Husky Howling: Why do Huskies Howl?

A Siberian Husky might look like a close cousin to a wolf, and with their tendency to howl one might think they are closely related. While they are distant cousins, this is not the exclusive explanation as to why do Huskies howl. It turns out that there are quite a few reasons!

Why do Huskies howl? Huskies howl as a form of verbal communication. Many animals that live in packs or family groups including wolves, certain monkeys, some species of mice, and our dear Husky use howling to communicate with other members of their pack (this includes you). Howling is more effective for long-distance communication than barking and allows members of the pack to locate each other, mark territory, and to communicate danger and distress.

Huskies indeed tend to howl more than most other domesticated modern breeds, they’re known for it. In this article, we will explore why Huskies howl, their other forms of communication and how it might impact your life with your dog.  We all know howling can be cute, but sometimes it can be problematic.

Siberian Husky Howling to Communicate

The first thing that Husky owners need to understand about howling is that it is your dog’s primary form of communication with you and other members of its canine family.

It is also important to understand that a howl is a primitive form of communication, with truly wild canine species conserving a “true” howl, while the oldest species of modern breeds conserve a “domesticated” version of the howl.

A wolf howl can carry for miles, making it an incredibly effective way for one animal of the pack to communicate with another. This allows them to locate each other across large territories.

Through collective howling, the pack is also able to strengthen social bonds. Wild dog breeds in Africa, such as the jackal, howl to repel intruders.

Another primitive reason for howling is marking territory.

Huskies and Their Howl

The Husky is a very old breed of domesticated dog, it is estimated that the breed goes back at least 4,000 years. There is very strong genetic evidence of a link between the ancient Taymyr wolf (a species native to northern Asia) and the Siberian Husky origin.

It is believed that due to extremely harsh northern conditions and domesticated breeding for life in a pack, the Husky maintained its primitive vocalization patterns.

Because of their originally nomadic lifestyle, the Husky eventually lost its territorial nature, but the need for effective pack communication across large distances remained.

As you may have noticed, your Husky most likely has a range of vocalizations that range from outright howling to Husky “talking”, yodeling, infamous “Husky tantrums”, yipping and maybe even singing.

All of these give the Husky an impressive ability to express itself.

Can Huskies Bark too, or Just Howl?

Huskies are kind of famous for their howling as well as their well-known tendency to “talk” but it is not very frequent that one hears of a husky barking.

Can Huskies bark? Yes, Siberian Huskies bark, but it’s safe to say that it is not in their nature.

Most people think that the Huskies’ tendency to not bark has to do with the fact that they are not territorial. This makes the Husky a pretty bad watchdog. They are generally friendly and welcoming, even to strangers.

But yes, Huskies can and do bark.

When Husky Howling is a Problem

Considering that howling is your dog’s primary means of communicating with you, when your Husky howls a lot, you should listen to what he is trying to say.

Huskies, being highly social pack animals, tend to suffer separation anxiety when they are left alone for long periods. You may have heard from your neighbors that your dog howls a lot when you are gone.

You may have also noticed that your dog may howl when they hear sirens or emergency vehicles. It is believed that your dog may respond to the siren as if it were another dog howling at a distance. It may also be that the frequency of the siren causes sensory issues for your dog, causing him to howl in pain.

Another reason that your Husky may howl or excessively whine or yip is to get your attention.

All of these circumstances can create frustrations for you and for your neighbors.

Take some time to observe your Husky and learn what needs his howling is associated with. Is he spending too much time alone? Is he not getting enough attention? Is he experiencing too much audio stimulation? Have you unintentionally trained him to howl excessively?

How to Handle Excessive Howling

If your Huskies’ howling has gone from cute to problematic, the good news is that you can work with your dog to train them out of excessive howling.

First, it is important to identify why your dog is howling so much. If the answer is not immediately obvious, the best course of action is to take your pet to the vet for a check-up to rule out any kind of injury, sickness or other physical issues that may not be immediately apparent.

Once you have ruled out any physical problem, take a long hard look at yourself and your pet. You will most likely identify one of the three following patterns mentioned above:

Pattern #1: Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is a principal cause of excessive howling.

If this is the case your dog usually will show other stress-related behaviors such as destructive chewing or elimination in the home. Try toys and exercise to reduce separation anxiety.

Training a dog out of separation anxiety can be a long process that sometimes requires the help of a Certified Professional Dog Trainer or a Certified Applied Animal Behavioralist depending on its severity.

I recommend checking out this great article from the ASPCA to get started.

Pattern #2: Attention-Seeking

Attention seeking is another primary cause of excessive vocalizations such as howling and yipping.

Without even realizing it, you may have unintentionally taught your Husky that howling is cute. You may have taught them that howling is the best way to let you know they are hungry, or maybe even that they need to go for a walk.  

Luckily, these behaviors are easy enough to train both yourself and your dog out of. With self-discipline and consistency, you can work with your Husky to take his howling down a notch and learn to communicate his needs in other, nonverbal ways.

Start by paying attention to your dog when they are quiet. Give them a random treat and generous praise when they are not making noise.

When they revert to howling, be sure to ignore them altogether. Even reprimands are attention, so be sure to ignore your dog completely.

Make sure to deny your dog whatever it is they are demanding. If they want food, a walk, a toy, etc., deny it to them until they are quiet for at least five minutes. After five minutes of silence, praise them generously and give them a special treat plus what it was they were asking for.

Also, try teaching your dog to howl on demand. It sounds counter-intuitive, but by teaching your dog to howl on demand you can also teach it to stop howling on demand. The same applies to excessive barking, whining or yipping.

Pattern #3: Responding to Sounds

Responding to sounds is the third main cause of excessive howling.

If you live in an apartment or a busy urban or suburban area, you might not notice the sound of sirens, alarms or emergency vehicles as much as your dog does. All of these sounds can trigger your dog’s instinct to howl in response to what it may perceive as a distress call from another dog far away, or as a painful sensory overload to their sensitive ears.

The best way to deal with this is what is called “desensitization and counterconditioning”.

Again, it is recommended that you find a professional behavioral specialist and/or trainer that can help you train your dog out of these response patterns.

Related Questions