What does it mean when a dog howls?

Some dogs howl, where others bark. Breed/type. However, dogs do this hair-raising howl sometimes when they are having a dream. I was watching Waking the Dead last night, and my Whippet who was asleep and dreaming, started doing this (new, she's not done this before!!). Talk about scary. I was almost off the sofa.

On the other hand, when I had numbers of Bassets, they'd start this when we left to go out, or occasionally they were doing this when we came home - in fact we could often walk into the kitchen with a full chorus going on, and nobody heard us coming home. In that case it's them missing us LOL.

I don't believe in the myth that it means somebody is about to die btw. LOL

Some dogs howl to sing along with music or singing.

Some dogs howl because the sound they hear hurts their ears.

Some dogs howl to warn you as they are hunting dogs.

Some dogs howl to communicate with coyotes out there howling.

So, it means different things depending on the situation that they are in. -!-

My Shih Tzu howls, but only when there's something odd going on in the back stair well.

He knows not to bark, and rarely ever does, but when he's really threatened (he hears a voice he doesn't recognize coming up the apartment stairs, or there's too much noise), he will howl.

I guess it may be different for every dog, and why they usually do it.

Sometimes they howl when they're simply bored.

Some dogs show emotion through howling, a breed known to do so is the Beagle. They howl when they're sad, they howl when they're bored or when they want attention.

My dog howls when he wants my attention.

if your dog is howling when it is on ist ownm then it means that he is lownley and needs companie