this method is you will look less like a fool than howling on your own.

Many dogs react to musical instruments in the form of howling. Aside from harmonica, you can also try the piano, guitar, and other available options. You can also download an app with sirens or different sounds that triggers your dog’s howling.

You should also use the verbal command I mentioned in the first method. Rewards are also necessary here to instill the trick in your dog.

• Method 3: Show howling dogs

If showing your dog how it’s done doesn’t work, you probably need help from other canines. Look up howling dogs and let your pet watch it. About 90% of the time, your doggo will howl back as a response to its own kind.

Once your dog howls, give a treat as a reward. Make sure that you say the verbal cue before playing the video so your dog will howl in command even without the clip.

• Method 4: Whistle it out!

Lastly, you can try whistling and see if your dog will howl on it. You should use the same verbal cue and rewards to train your dog to howl on command. It may take a few tries, but I suggest using a siren-like sound to encourage your dog to howl.

 

Why does my dog howl when I howl?

Most of the time, you and your dog will be singing together. Dogs howl to communicate to their pack, so it makes sense using the same mode of communication to humans.

The good thing is that dogs howl with their humans as a form of bonding. Since it’s their way of bonding with their packs in the wild, dogs tend to do the same to humans. The only difference is that you don’t know what your dog’s howl means.

Why do dogs howl at the moon?

Dogs or wolves don’t howl at the moon. It just happens that they are active at night, and they howl as a form of communication. The sound travels far to reach other dogs that belong to the pack. For humans, the sound in the middle of the night can be eerie, especially on a full moon. Over time, humans have painted a picture of dogs howling with the moon as the backdrop.

If you’re active at night, your dog will be active, too. Dogs take cues from their owners’ lifestyles and activities. With that, howling can happen regardless if your dog has a view of the moon or not.

Why do dogs howl in their sleep?

Like humans, dogs do have dreams. They usually dream about the things they did during the day, which explains why dogs bark, run, and howl while sleeping. If you trained your dog to howl before it fell asleep, that would explain why.

Sometimes, dogs will wake themselves up while howling in their sleep. However, make sure that your dog is really asleep and not just closing its eyes. The latter is a sign that your pet is probably in pain or experiencing discomfort. It may beg for a visit to the vet’s clinic as soon as possible.

Why do dogs howl when babies cry?

If you have an infant at home, you may be surprised that your dog howls whenever your baby cries. It’s possible that the dog is getting stressed by the constant crying or that he wants to alert you. Dogs that have bonded strongly to their owners will have ‘nanny instincts’, which will push them to howl when their little hoomans are in distress.

Another possibility is that your dog is only responding to the crying sound. It’s similar to reacting to an ambulance siren or a musical instrument.

Why is my dog howling all of a sudden?

Dogs howl for a variety of reasons. It can be due to boredom, distress, and medical problems. To be sure, you should watch out for the following causes of howling:

• Distress. An injured, scared, or anxious dog will howl or bay as a call for help. It’s also possible that your dog is sick and experiencing unbearable pain. In this case, you must get your dog checked right away to rule out any health problems.
• Alert signal. Dogs that are trained to alert their owners will use the howling sound. Hunters usually use it for their retriever dogs once it locates the prey. In a home setting, the dog will howl if there’s someone at the door or if the baby is crying
• Attention. Some dogs are demanding, and they will howl incessantly until you pet them or give them attention. Boredom and loneliness will also push a dog to howl to pass the time. If you’re living in an apartment, this uncontrollable habit might put you in trouble.

Conclusion

How to make your dog howl? You can show how it works or play sounds that will trigger your dog’s howling. It’s a fun trick, but you should be careful because howling and baying can be annoying, too. You must ensure that it will not develop into a behavioral problem.