Howling

[greysandwhippets]

I am wondering if any of you have had success with getting a dog about 1 year old to stop howling. An ideas would be appreciated.

[kamuzz]

When does he howl? Is there something setting him off? Does he howl inside and outside? When did he start?

Whew! That's enough questions for now.

[greysandwhippets]

It happens when my friend goes inside especially at night. He is an outside dog.

[Griffo]

tell your friend to stop going inside lol

[SkySoaringMagpie]

It happens when my friend goes inside especially at night. He is an outside dog.

Is he an only dog?

[Erny]

This could be :

1. Attention seeking and/or
   
2. Distance reducing (ie lack of independance training)
   

Your friend needs to work out which of the two is most likely and then some tips to help work through to improve the behaviour can be more succinctly given.

Edited November 10, 2007 by Erny

[Tapferhund]

Here's a tip........tell your friend to not be so mean in leaving the poor dog outside alone and to bring the dog inside with them at night.

Dogs are "pack" animals and yet most people EXPECT their poor dogs to go it alone for hours on end through the day AND at night.

[Griffo]

Here's a tip........tell your friend to not be so mean in leaving the poor dog outside alone and to bring the dog inside with them at night.

Dogs are "pack" animals and yet most people EXPECT their poor dogs to go it alone for hours on end through the day AND at night.

are you for real?

Mean for leaving the dog outside to sleep? My dog sleeps outside, i dont think i am mean. We have a great relationship.

As long as the dog is getting plenty of time as part of the pack during the day then there is no problem with the dog sleeping outside.

[Tapferhund]

YES I am for real......and I thought we were talking about "your friends" dog????? Or is the friend really you?????

YOU might give YOUR dog plenty of time....but does your friend?....and BTW ..Thinking dog ,do dogs segregate from each other when they bed down at night????? NO they don't ! They curl up together or close to each other......as a pack!!! So....from your friends dogs perspective (human interpretation).........you/he/she IS mean shutting him out like that.

Fix the howling at night? Easy Peasy........bring him in at night.

Edited November 12, 2007 by Tapferhund

[Joypod]

Tapferhund, I think you've got Rachelle confused with the OP.

In regards to the topic, I agree with Erny.

[Griffo]

Here's a tip........tell your friend to not be so mean in leaving the poor dog outside alone and to bring the dog inside with them at night.

Dogs are "pack" animals and yet most people EXPECT their poor dogs to go it alone for hours on end through the day AND at night.

are you for real?

Mean for leaving the dog outside to sleep? My dog sleeps outside, i dont think i am mean. We have a great relationship.

As long as the dog is getting plenty of time as part of the pack during the day then there is no problem with the dog sleeping outside.

LOL yes i think you definitely got me mixed up with the OP...hmm

I understand what you are saying tho. I am aware that dogs are pack animals but the OP's friend could very well give her dog pleanty of attnetion during the day. So if she does that then i can not see the problem with the dog sleeping outside.

Just because a dog comes inside to sleep it doesn't mean he will be getting enough attention/pack time...

it is the quality of the time you spend with your dog more so than the quantity.

[MonElite]

Just because a dog comes inside to sleep it doesn't mean he will be getting enough attention/pack time...

it is the quality of the time you spend with your dog more so than the quantity.

I disagree with the above statement.

30-60 minutes of full on work and than 23 hours alone (in solitary confindenent) versus 10 hours alone when owners are at work and the rest with the human pack. I know what Id preffer... and what is giving more pack time.

Note - this is not to say that eveyone that has the dogs inside gives them proper attention.

[fifi]

If its a hound - then its a normal evening 'chorus'

We have a couple of minutes of howling each evening & morning - its a hound thing and part of canine communication.

But with this dog, if its all alone, then it could be from separtion & lonliness. maybe it could sleep in the laundry or kitchen ?

fifi

[Nekhbet]

I too agree that its not quality over quantity. My dogs sleep inside and just like being close to us while we're in the house. Dogs dont need to have direct contact (like game, pats etc) to be spending time with you. Mine are happy to just be near me and are more peaceful like that ... we went away tuesday and came back wednesday, they nearly ripped the door down to just come in and sit near us last night. Dogs need a pack, especially single dog families

[MonElite]

This is not to say that there is a place for SOME dogs to only get quality time and not quantity. Most of the working dogs (Police, Military) are trained (given full training/attention etc) and than confined alone. this ensures that when they are out and about they give 100% of the effort to the handler, as all the drives satisfaction comes from the handler and they strive for it.

So I understand that some dogs are brought up/kept that way but Id say most of use here have pets, not service dogs.

ETA - some people make a mistake of getting a second dog to keep the first one company. Where I agree that it does solve a bit of the problem it can also create more problems. Two bored dogs left alone can also occupy themselves with major destruction.

Edited November 15, 2007 by myszka

[Reddii]

ETA - some people make a mistake of getting a second dog to keep the first one company. Where I agree that it does solve a bit of the problem it can also create more problems. Two bored dogs left alone can also occupy themselves with major destruction.

:p I completely agree with what you have said, except for the fact that two very well exercised and trained dogs can also occupy themselves with major destruction - 18 months ago I used to have a nice garden, now I have two well trained dogs and heaps of holes/tracks.......

Sorry, nothing useful to add though except to say that while our two sleep inside in their crates they are just as happy outside on the back deck. It's just that they wake up and decide to play and that I'm afraid of toads that they come inside.

Not sure I'd be happy with them in my room though. I don't really see the difference between in the laundry in their crates and outside.

[Griffo]

Just because a dog comes inside to sleep it doesn't mean he will be getting enough attention/pack time...

it is the quality of the time you spend with your dog more so than the quantity.

I disagree with the above statement.

30-60 minutes of full on work and than 23 hours alone (in solitary confindenent) versus 10 hours alone when owners are at work and the rest with the human pack. I know what Id preffer... and what is giving more pack time.

Note - this is not to say that eveyone that has the dogs inside gives them proper attention.

That is a pretty extreme case of quantity of time vs quality

Lets not be quite so extreme,

I was thinking more along the lines of what a typical person might do, for example, come home from work, take the dog for a walk, do some training, spend a bit of time grooming/patting/feeding and your dog would probably feel more content bonded with you than it would sitting in the house with you doing nothing.

I am not sure what you mean by solitary confinement, to me that conjures up an image of the dog locked in a 2x2 concrete cell lol...

My point is, you can spend all the time in the world with your dog, but you can still have an unsatisfied dog who you have a poor bond with.

However you can spend much less time with your dog, but the time you do spend together is high quality in the dog's eyes, and your bond can be very strong and your dog can be very satisfied.

Edited November 15, 2007 by Rachelle

[MonElite]

Define a typical dog owner. I think that DOLers are not very typical of dog owners, we give our dogs a lot more attention than an average owner.

A "typical" person that works and has a family and doesnt allow the dog inside could also do this. -

Leave for work at 8am throwing a bone out to the yard for the dog to chew on, back home at 6-7pm, help the kids do the homework, cook dinner, put the kids to bed, shove the dogs food bowl outside giving it a pet on the head. Oh they might throw a ball for it for 5 times. Especially when its winter time and its raining...... And they take the dog for a walk round the block 3 times a week for lets say 30 minutes.

To me that is solitary confindement of a dog, doesnt matter that the yard is 400m2.

My point is, you can spend all the time in the world with your dog, but you can still have an unsatisfied dog who you have a poor bond with.

However you can spend much less time with your dog, but the time you do spend together is high quality in the dog's eyes, and your bond can be very strong and your dog can be very satisfied.

I guess it depends on the dog, I can assure you that my Rex doent have to spend any time doing any quality things to be satisfied, he just wants to be with me. yes he loves the walks, he loves the ball, he loves the park, but I cant see him being unhappy when I dont do any of this with him. And I know dozens of dogs like this.

[Erny]

Fair enough discussion and not a 'first' for DOL (but then, what is? :D) but do you think the "inside -vs- outside" argument is something for a different thread, given this one was started due to the OP's howling dog issue?

I wonder how the OP is actually doing and whether he/she has had time to explore the possibility of the actual cause in this particular case?

ETA: :D

Edited November 16, 2007 by Erny

[Griffo]

Fair enough discussion and not a 'first' for DOL (but then, what is? :D) but do you think the "inside -vs- outside" argument is something for a different thread, given this one was started due to the OP's howling dog issue?

I wonder how the OP is actually doing and whether he/she has had time to explore the possibility of the actual cause in this particular case?

ETA: :D

Erny i understand what you are saying but the OP was told that keeping the dog outside could be the reason for its howling. While this may be the case, i disagree that simply bring the dog inside is the only way to solve the problem, rather the problem could be solved while at the same the dog can remain an outside animal.

I think it is still on topic. :D