Howlin' at the .................. Train ?

Have you ever heard a dog howl?    This is Jamoka and Brutus practicing their howling inside the house.   Jamoka was the first dog I had who howled and it warmed my heart.  His voice was heard for ambulances, trains, police sirens, to name a few.  It mattered not if the sound was in his immediate area or on the television.   When Brutus joined the pack, years later, he did not know how to partake in the "talking".   True to form, Jamoka taught his new pack mate.
Not all dogs howl, and some breeds do more than others.   Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes are two of the breeds that come to mind as avid howlers or "talkers".   When our dogs sing to us in this manor we can learn how they are feeling.  Some will do this when left alone or if they are fearful.
Sometimes this is an expression to pack mates or other dogs in the neighborhood telling them something is going on over here at my house.  A distant siren or train may sound like a howl to your dog and so he is simply being courteous and answering  the other  "dog".
Grace, the beagle, began to bay when a mom racoon and five babies moved into the attic.  Every morning she would go out and sniff excitedly around the back door then stop at a spot and bay.   Usually it was where a coon could climb onto the roof.  Every night I would answer her "call" by going out with a flashlight to see if we had corned the coon.  One night I was rewarded with a huge 25 pound raccoon sitting on top of the dog pen.  The coon was clearly not phased by the dog and just sat there staring at her.    My presence and the flashlight did little to send the coon away either.  Lucky us, we had our coon, then her five babies, for twelve incredibly long weeks.
When the coon moved out Grace was crushed.   Heartbroken at the loss of her foe, she began to not bay but howl at passing train whistles.   Living near the tracks, there was quite a bit of howling.  Spike got to hear it all.  One day last week, I heard Grace howling and I peered out the back door as a tiny, unfamiliar yipping howl joined her.   It was a Kodak moment , of course I didn't have the camera ready, to see Grace sitting with her face held high to the sky.    Spike stood next to her, keeping up the mournful howl.   I simply burst into a huge smile.   Dogs do that you know, make you smile.
So next time you hear a howl, maybe try your hand at joining in with your canine friend.  The connection will be endless.


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