There are many myths associated with a dog howling at the moon, but the truth is that there is no actual relationship between the presence of a moon and a dog howling. Dogs howl at more than just the moon, here are some common things that provoke the mysterious howl:
- Being left alone for long stretches of time
- Needing to communicate with other dogs
- Other neighborhood dogs participating in the howl chorus
- Responding to a siren, ambulance or fire truck.
Neat tidbit- Dogs also howl to signal location when they are hunting. When my husband lived in Connecticut and took his Brittany Spaniels out hunting they would howl if they put up a pheasant and it landed in a tree.
No matter the reason behind a dog’s howl, they howl because it is part of their ancestry. Dogs are related to the wolf and the wolves use howling to communicate with each other. Not all reasons for a dog’s howl is bad, so try not to let your superstitions take over.