When Qila came to us eight years ago he did not howl. His vocal repertoire was, and is, astonishing. He’s such a great communicator my wife sometimes calls him Ronnie. He barked, yipped, growled, whined, whimpered, and even screamed but he did not howl.
When Tally came to us almost six years ago, she occasionally barked but her preferred vocalization was the howl. Her howl is a remarkable, beautiful rrrroooooooo.
There was a wonderful incident when we showed Tally at the International Kennel Club show down at McCormick Place several years ago. Since the IKC show is a benched show the dogs who come there must stay until the show
closes down in late afternoon. So there are a lot of dogs all waiting, crated, there.
After waiting for several hours in her crate, Tally began to roo very softly. Then from all corners of the benching area Northern breed dogs began to chime in. Siberian huskies, Malamutes, Akitas, and other Northern breed dogs began to howl softly. At first it was just here and there. And then it was throughout the benching area, gaining strength until the benching area was filled with the beautiful singing.
Shortly after she came to us Tally taught Qila to howl. At first his attempts to howl were a hoarse, croaking moo. But as he practiced his howl became more skilled and beautiful and he now howls with a beautiful woo.
When Jennie, Tally’s mother, came to us a few years ago, she already howled. And that was when our dog pack really began. One dog would start a howl, then another, and another.
Dogs howl for many reasons. It’s a gathering behavior, summoning the pack. It’s also an announcement that the pack is breaking up, that one or more of the members is leaving. Sort of a canine aloha.
For reasons we still don’t understand our pack howls every morning around 10:00am. One dog will start from whereever he or she might be in the house. Another will join from his or her position, then the third will join in. Mira, our 11 month old puppy, is learning to howl with the pack. Sometimes my wife or I will join in as well. It’s a warm, lovely, cathartic, community-building moment.
Thank you, Tally. You taught us how to howl.
Dave –
Wow!
Don