strange howling

[TJG]

Ladies and Gents,

I have been going through this holling with all 3 of my Rotties. Every other night or every night they do this holling as if someone or something is hurting them. This is not like a holling that we hear from them when they hear a siren. If anyone can explain this behavior please do so. I have co-workers say that a dog can sence what the human eye can't see;Expain that!

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by TJG

Every other night or every night they do this holling as if someone or something is hurting them. This is not like a holling that we hear from them when they hear a siren.

I assume you mean they're howling??

Maybe they're responding to coyotes. One of our females howls in an unusual manner in reponse to coyoes singing in the fields.

Originally Posted by TJG

I have co-workers say that a dog can sence what the human eye can't see;Expain that!

Maybe they're referring to dogs' sensory abilities. For instance, dogs see far better at dusk than we do. They're also able to smell odors we can't.

[lcarothers]

Suggested reading:

"How to Speak Dog", author: Stanley Coren

I highly recommend this book to even the most educated and knowledgeable dog owner.

You don't address if they are crated, kenneled outside, or have free roam of the house. For those situations there are several possibilities that create the response to howl.
1. They're lonely, they want you near, to be with you.
2. They hear another dog, and announce their presence to the other dog/or as mentioned above, coyotes, wolves (bobcats, or what ever wild creatures you may have in Louisiana) .
3. They are picking up a scent that may create a "hunting, tracking response.

Just a short list of possibilities. Good luck!

[GatorCH]

I was amazed listening to my boys the other day. The only time I've ever heard them howl is when an ambulance or fire truck is going by with the siren wailing. I listened closely and the boys were actually changing the sound of their howl to try to match the siren. ;)

[Canadianrotti]

Dr. Stanly also has a TV show called God Dog that we see on Sat. mornings (the life channel i think). Good advice if you can get past his presentation.
I dont have any advice as to to how to stop/control howling, does anyone else notice their dog start a yawn that turns into a howel of sorts? My wife and I just laugh our heads of at that one.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by Canadianrotti

does anyone else notice their dog start a yawn that turns into a howel of sorts?

Our dogs do this too from time to time--most noticeably when they're ready to do outside, but we have to stop to put on our shoes or get coats on or one of us has to go back into the house (leaving the rest of us standing in the yard waiting) or do something else that slows down the process. I know yawning relieves tension, but I haven't figured out the meaning of that added odd little sound that's associated with the yawn you mention.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Still no howling from Jules. I'm waiting........

[2rotts]

Our male never howls, but our female will do it when she wants to play.

[Soulworx]

My girlfiend owned a 16 year old springer (sadly not with us anymore ) there was one night we had to tell him off (for the first time in about 5 years), and we put him into his bedroom.... it wasnt long before we heard this weird noise.... at first we thought it was her brother playing on the computer upstairs, but when we checked on the dog we found it was him....
The noise he was making sounded exacly like he was saying "ohhhhhhhh Noooooooooo" he sounded so sorry for what he had done we let him out straight away!!!
He was a great old man and is really missed!

[HOLYTERROR]

Casey used to do this weird eerie howl....I never did figure out what was making her do it....She would wake from sleeping with this howl. It was the creepiest sound I'd ever heard.... it would make the hair on my neck and arms stand up. The first time I ever heard it, I thought she was dying..... she didn't do it often, thankfully. Gives me the creeps just remembering what she sounded like.

Kimberly

[TJG]

This is the type of howl I'm talking about. They did the howl last night, my wife looked at me and I looked at her. The kind of look like death was approaching .

[HOLYTERROR]

It gives me the willies just thinking about what she sounded like. When she would howl like that it would wake me out of a dead sleep and I swear it sounded like someone had died.

Kimberly

[danyp1]

Originally Posted by Brooke&Ryan

Still no howling from Jules. I'm waiting........

My house alarm makes Sam howl thats about the only time I heard her

[TJG]

I understand about the siren thing with the dogs. I sound my sirens on my unit sometimes when I return home from work. The howling is so strange you don't want to hear this howl.

[groupieindenial]

Originally Posted by TJG

Ladies and Gents,
I have co-workers say that a dog can sence what the human eye can't see;Expain that!

I'd have to agree with that one. My friends rotti must have sensed some odd presense, because one day i went over with a friend to walk him, and he knows this friend just as well as me. ANd he was looking not right at her, like above her, and looked scared. He had his ears back, stump tucked and kept backing away from her. He wouldn't come outside, till she moved clear away from the door. It never happened after that, and she moved shortly after. I think she lived in a place that had negative energies surrounding it. None of her electronics worked properly there either, but when she moved they started to work well again. I KNOW a bunch of you's are rolling your eyes right now, but =P!!

But the howling thing....I've seen a harmonica work well to get them howling/singing with you.