Dutch Shepherd Forum

Do your Dutch Shepherds howl like a wolf? Both my Dutch Shepherds do but my Malinois does not. Usually it's when I leave the house, the Dutchies begin long drawn out howling while the Mal just barks. The first time I heard Riddick howl he was about six months old. Later when we got Asia- she would occasionally howl with him in unison. It's not very often but it happens sometimes when I leave they'll start howling. Once in a while they'll even howl when they hear the neighbors Husky howling that lives around the corner. However the other night, Riddick was howling in his sleep which is the first time I've ever heard him do that in the eight years I've owned him. Normally he just has these little barks or growls when he's dreaming but this was a full on howl when he was completely asleep. Woke everyone up. I know other breeds howl but didn't know if this is a common behavior in other Dutchies so figured I'd ask.

M

Even though my female is just 14 months old, I have never heard her howl.

Bramble doesn't howl, she grumbles.

I'm certain it's a learned behavior. First time I heard it was when he was about six months old, he was sitting on the couch with me watching a show about Yellowstone. The wolves started howling on the program then later in the show they did it again and he then howled shortly, not a long time. I thought neat, I didn't know they did that. Later got the a female Dutchie as nearly a full grown adult. One day as I'm leaving for work, I have my window rolled down and can hear both of them howling from inside the house. A couple years after that we got the Mal but the Mal has never once howled that I know of- only the older Dutchies. It's never on cue, never provoked other than me leaving or the random couple times in response to the neighbors dog down the street.

I think dogs learn howling too. Our boxer lab howled very early. The Dalmatian picked it up...then the Russel terrier mix "learned" and it's right pitiful. More of an off key yodel.

The boxer lab also learned the Dal smile, which was just so wrong.

Radar will howl at the Law and Order theme song and off in the distance sirens. Leela joins 8n with barks.