7 Reasons Why Do German Shepherds Howl
7 Reasons Why Do German Shepherds Howl: German Shepherds are known for howling usually at night and in response to certain sounds like siren.
German Shepherds are famous for their intimidating wolf-like appearance but do you know their behavior also matches. You may have observed your German shepherd howling all of a sudden in mid of night, possibly with other dogs or in response to certain high-pitch sharp noises like a bell, phone ring, or ambulance siren. Then the main doubt arises why my german shepherding is howling and behaving like a wild wolf. Are these noises making them irritated or anxious? Here we will discuss the main reasons behind this behavior of your GSD.
Howling is a normal behavioral activity that almost all dogs do but some dogs just need a reason to do it. Obviously, the German shepherd is one of them. Especially vocal breeds howl much including Husky, Alaskan malamute, basset hound, and dachshund. These gestures may seem unnecessary to owners but they may mean a lot.
Now, we will discuss what could be the secret or reason behind a German shepherd’s howl
Response to a weird sound
It is the wild instincts of these wolves’ descendants that they howl whenever hear some particular sounds. You might have wondered ‘My German shepherd cries whenever a child cries’, ‘my GSD accompanies me in singing’, and ‘my dog also wakes me up with alarm’. But the fact is they are just reacting to the sound.
Besides their biological behavior, there may be other things that are causing your dog to react in that way. German shepherds usually howl or cry whenever they hear sharp high pitched noise. It might be the siren, whistle, or horn. all these sounds are very annoying.
Dogs are great listeners and these sounds certainly do not find them soothing. So there are chances that your dog is behaving in a particular way whenever he hears them. The reason is that your dog is getting anxious, worried or just disturbed whenever he listens to phone ringtones or other similar noises.
Due to the Territorial nature
a dog is a territorial animal, that marks its territories and is defensive for that. And when it comes to German shepherds, they are of little extraterritorial nature. Sometimes due to this, they become aggressive toward other dogs and strangers. One of the appropriate reasons behind a German shepherd’s howl could be the marking of territory.
Your dog could be howling to warn other dogs not to enter his territory or space. It is a common gesture among dogs to keep other dogs away from their area.
To Communicate with other dogs
Every animal has different ways to communicate, monkeys scream and chatter, and hyenas make crazy laughing sounds to communicate with other hyenas. Wolves communicate with each other by howling and dogs are closely related to wolves they have many things in common.
German shepherds not only use howling to defend their territory but they also use howling to communicate with other dogs. You must have observed that when one dog starts howling all other dogs join them as if they are communicating or sharing some other kind of message.
Due to loneliness
Just like Human beings, dogs too get bored and they also need some enjoyment in life. It might be possible that your German shepherd is howling because he is feeling alone. When dogs are left alone for long hours they get bored. So they do different activities like howling, barking, or even nipping to grab the attention of their owner.
Such GSDs are prone to separation anxiety and such dogs usually try to grab the attention of others by howling or barking. They don’t find anything interesting to spend their energy on and get tired. Sometimes their extra energy may make them aggressive and destructive. In such dogs, You can notice other destructive habits like destroying objects, chewing furniture, and aggression toward street animals.
We all know that German shepherd is an energetic dog breed with high energy levels and they can develop behavioral problems if handled, trained, and cared for properly. You should take your dog outside and spend time with him. Also, exercise for at least 60 minutes daily to burn extra energy for your dog.
Complaining about injury or sickness
It might be possible that your German shepherd is not feeling well or in pain due to injury. Dogs can’t talk like us, they can’t just come to us and just say ‘hey mom, I am having tummy ache’. Instead, they use signals or gestures like whining or howling to tell us about their problem.
If your dog is constantly whining or howling at you and showing abnormal behavior (like sleeping too much and less activity) then it might be the case that he is trying to show you his injury and just feeling uneasy or uncomfortable.
He may have bloat, a ruptured ligament, or some other health problem. Note that every health issue is not easy to trace, and some internal problems or injuries are difficult to find out, in such case you should take him to the vet.
Howling due to Enjoyment
Not always growling or howling is a matter of concern and there are hidden intentions behind it. Dogs especially vocal breeds like German Shepherds also make noises when they are enjoying. Mostly when they are excited and want to play. Maybe they are feeling relaxed during a massage or just enjoying while playing.
Sometimes it may also be your dog’s dominant behavior If he constantly growls or howls when playing games like tug of war, fetch or jogging.
Trying to tell you something else
Another common reason behind the abnormal howls of German shepherd could be that he is trying to tell you or explain something. Howling is a common way by which dogs and other pack animals communicate with each other. Even in Hunting also, dogs locate prey animals by their smell and tell the poacher or hunter about the location where it is hiding.
So you can assume that your dog is trying to tell you something, there is a message behind his howl that he wants to convey. He may try to tell you about his tight leash, he wants to go outside to pee, it is too hot or cold outside and he wants to come inside. And most importantly HE WANTS TO EAT!
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