Why Do Dogs Howl at Sirens? 3 Vet-Verified Reasons
There’s nothing worse than being woken up at night not just to a siren wailing but to neighborhood dogs howling in response. Although not all dogs howl at sirens, many do. Why is this?
To learn three reasons why dogs howl at sirens, keep reading. This article explains the behavior, whether the sirens hurt their ears, and more.
The 3 Reasons Dogs Howl at Sirens
Unfortunately, we can never know for certain why dogs do what they do. Nevertheless, scientists have pretty good theories about why dogs howl at sirens. Most likely, dogs howl at sirens because it may be related to inherited communication behaviors, they think it’s another dog howling, or they are playing watchdog over your family.
Let’s take a closer look at each one of these potential reasons for the behavior.
1. Inherited Communication Tendencies
The most respected answer to the question is that dogs howl at sirens due to their relation to wolves. Wolves communicate through a variety of vocalizations and noises, such as howls. Dogs also use howling as a form of long-distance communication. Interestingly, some high-frequency sounds that wolves and dogs can detect may be less audible to humans. Even though humans can’t hear some of these sounds, dogs can.
Since all dogs, no matter how cute and fluffy they look now, descended from wolves at some point, it’s believed that they retained this trait in their genes, whether they realize it or not. As a result, some dogs may howl at sirens because the sound can trigger this inherited communication behavior.
2. They May Be Responding to a Howl-Like Sound
Similarly, your dog may be howling at a siren because it thinks it’s another dog howling. As you likely know, many dogs communicate with one another through howls. Even though the siren does not sound like a howl to us, its high-pitched noises may sound like a howl to a dog.
You can’t separate this reason from the dog’s inherited communication tendencies, which means this reason for the behavior is closely linked to the previous one. Most likely, the dog responds to the siren because the sound resembles a long-distance vocalization. So, your dog may simply be responding to the siren because they think they’re hearing another dog or a similar sound stimulus.
3. They May Be Responding to an Alert or Arousal Stimulus
Dogs may howl at sirens because they’re trying to be a watchdog or protector for your family. Whenever a dog hears a siren, they might not know what the sound is or where it is coming from. Because the dog is not familiar with the sound, they may perceive it as a novel or arousing stimulus. Your dog may vocalize as part of an alert or arousal response.
Because of the nature of the sound, your dog’s behavior may become reinforced over time through associative learning. Whenever the emergency vehicle drives away after the sound passes, the dog may associate its vocalization with the sound ending. Hence, your dog may be more likely to howl every time it hears a siren because the behavior has been unintentionally reinforced.
Obviously, we know that it is not the dog’s behavior that scared the siren away, but your dog is responding based on learned associations rather than an understanding of cause and effect.
Do Dogs Howl at Sirens Because It Hurts Their Ears?
If you’re worried that your dog is howling out of pain from the high-pitched sirens, you don’t have anything to worry about. Because dogs can hear higher-frequency sounds than humans, it is unlikely that typical environmental sirens cause ear injury. Therefore, their howling is not typically due to pain, though some dogs may experience discomfort or increased sensitivity to loud sounds.
Experts speculate that sirens do not hurt dogs’ ears because of the dog’s body language. There are no consistent or reliable signs of pain or annoyance in the dog whenever a siren passes. For example, your dog likely doesn’t cower, hide, or lick its lips at the sound.
Why Don’t All Dogs Howl at Sirens?
Even though many dogs howl at sirens, not all do. If your dog does not howl at sirens, you might be worried that something is wrong with your pooch. Despite the fact that howling is common for dogs, it is not a necessary trait that all dogs share.
All Dogs Are Different
No two dogs are the same. Think about you and your sibling or family members. Do you all respond to potentially threatening or scary situations in the same way? Probably not.
Likewise, not all dogs will respond to sirens and other sounds in the same way. Some dogs may completely ignore the sound, whereas others may howl in response. Some breeds may fall somewhere in the middle and physically respond to the siren without making a sound.
Some Breeds Are More Likely to Howl Than Others
More so, some breeds are more likely to howl than others. Many spitz breeds are considered more genetically similar to ancestral dog populations and may show more frequent howling or vocal behaviors. For example, Huskies and Malamutes are known as two breeds that commonly howl more than many other domestic dogs.
Dogs that were used for hunting or kept in packs howl a lot, too. Beagles, coonhounds, and foxhounds are all known for being highly vocal since their vocalizations helped their hunters in the past.
Just as there are some loud dogs, there are some breeds that are generally less vocal. For example, Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are generally quieter breeds. If your dog belongs to one such breed, they are less likely to howl at a siren.
How to Train Your Dog to Stop Howling at Sirens
If your dog howls at sirens and you can’t stand the noise, you can train your dog to stop the behavior. It may be a bit difficult to teach this behavior at first, but your dog will likely respond relatively quickly once it has figured out the command. Some breeds will be easier than others to train.
The easiest thing to do is to teach your dog to stop howling on command. Whenever your dog starts howling, you say a cue word like “quiet” or “thank you” to inform your dog to stop howling. Reward your dog every time it listens to the command and stops the behavior.
It’s important that you use positive reinforcement instead of punishment when training your dog not to howl at sirens. After all, your dog is doing this because of an arousal or sound-triggered response. You don’t want to punish your dog for this natural vocal response.
Instead, use treats and praise to reward your dog whenever it listens. That way, the dog will listen to you without developing fear or anxiety associated with training. If you need guidance on training your dog, we suggest you speak to a vet.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, we can’t say for certain why dogs howl at sirens, but it likely has to do with their inherited communication tendencies, sensitivity to sound stimuli, and alert or arousal responses.
Certain breeds are more likely to howl than others because of their breed-related vocal tendencies and genetic predispositions, but individual dogs may choose to howl too. If you can’t handle the howling noise, use positive reinforcement to teach your dog to stop howling on command.
Featured Image Credit: Samantha Gould, Shutterstock
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Nicole has loved animals of all sizes her whole life so it's no wonder she has dedicated her career to helping them through what she loves best: learning, writing, and sharing knowledge with others. She’s the proud mom of two dogs, a cat, and a human. With a degree in Education and 15+ years of writing experience, Nicole wants to help pet parents and pets around the planet to live happy, safe, and healthy lives.
