Dear Curtis,

My mostly lab male, named Tibet, must have some wolf in him. He throws back his head and howls whenever he hears sirens. He's even taught our female lab mix (Sage) the same trick. We live between a fire station and a hospital and this is a constant problem. Do you have any suggestions on how to stop the "serenade"?

I’M NOT HOWLIN’ – I’M COMMUNICATIN’!
Howling is a form of canine communication; a way for dogs to signal their presence to other dogs that are often located far away. Common in wolves and coyotes, howling brings the pack together before a hunt and establishes contact with other pack members. Though they do not gather to hunt, some dogs may howl to connect with another being. And, at times, however, dogs just howl out of sheer joy.

SOOTHING THE HOWLING BEAST

DO’S:
• Use of words like “enough” and rewarding the dogs when it “works”
• Corrective collars that provide an electrical stimulation, an irritating ultrasonic sound, or an offensive-to-dogs smell when the dog barks. – to be used as an adjunct to behavior modification.
• Halter collars like Gentle Leader – to be used in conjunction with “enough” and rewards.
• Ask an expert like your veterinarian, a dog trainer or canine behavior specialist.

DON’TS:
• Use a corrective collar with an anxious barker as the collar may make it more anxious.
• Use a loud sharp “No”, as it might be construed by the dog as your joining in on the barking.
• Become angry.
• Hug the dog, talk soothingly, or play to “distract” the dog as it might reinforce its barking.

DEBARKING: CURING THE SYMPTON, CHANGING THE NOISE
Debarking is surgically removing the vocal cords from dogs, either through the mouth or through an incision in the neck. A debarked dog will still attempt to bark, and make a hoarse sound, which can be more irritating than was the bark. And, debarking will not cure the reason for barking as the fear, boredom, anxiety or stimulus will still be there.
SO WHO BARKS MORE?
Studies to determine which dogs are more likely to be barkers showed that while there was no difference between males and females, there was a breed difference. Beagles, Terriers, and some herding breeds tend to bark more, which is not surprising given that they were bred for this characteristic. The studies also found that excessive barking can occur in purebreds as in mixed breeds.

Thank you,
Marilyn Benshetler

Dear Marilyn,

Sounds like Tibet may indeed have some wolf in him. But then, so do all of us canines. However, from what you write, he sounds part Dalmatian!

Many breeds and some individual dogs have an inclination to howl, which is music to a hounds-man but a nuisance to non-hunter-type humans. Some dogs need little encouragement to howl at the moon or to the sound of music while others, like Tibet, need a trigger like a siren or another howling dog. And some canines use howling to communicate to one another or to pray to the great dog god Canus.

There are some approaches to correcting what you perceive to be a problem with Tibet, and now, Sage, which can be found in a “factoid” box following my response. Briefly, there collars, surgical procedures and behavior modification training.

And, there’s probably something you, yourself, could do to help the situation…like... MOVE!!! Living between a fire station and hospital with a dog that howls with the sound of sirens is like a pyromaniac living between an oil refinery and a match factory. MOVE!!! To some nice non-siren sounding area next to a cemetery perhaps?

Marilyn, there should be no reason why your home can’t be a place of peace and quiet even with the sirens. My advice would be to start with your vet who should be able to recommend a course of correction. Otherwise…MOVE!!!

Meanwhile, gotta run and howl. I believe I hear someone playing the greatest hits of Enrico Caruso!!!

Curtis the Dog