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Why does my dog howl at sirens?

By Ask Smithsonian Smithsonian.com

August 26, 2015

You asked us, "Why does my dog howl at sirens?"

That one has been a head-scratcher for a while.

It is almost as if sirens have an evil power over most dogs.

Their heads start to go up. Their doggy-lips start to purse. And out it comes. It is as if they have no control over it.

The explanation was simple for a long time. It hurts.

Dogs' hearing is so much more sensitive than ours. A sound might just be annoying to us. But it might be very painful for them.

Have you ever seen a dog howling along with a fire truck? They do not seem to be unhappy. They look pretty pleased with themselves.

Dog science points us in another direction. To dogs' cousins and ancestors. The wolves.

Wolves do not bark to talk. They howl. Listen to a wolf howl. What is that, girl? That seems to say "I am lonely, friend." Or "Go away, stranger."

These wolfish replies are also hardwired into your dog's head.

I would put my money on the "Go away" explanation of your dog's big yowl. Why? Because of the dog's smug reaction after a good howl.

Filed Under: Animals Video Science Smithsonian

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CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

What did people used to believe was the reason their dogs howled at sirens?

Write your answers in the comments section below

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COMMENTS (20)

william1108-yyca

8/26/2015 - 08:53 p.m.

I never knew that dogs bark at sirens. That is because I have never seen a dog bark at a siren. But I wonder if all dogs bark at sirens. I wonder if all dogs bark at sirens. But next time if I see a dog I should see it bark at sirens.

abbeyd-mci

9/02/2015 - 11:29 a.m.

I like It

biancaq-esc

9/08/2015 - 01:12 p.m.

Mrs.Escobar i love the book

biancaq-esc

9/08/2015 - 01:14 p.m.

Mrs.Escobar I love the book

josee-esc

9/08/2015 - 01:22 p.m.

I like this story and once in my street a dog was barking at a car and was chasing the car

sithu-eri

9/09/2015 - 05:52 a.m.

People would used a device which makes a long, loud noise. Their dogs heard the noise and start howl. It means that the dogs make aware of danger and show aware of feelings.

emily-eri

9/10/2015 - 05:10 a.m.

I also believed that too!In myanmar , if dogs howl at night ,evils are coming or someone is going to passed away.

zed-eri

9/10/2015 - 05:12 a.m.

I first thought dogs howl because they see ghosts. It is superstition. But now I know facts about this thing. Nice.

lynn-eri

9/10/2015 - 05:14 a.m.

People used to believe that if they heard a dog howling, they would get bad luck. They believed dogs howled because they could foresee bad things coming and also see ghosts. So if their dogs howled at sirens, most people believed that someone was going to die.

chue-eri

9/10/2015 - 05:20 a.m.

So, some of its sentences mean the dogs are one of a kind of wolves? It is interesting !