Do Poodles Howl?
Did you know dogs are derived from wolves? It’s true; in fact, the Latin name for dogs is Canis Familiaris! Whereas the Latin name for wolves is Canis Lupus which is directly related! Not just that, they have very similar mannerisms such as hunting, staying in packs, and howling.
- Poovanese: Havanese & Poodle Mix
- Pudelpointer: German Water Poodle & British Pointer Mix
- Schipper-Poo: Poodle and Schipperke Mix
- Shmoodle: Mal-Shi & Toy Poodle Mix
- Can Poodles Be Service Dogs?
- Do Poodles Like To Cuddle?
- Do Poodles Have Dew Claws?
- The Clean Feet Poodle: Why Shave Poodle Feet?
- When Do Miniature Poodles Stop Growing?
- When Do Standard Poodles Stop Growing?
- When Do Toy Poodles Stop Growing?
- Do Poodles Have Webbed Feet?
- Do Poodles Have Fur or Hair?
You might have noticed many dogs howling on different occasions, which is the same for the Poodle.
Can Toy Poodles Howl?
In comparison to the Standard Poodle, Toy Poodles are quite a vocal breed. It’s more likely you will hear them barking or howling more than the Standard Poodle. This is because this breed is alert and acts more like a watchdog than a Standard. Sometimes their howling can be mistaken for barking, but it’s ok.
Standard Poodles Howling
If you’re looking for a Poodle that howls, then you might find a Standard Poodle doing it but very rarely. Most of the time, if you see a Standard Poodle howling, it will result from separation anxiety.
In this context, when they’re howling, it results from being upset and demanding attention from someone. Of course, they can also howl if they’ve been trained or taught to do so in the process. But most of the time, many Standard Poodle’s don’t know how to howl unless trained!
Why Is My Poodle Howling?
Many researchers feel that Poodles howl as a result of their wolf-like genetics. However, there can be some confusion about whether howling is a pack activity or a simple command for attention? To explore more, let’s look at the common reasons why a Poodle might howl.
They Want Attention, Or They’re Anxious
Sometimes when a Poodle is howling, they might be simply craving attention. Poodles can be very clever and try to manipulate your emotions and play on them. They will be trying to make a noise to attract you so you can play with them. On the contrary, if your Poodle has been left for a long time, they could be howling due to separation anxiety.
Warning Sign
Your Poodle might be howling to signal to other dogs nearby that the territory they are in is occupied and claimed. In addition, the howling can serve as a threat to tell others not to encroach on their area, and it can be a form of alerting their community. In this situation, howling is meant to warn away potential predators. This also occurs when strangers come to the house and pull up on the driveway.
Tribe Organization
In the wilderness, wild dogs and wolves howl to bring new pups back to their back following a hunt. Typically, they howl to show other dogs where they’re located so they can easily find them. The howl is kind of like a beacon to guide others back safely. When Poodles how it can often be a similar experience, especially if you’ve been outside your home day, they could be howling to let you know to come back home.
To Signify Injury Or Discovery
If your Poodle has been out and about and is hurt, they could be howling to notify you of an injury. There are many incidents where dogs howl a lot as a form of notification to alert you they’re in pain. In addition to this, many Poodles have been specifically trained as service dogs to howl if they discover something new. Plus, as they were once hunters, they can often howl when they see prey or have caught something.
Howl As A Result Of External Stimulus
If there are external fire engines, ambulances, loud noises, or anything else, dogs might respond as an external stimulus. The unusual sounds might cause a dog to sit up and start wailing, causing a lot of pain. On the other hand, sometimes a Poodle might only howl if these sounds have similar pitches to other dogs also howling.
Is There A Dog Breed That Can’t Howl?
There is no known dog breed that doesn’t have the ability to howl. While there are dogs who have malformed vocal cords and physically cannot howl, this isn’t unique to any specific breed. It seems to happen evenly among dog breeds.
Of course, some breeds are more likely than others to howl or not howl. Everyone knows how famous any breed of hound or wolf-like dogs, such as huskies and Alaskan Malamutes are for howling.
What Poodle Mixes Are Most Likely to Howl?
Poodle mixes are very popular these days and seems to happen quite frequently. However, when a dog is mixed with poodle, their characteristics tend to change a bit. You have a few dog breeds that are more likely to howl, these breeds include:
- Bassetdoodle: These dogs are is a mix between the breeds of the Basset Hound and Poodle. These are known to be many people favorite cross breeds and the reason for this is because of their wonderful looks and gentle, friendly deposition. If you look closely you’ll notice that they look like a photoshopped version of their hound parent, but with the pretty hair of the poodle.
- Eskapoo: These kind of dogs are known to be mixed with the American Eskimo and poodle. These sturdily built dogs are very small in term of size while having a round head, well-set eyes, floppy ears, short black muzzle and dense coat. They are considered by many to be the ideal pet choice for all age groups.
- Hunting Dog: Any kind of hunting dog is capable of howling. Hounds definitely fit this category. As you can see, hunting dogs were trained to howl when they found what they are searching for so that you could retrieve it from them and they were mixed and trained to be louder and louder and you can expect to hear this from the big bloodhound.
- Doxiepoo: Another poodle mixes are the Doxiepoo which is a cross breed of the Dachshund and the toy poodle. These kinds are considered to be one of the most unpredictable among the crossbreed dogs. At times you’ll notice that they develop the Dachshund’s long body size covered with the poodle curly coated, or the other way around.
Is My Poodle Howling Because He’s Sad?
- If your poodle is howling, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s sad. While we’ve all cried over the image of the dog sadly sitting and letting out a low, mournful howl in the movies, this isn’t actually usually why dogs howl.
- As we just explored, dogs usually howl simply to communicate. But what about those times it sounds so sad, your heart could nearly break? Well, it could be that they’re sad. Or it could simply be they want your attention.
- A long, low howl can be a cry. This is often heard when a dog is injured and calling for help. In the wild, this is how a lone wolf alerts his pack of an injury if he’s been left behind. Just as the movies claim, this can also be used when your dog is feeling sad.
- However, don’t immediately assume a sad howl means your dog is heartbroken and depressed. If he quickly seems to recover, you may be experiencing a very common phenomenon with clever dogs called manipulation. This just means your dog likes to be showered in attention and knows how to get you to give it to him
How to Train Your Poodle to Howl?
Some poodle will learn how to howl at an early age, while at the dog park or when they’re in a kennel. But what if you have a full grown poodle that still doesn’t know how to howl and you don’t want to force them by leaving them in a kennel.
What you can do is introduce your poodle to other dog even at the dog park that knows how to howl. You can even take the time out to schedule a play date with other dog owners so that you can let your dog play with theirs. Once your poodle starts to spend time around dogs that howl, eventually they will learn how to do it as well.
Another thing you can do is try to communicate with your poodle by singing a song and the reason for this is because dog usually howl to communicate. It’s best if you try to high pitched notes, as those are normally the closers thing to a dog howl. If your dogs try to mimic you back, you should reward them with a treat, just like any other training procedure.
Whenever you are planning on giving your dog a treat make sure to do it with a howl command same as you would command your dog to sit. You can literally do whichever word you are comfortable with. But make sure to give your poodle with a treat as soon as you hear a howling sound and simply repeat the process.
Is Howling A Good Or Bad Behavior?
Overall, Poodles howling can be both good and bad behavior. Ultimately, it depends on the reason they’re howling for. Most of the time, Poodle’s are howling as a method of communication and are using it to get your attention. You must rule out any issues first to know if they’re howling for attention or have an underlying problem.
First of all, you should see if they are howling due to a common issue like separation anxiety. If so, you can do something about this problem, i.e., being around them more. Similarly, you might want to take them to a vet to see if they have any underlying health issues.
On the contrary, if they’re howling excessively, it could be due to instinctual behavior to notify people about any threats they may suspect coming from a vehicle, animal, or another human being. In this context, howling can be bad, and you will need to desensitize and counter condition a Poodle.
