Q: My dog barks in different ways, kind of like she's talking to me. How can I figure out what she's saying?
A: Dogs can make all sorts of noises; from barking to growling to anything in between, it's how they express themselves. These sounds can mean all kinds of different things: Barking incessantly will be different from growling to protect their toys.
The American Kennel Club offers the following tips to help you understand your dog and how they communicate better:
Howling is typically loud, which is why dogs use this noise to communicate with other dogs when they are farther away. If a dog traveling in a pack gets lost, it will howl and wait for a call-and-response. On occasion, dogs can mistake sirens as howls, which is why they might howl at fire trucks or police cars passing by.
When a dog feels threatened or wants to intimidate someone, their barks and growls will be lower and deeper, to signal a person or other animal to stay away. This usually comes in a set of quick, explosive barks.
Barking or yelping can also be used to get attention. If your dog is used to being the center of attention, chances are it won't take kindly to being ignored. Attention barking will sound like short yaps, and they won't stop until you give your dog what it's looking for.
Growling can be used to protect something, but is not limited to this. Deep growls or snarls that come from the throat, in order to appear more menacing, signal that it is dangerous to approach.
If you have a hound at home, baying may not be new to you. Hunting dogs and hounds specifically bay. These deep, prolonged sounds are typically made by dogs to signal that a target is nearby when hunting.
