A dog’s bark is his voice, just like a human’s voice when they speak. To us, their barks may sound similar, but each dog actually has his own unique and distinct sound, although sometimes dogs of the same species do have very similar barks, especially if they are in the same mood.
But dogs can distinguish the bark of a dog they know from one that might be a threat. Barks can mean different things, just like a baby’s cry, and to know what they are communicating means you have to know your dog very well. Big dogs usually have a slow, deep, and sometimes even intimidating bark while smaller dogs have a reputation for being ‘yippy’ because of their fast-paced, high-pitched barks.
But dogs of all breeds and sizes have been known to howl like their ancestors, the wolf, whether it’s at the moon or a siren or at something invisible and silent to us. We are sometimes mystified as to what they are barking at. Do they see ghosts?
Dogs have this special skill of howling, and some feel they need to invest a lot of time practicing in order to get it just right. Louie is a five-month-old beagle, and he hasn’t learned how to howl yet, so his human is trying to teach him. His human is very encouraging, and Louie catches on with a degree of enthusiasm that surprises his family. You can see the adorable Louie learning how to howl in the next video.
