This week's reader's question is, "Mum, why are the boys howling?"
This week has been all about management in our household.
It's that time again - one girl in season means shut down and management of our pack.
Having stud dogs and a breeding pair means we all have to be very aware of the hormonal over-ride of normal tolerant behaviour within the pack to ensure everybody is kept safe.
The side effect of this management of strict separation and individual exercise schedules and toileting is the dogs not only whine with anticipation of the possibility of mating, driven by their scent glands, but also the "woe is me" howling chorus.
The reason for howling in dogs is not the same as wolf packs howling for marking out territory or letting others know where they are if separated from their pack. It is a far more simple "I am lonely" statement.
The time my girl is in season means no pack play for her and even though the boys have their time together (supervised to avoid aggression) they are well aware that she is missing and are expressing the true emotion of being lonely without her.
I have found that this only happens once a pack has been established for some time.
In our case our girl is the centre of attention leaving the boys at a loss as what to do without her. Fortunately, we are able to stop and redirect the howling with the quiet cue which soon settles the outburst.
If you find that your dog tends to howl when you leave home this has the same meaning: "I am lonely". However, this then becomes a case of separation anxiety of a more serious nature.
Your dog needs to be taught to feel secure when you are not with them and what to do as alternative behaviour.
There are also breeds who just love to howl and it is part of their genetic makeup such as hound and utility breeds, not to mention the Border terrier yodel. I find putting this behaviour on cue gives you control over when and for how long these howling sessions last, which makes living with this trait far more manageable.
This behaviour is great fun to teach to sing or howl along with music.
Email me to have your question selected for publication at mutsrus2@gmail.com.
Paw point of the week: It takes a lot of skill to manage entire dogs and unless you have the time to commit to managing hormonal cycles and the differing behaviours that come with these up to four times a year give yourself peace of mind and spay, or neuter, your dogs from 6 months old.