Why Does My Dog Howl at Sirens?

Howling is an instinctive noise for many dogs to make — a long, sad sound that’s very different from barks, whining, or the little yelps they also make. Many different stimuli may trigger a pup to howl, and one of those can be a siren. 

If you live in a bigger city where there’s more frequent noise, sirens of all types may just be in the soundscape of your day-to-day life. And while a dog’s howl, of course, can be very cute, it also may distress your pup or also be annoying, depending on how often it occurs. A dog howling at a siren is their own instinct to respond to a high-pitched noise that may remind them of other dogs or wolves. And that response may be a way to communicate to said “other dog” or another way to express anxiety or potential danger. 

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Why do dogs howl?

Communication

One of the main reasons dogs howl is to communicate. Certified animal behaviorist Caroline Wilkinson tells Kinship, “While most dogs will use scent and body language as their primary forms of communication, certain breeds are more likely to use vocalizations to share information — for example, scent hounds and sled dogs,” she says. “Howling might be heard when a dog is trying to gain attention, in response to certain sounds, or to signal distress.”

Responding to stimuli

Some of that might be responding to stimuli — babies, singing, and the aforementioned sirens all can be potential reasons that a dog might howl. The biggest reason that a dog might howl, though, is if they hear other dogs and want to communicate with them.

Attention

A dog might howl just for attention, if they are bored or lonely. You want to be sure to not reinforce the howling, but it might be a good way to think about other ways to entertain your pet. 

To express emotions or anxiety

Some of that attention-seeking might be because a dog is trying to communicate what is going on with it. For example, a dog with separation anxiety might howl because they have been left alone. Or if a dog is just bored, they may resort to howling to express that emotion. 

Responding to pain

It’s always a good idea to take a dog howling seriously because in some cases they may be responding to physical pain. Be sure to check to see if there’s anything that could cause your dog to be unwell. 

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Why do dogs howl at sirens?

According to Wilkinson, there’s many different reasons why a dog might howl at a siren ranging from protection to being scared.

“It could be that they’re alerting you to a potential threat or intruder — or even to signal the same alert to other dogs in the area,” she says. “It could be a natural instinctive behavior — while our dogs are domesticated, some primal instincts remain. They might also be scared of the sound, with its undulating nature and the fact it gets louder as it gets closer. It may even be that, at one time, the pitch of the siren caused them to howl, which their guardians then laughed at or encouraged — giving reinforcement for this behavior — so they continue to join in when hearing sirens in the hope of getting the same attention from their humans.” 

Do sirens hurt dog ears?

While a siren to human ears isn’t much more than being an irritation, Wilkinson says sirens sound much different to dogs because of the scope of their hearing. “Dogs can hear much better than us humans — meaning the sirens will sound much louder to them and they’ll hear them earlier than we do. Watch your dog’s body language to see if they seem scared of the sound or are trying to move away from it to muffle the noise.” 

If a dog’s hearing is better than a human’s, a natural question that comes up is if a siren could potentially hurt dog ears. “It’s unlikely the sirens will impact your dog’s hearing unless they had the sound blasted for a continuous period of time, but for dogs who have noise phobias, it could be very uncomfortable for them emotionally,” Wilkinson notes. 

Is it okay for dogs to howl at sirens?

Dogs don’t necessarily outgrow howling, and hearing a siren may just naturally trigger that response in them. If it’s something that becomes unwieldy, a pet parent can look into training that can help curb a dog from howling. 

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How to help your dog stop howling at sirens

Positive reinforcement

Wilkinson says that it’s important to first to recognize what is causing your dog to howl and what it might stem from. If you recognize it’s not stemming from pain or anxiety, the positive enforcement route is a good way to go. “If it’s just for fun, then you can teach your dog an alternative behavior like going to pick up a toy whenever they hear a siren — or you could train a positive word such as “thank you” to mean treats are coming from another room, so you can interrupt the behavior and guide your dog away easily from the sound,” Wilkinson recommends. 

Teach your dog the “quiet” cue

Another way to prevent a dog from howling is to teach them the “quiet” cue. When your dog begins to howl, wait for them to quiet down, and then say “quiet” in a normal tone of voice and offer them a treat. Continue to repeat this command when your dog howls to help curb that behavior. 

See a veterinarian 

Wilkinson says that if a dog’s howling seems to stem from anxiety or problems with noises, it may be worth going to a vet to get recommendations for solving the problem. “If your dog is feeling anxious, then speak to your veterinarian to ensure they’re not suffering from any pain — many dogs who have noise phobias are physically uncomfortable,” she says. “Then, you can work with an ethical canine behaviorist to support your dog’s fears and grow their confidence. If you live in a busy city area where sirens are regularly heard, thick curtains may block out a little noise and playing white noise within your home can add a further buffer to external sounds.”

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FAQs (People also ask):

Why do dogs howl?

Dogs howl as a means of communicating with other dogs, responding to other sounds like sirens, or a way to express emotions or anxiety. 

How do I stop my dog from howling at sirens?

You can help curb a dog from howling with training by using positive reinforcement and specific cues.

What dog breeds howl?

Wilkinson says scent hounds and sled dogs are some of the breeds most likely to howl. 

References

• A new perspective on barking in dogs

• How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind