Dog Howl
By knicnax
@knicnax (2233)
Philippines
September 7, 2011 1:44am CST
Hi my lotters. I want to ask you about what you think (or you culture says) about dog howls?
Here in the Philippines, we think that when a dog howls, someone in the family (or in the house) will die, or a malevolent spirit is lurking near or inside the house.
I'm asking because these past few months one of our dogs keep on howling and the other dogs keep barking.
It was scary the first few nights but now it's been months and nothing sinister is happening yet, so I'm not scared anymore. Haha.
Our dog does this usually at 11pm.
What's your take on this? Something sinister or what? Also I want to know about what your culture says about dog howls. Thanks
1 person likes this
13 responses
@gk655321 (236)
•
11 Sep 11
That's a very interesting topic. I just recently saw a story of a blind man and his seeing eye dog living in an apartment complex. The dog started howling at odd hours in the night and the next day someone would die. It went on for a little while, until he got kicked out of the apartment from all of the complaints and after the dog's last howl on their way out the blind man and the dog both got hit by a bus. Very creepy, but it seems natural in a way. Some animals seem to be able to sense things humans can't. It never hurts to pay a little attention to it.
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@gk655321 (236)
•
12 Sep 11
If you want to talk scientific, there are certain changes within a person's body when they are about to die that a normal human can not pick up on without medical equipment. Their heart rates change breathing patterns change, their smell changes etc. All of which dogs are able to pick up on because they are more in tune with their senses than humans are. Technology has highly dulled the senses of most humans. It is something that isn't really needed much in today's society. We have devices that detect burglars in the house and computer automated responses to police stations which dispatch cops that catch said burglars. Dogs do not have this luxury and still rely on their senses and are therefore more in tuned with their senses giving them the edge. They can hear at levels a human ear can not and can smell things that we can not. Sort of like the old miners that relied on canaries to detect methane in a mine.
@varron (453)
• Philippines
7 Sep 11
The dogs howls if they saw strange things.That strange things could be supernatural or not. Some times they howls because they see something that we did not see, sometimes they howl if they dislike something.I don't know if there's an explanation in science; but it seems that dogs sees extraordinary things.
@varron (453)
• Philippines
8 Sep 11
I guess we both defined the word "strange" in different concepts; that is why we have different points of views; here i defined "strange" as things that are not usual as far as dogs are concern; you define the word "strange" in a philosophical manner, in a debatable concept that is subject to be resolve.
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@varron (453)
• Philippines
9 Sep 11
Clarifying things means to give an explanation basing on the truth with logical ,and not only by giving an opinion. When you said "nothing" is strange in this world... you are just saying your own opinion...but the question is how can we proved that your opinion is true or not...what are your basis behind this..
Secondly you associate the word "strange" to " "reasons" and "causes". Yes "things" all have reasons and causes that is waiting to be uncovered; but even they do have reasons and causes, these things might be strange if these things are not familiar to the subject.
I defined the strange that Ive said into the level of familiarity. If a thing is not familiar to anyone; even the thing have reason and cause ,it would become "strange" to somebody who encountered the things for the fist time or in unfamiliar situation...
These is the reason why I said before that we have different definitions of the word strange. I associated it with the level of familiarity...but you associated it with "reasons and causes", an association that is irrelevant since we are talking with dogs and not with human...
@knicnax (2233)
• Philippines
9 Sep 11
hi jyuuken, you had me confused here. You were saying that everything has a reason and cause and these are just waiting to be discovered by our minds, you are saying (or the message that I got) is that we have to keep an open mind? Well we do have to keep an open mind about things in order for us to fully understant its true meaning.
now,you are also saying that there's no other reason for dog howls, but if we are to keep an open mind, aren't we to take in the facts (that the dog howls to communicate) but also keep our minds open to the other meanings that howling might mean?
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
8 Sep 11
When my dog howls, I think it just a damn nuisance.. excuse my language. My dog is a mini fox terrier and she barks and howls a lot. The howling appears to occur when she is lonely or anxious or scared.
I don't think Australians have any superstitions about howling dogs. Rather we rty and work out what is causin it? Sometimes it's strangers coming in, or sirens. Actually, dogs howla lot when the hear the police, fire brigade, or ambulance sirens.
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
7 Sep 11
So now you know that it is not true that when the dog howls at night, somebody in the family will die. 
The dogs in our neighborhood would also sometimes howl at night. I guess, it's their way of calling for mates during their mating season ?
The Filipinos have lots of superstitious beliefs that sometimes they are to the point of being ridiculous.
I am happy that my parents does not believe in any of those superstitious beliefs. So, we grew up not believing in them also.
The dogs in our neighborhood would also sometimes howl at night. I guess, it's their way of calling for mates during their mating season ?
The Filipinos have lots of superstitious beliefs that sometimes they are to the point of being ridiculous.
I am happy that my parents does not believe in any of those superstitious beliefs. So, we grew up not believing in them also.
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@pbbbsra (1214)
• Philippines
7 Sep 11
They do sound scary when they howl like that. We have a husky and he howls like a wolf ever since he is a puppy. He would howl when he is crying or left alone in the house when he was still small. When he grew bigger and he reached the point where he is ready for breeding, I remember he also howled a lot. It is their way of communication with other dogs. It sounds freaky to us, but to them, it is something normal. Mind you, our husky sounds like howling when he hears slow music and we always think he is singing.
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@cowgirl03051979 (918)
• United States
8 Sep 11
dogs can howl for a number of different reasons most dogs howl because they feel lonley and this is their way of letting other dogs know where they are some dog breeds are more likely to howl than others why your dogs are barking could mean many different things depending on where you live dogs will often bark if they hear the slightest noise outside you may or may not be able to hear it it is nothing to worry about as far as the superstition goes about someone in the house will die if the howling and barking become a problem you can consult a dog behavorial therapist or get a bark collar
1 person likes this
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
7 Sep 11
The only thing my culture says about howling dogs is, "Where did I put the shotgun?".
Lash
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@waflay (2737)
• Nairobi, Kenya
7 Sep 11
That believe runs in my community too. Its something that has been there for many years, I heard of stories that my ancestors used to sacrifice for this,to keep away from disasters. But now it has became normal and people don't take that howl seriously as it was many years ago. In my time we used to mimic dog howls and that could awake all dogs in the village to start howling. There is nothing serious about that howl anyway.
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@voracious (624)
• Philippines
7 Sep 11
Our neighbor's dog are howling everyday even in the middle of noon, it's too irritating to hear their howls.
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@naseemkum (1803)
• India
7 Sep 11
Dont be silly and give responses to dog howls and imagine something going to happen strange. I too hear lot of dogs howling everyday its a natural thing but i dont connect dog with my life. But i want to say one thing if u imagine something scary going to happen then it would definately happen but its not because of dog but its because of ur mind.
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