It is a common sight to see a husky howling as it is a common trait. But, if you are wondering why do huskies howl, there are a few underlying reasons.
Almost all dogs tend to bark or howl, but why is this breed different? Of course, knowledge doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We have to read to learn!
Suppose you have never owned a husky before, you will ask yourself the question that why do these howl. Howling is one of the critical behavior of huskies. But, everything thing happens for a reason!
Let’s closely determine the underlying reasons behind the huskies’ howling.
Why Do Huskies Howl? 6 Reasons Behind Huskies’ Howling
Most husky owners consider their husky’s howling as “talking.” They think that their furry friend is trying to communicate with them.
Their voice has so many vibrations, pitches, and tones. At some point, it feels they are trying to speak. There is no doubt that howling is the key to communication between animals. Let’s have a look at the other reasons below!
1) Responding To Another Howl:
When dogs and wolves were a part of the wild, they communicated by howling in long distance. Howls last longer than barking and take less effort. They can easily hear it over a long distance as well.
Unlike barking, it echoes more. This is why it quickly travels through the wind.
Howling was much effective to transfer the messages. This instinct developed more strongly than barking. It helped in keeping them safe. Siberian huskies are not much different from other breeds. This is why howling is common.
Watching TV and your canine friend comes around during howling in the scene. Your husky will howl in response.
If you have never experienced it, play some howling video on YouTube. You will notice your husky intrigued by it. And, they will follow the howling.
2) Responding To High-Pitched Sounds:
When huskies hear a high-pitched sound like a baby crying or a siren, they will howl in response. The high-pitched sounds are a call for help in terms of huskies.
They can mistake a phone alarm for a call for help because it is a high-pitched sound.
Even if your husky didn’t experience sled-dog days or been in a dog pack before, they would still act like this.
It is a known fact that the ancestors would howl if they lost the way or in distress. When the pack comes back, the lost husky can easily find its partners.
Suppose you want to find out which other sirens other than ambulance trigger your husky. Play videos of different sirens and high- pitched sounds. This way, you will find out what other sounds they will respond to.
3) Calling Out The Owner In Pain Or Distress:
Huskies’ howling is also a symbol of calling their owner if they are anxious or in pain.
Of course, animals cannot explain their feelings the way humans do. This is one of the reasons why do huskies howl. They may want to communicate with you.
If your husky is always howling, get it checked by the vet. In this way, you will be able to determine what your furry friend wants to tell you. It will also tell you if there are any potential health risks behind the howling.
Huskies are healthy dogs. But, hereditary eye diseases and canine hip dysplasia are common.
Any discomfort or injury will make your dog lash out in pain. So, you need to be careful in this regard.
4) Huskies Have Separation Anxiety:
You know what? Anxiety howling is a thing in huskies!
If your husky doesn’t see you for a long time, they feel lonely and abandoned. This feeling of loneliness triggers anxiety that leads to howling.
This howling is an attempt to call the owner to its place. Some people call this a “song of sadness” or “dog’s crying.”
If you leave a husky alone for a long time, they will feel sad. This is why it is not fair to keep huskies if you have a busy schedule.
This breed is highly social and a loving one. In the wild, the dogs are their pack. But, at home, the family is their pack. They need tons of love, affection, and care so that they remain happy.
Certain drugs help to calm separation anxiety in dogs. But these aren’t good.
Such drugs are essentially psychiatric drugs. They work by doping the animal. As a result, they get calm. It doesn’t cure the anxiety but works for the time being.
The long-term effect of these drugs is not worth trying. Instead, you can hire a dog- sitter. The positive impact it has on your canine buddy will amaze you
5) Huskies Howl When They Are Happy:
We know this sounds a little confusing. At first, you read an utterly opposite reason as to why do huskies howl.
Howling always may not be a reason for pain or distress. Huskies can get over-excited and howl too. They can signify joy when they haven’t seen a person in a long time.
Suppose you have a husky at home. You will notice the happy expressions. Like wagging the tail along will howling after you come back from work.
However, it can be hard to assess whether your furry friend is in pain or is happy to see you. It is the only form of communication between you and your canine buddy.
6) Huskies Howl When They Sense Danger:
The reason why dogs are so alert all the time is that they have a sixth sense. This is one reason that they have improved hearing and sight ability.
When huskies sense danger, the form of alerting their master is howling. They will also try to lead you away from the danger zone.
If they are trying to get somebody out of danger, they will take you to the place. In both cases, huskies prove themselves to be significant security dogs.
Huskies have high adaptive intelligence. It means that they have a remarkable ability to spot a threat. In this breed, alerting comes first, and protection comes later.
Why Do Huskies Howl? How To Stop Excessive Howling In Huskies?
Most of the dogs communicate through barking or whining. But howling is one of the key characteristics of huskies.
Most of the huskies howl in almost every situation. Others might howl on occasions. Sometimes it can be too draining to hear the sounds repeatedly.
In every case, there a few ways that will help you deal with excessive husky howling.
1) Understand The Reason:
You must be thinking if excessive howling is problematic or. Either your dog can be sick or sad. If your husky is lonely, they howl more than usual.
If you cannot discover the reason, it can be difficult for you. However, If your dog is having behavioral issues, it might need training. You can consult a dog behaviorist to confirm your suspicion. Have a look at a few methods that can help curb the problem.
2) Teach The Husky “Stop” Command:
Dogs are well-trained animals. If this weren’t the case, we wouldn’t see them as highly domesticated animals.
Siberian huskies are stubborn yet free-spirited animals. But, that shouldn’t stop you from calling these dogs as intelligent. It is all about finding the right motivator for your furry friend.
These motivators can be trainers, or you can use your DIY methods.
One excellent training method is to use operant condition learning. In this method, you reward positive behavior and punish negative behavior.
For that, you need to teach your dog the command “stop.”
For example, if your dog howls excessively and you command it to stop. If your pup stops, you can reward it with its favorite snack. If they don’t obey your command, deprive them of their favorite toy snack.
4) Escalate The Exercise Time:
Like most breeds, huskies are energetic and active dogs. They want moderate to heavy exercise to keep them fit. We recommend that you get your husky exercised 2 hours a day daily.
Suppose your husky doesn’t get to do enough physical activity. They will get bored. This boredom can lead to excessive howling.
In some cases, they even chew up around the house or go out for an adventure. Sometimes they how in protest for boredom.
Make sure you keep a check on your pup’s daily activity so that it saves them from excessive howling.
Why Do Huskies Howling Resemble To Wolves?
Huskies howl like wolves because they are closely related to each other than any other dog.
It is for the fact that not all dogs are descendants of the wolf’s family. Smaller breeds, like pugs, are similar to foxes and other wild canines. These animals share similarities with foxes.
Mastiffs and bulldogs belong to the Molossoid family of dogs. Whose breed mixed with bears at some point. This proves that this breed is much like bears than wolves.
If you aren’t sure regarding the similarity of the breeds. You can look up to the skull of a wolf and pitbull. These are not much similar.
If you replace the bulldog’s skull with a husky’s, there are similarities in bone structure. You will be able to tell that both wolves and huskies are inter-related to each other.
Origin Of Huskies:
If you connect to the origin of huskies, things start to make sense. Huskies are from a Siberian variant of the breed, developed by the Chuckchi tribe.
This tribe used the huskies as a sled-dog. This breed would help them to perform work by taking the sledge from one place to another.
Huskies provide not only transportation but also companionship and help in hunting. Along with that, they also protect their owners from any kind of danger.
This tribe belonged to an area with very harsh weather. This is why they didn’t alter the breed very much. If they did, the huskies would have a shorter coat, which wouldn’t let them survive in winters.
Breeding huskies would make them less muscular and cannot become sled-dogs. They won’t be able to perform the act of transportation with weak muscles.
This tribe needed a tough, powerful dog that would survive in winters and do its work actively.
So they started it with a wolf. But they needed something comparatively smaller and less aggressive.
Wolves also use howling as a means of communication. They can travel miles to find their next prey. The wolves’ pack separates into groups, but they need to keep track of other groups’ positions. In this regard, their keen sense of smell helps them a lot.
But, if the wind blows in the wrong direction, they lose the scent. This is the time when the audible signal, that is, the howling, comes into action.
The same traits are in huskie. It makes them perfect working dogs for people living in extreme climatic areas.
Why Do Huskies Howl At The Moon?
Wolves are the ancestors of huskies. Most people think their indoor pup howls at the moon.
But, in reality, the moon has nothing to do with their howling. Since huskies are descendants of the wolf breed, they act like them.
Wolves are crepuscular animals. It means they are most active at dawn and dusk. Unlike diurnal or nocturnal animals. These awake at the peak of day and night time, respectively.
Dogs tend to adapt to our lifestyle really well. But, their internal circadian rhythm follows that of crepuscular animal-like wolves.
Huskies, like wolves, are awake mostly in the middle of day and night. They want to communicate with others. This is why howling increases at night time.
Usually, they throw their heads up. And typically, their head’s direction is towards the moon, which looks like they are looking at it. Wolves do this regardless of the position of the moon. So, this trait is also commonly seen in huskies too.
Apart from that, the full moon has more light. And, more light means they can see more.
Suppose your furry friend howls more at that time. Chances are, he can see some creatures moving around in the backyard.
You can draw the curtains to keep your pup away from the window. In this way, the full moonlight won’t enter the house. And they will not spot anything that can get them excited.
Many people love to take a stroll under the full moonlight. Suppose your dog senses people or other dogs walking past your house. They will be more vocal about it and would want to go out as well.
Does Every Husky Howl?
As afore-mentioned, howling is a genetic trait. But, this doesn’t mean every husky will howl. Your husky won’t howl because he isn’t stressed, frustrated or anxious. They won’t be feeling the need to communicate through howling.
Vocalization is also inherited. Even though the dogs share the same breed, they will sound more like their individual parent.
Every husky doesn’t need to howl the same. There can be genetic differences among the huskies as well.
You could get information from your husky’s breeder if its parents howled less. There are high chances you won’t get to hear more howling from your furry friend.
How To Get Your Husky Howling?
Until now, you know the reason why do huskies howl. You can use these reasons to get your husky howling.
The most effective way to make your dog howl is to play high-pitched sounds. A siren, crying baby, harmonica, or playing howling video on YouTube can work.
Excitement is the key to howling, more than comfort. An excited husky will howl more than a comfortable one.
If your dog is shy, it will avoid vocalization because it draws more attention.
It would be best if you asked your husky’s breeder by asking them about its parents. If you know what made the parents howl, it will unlock the key to your husky’s howling.
Once you know the reason behind the howling, you can ask them to “speak.” Choose whatever command you like to make them howl.
Operant conditioning will play a key role here. When your dog obeys your command for howling, give them a treat. If they don’t, punish them by taking away their favorite toy.
To reinforce this behavior, you need to do this multiple times in short sessions.
Remember, huskies are intelligent dogs. They will get bored quickly if you do this training for a long time. This boredom can lead to dog behaving abnormally around the house.
At What Age Do Huskies Start To Howl?
There is no specific answer to this question. It varies from dog to dog. But, you can notice young pups are capable of howling.
They will try to imitate the howling, but it will not be exactly like an adult husky. If your husky hasn’t lived around other similar dogs, it won’t howl as much as others.
Generally, young pups can start howling around 6-7 months of age. If they have a strong genetic inheritance of vocalization, it can begin about 3-4 months. It is right in the case of mostly husky owners.
If your canine friend reaches around eight months. Chances are they won’t howl much in the future. It is not a good idea for a young puppy to howl as it can attract many predators in the wild.
If your dog has lived around fellow huskies. They will start howling readily. If they have lived a solo life or in the company of other dog breeds, they won’t howl much, and that is okay.
Bottom Line:
To sum up, communication is one of the main reasons for huskies howling. It can occur if they want to tell their owner about something or talk to other dogs.
Being a husky owner, it is vital to establish the right level of understanding with them. No animal can understand human language. But, dogs are such creatures that understand short phrases and commands.
If your husky is howling excessively, try to understand the underlying reason. And if it’s the opposite case, try the afore-mentioned techniques discussed above.
