all about the sounds dogs make
I was able to do some research yesterday at work, and found this info. I thought it was intresting, so I am going to post it here. Its information on the sounds dogs make, and the meanings.
Interpreting Canine Vocalization
When scientists study dog sounds, they identify a number of different vocalizations with different nuances of meaning. There are two important factors to attend to in dog vocalizations. The first is the pitch of the sound. For barks and other sounds, low-pitched sounds usually indicate threats, anger, and the possibility of aggression, while higher-pitched sounds can mean fear or pain or, where they are less sharp, pleasure or playfulness.
A Dog's Growl & What It Means
Growls can stand alone or be used to modify barking sounds to add a degree of threat. Below are 5 different ways a dog may grow and what the dog means by that growl:
1. Soft, low-pitched growling: "Beware!" "Back off!" This is used as a threat and usually causes the listener to move away, giving the dog more space.
2. Low-pitched growl-bark: This is a clear growl that leads to a bark. It means "I'm upset and I'm ready to fight!" This is a clear warning that pressing the dog will lead to aggression.
3. Higher midrange-pitched growl-bark: "I'm worried [or frightened], but I will defend myself." This is the threat of a less-confident animal who will, however, most likely fight back if pushed.
4. Undulating growl: This is a growl that goes from low midrange to high midrange with a kind of a semi-bark often added as the pitch rises. It means "I'm terrified. If you come at me, I may fight or I may run." This is the fearful-aggressive sound of a very unsure dog.
5. Noisy growl, with teeth hidden from view: "This is a good game!" "I'm having fun!" It is usually part of the play sequence and may be tucked in between a series of stutter-barks. It usually indicates intense concentration, as in a tug-of-war or play-acting aggression.
More Dog Sounds And What They Mean
Soft whimpering: "I hurt!" "I'm scared." The average person is most likely to hear this at the veterinarian's office, when the dog is suffering, or when a submissive dog is in a strange place that appears threatening. This is really a carryover of the mewing sound that young puppies make when cold, hungry, or distressed.
Louder, more prolonged whining sound: "Please give me . . ." or "I want ..." A dog usually uses this sound when waiting for food, or for the leash to be put on, or when trying to get his owner's attention, and so forth.
Sighs: This vocalization, which is invariably accompanied by the dog's lying down with his head on his forepaws, can have two meanings, depending on the context and certain facial expressions. With eyes half-closed, it is a sign of pleasure, meaning "I am content and am going to settle down here." With eyes fully open, it is a sign of disappointment when something anticipated has not materialized, best interpreted as "I give up!"
Baying: This is the characteristic sound of hounds during a hunt. It is usually interpreted as "Follow me!" "Let us get him!" or "All together now!"
Yip-howl: This is really more of a yip-yip-yip-howl, with the final howl quite prolonged. It usually means "I am lonely" "I feel abandoned!" or "Is anybody there?"
Howling: "I am here!" "This is my territory!" or "I hear you out there!" A confident animal will often howl simply to announce his presence. Howling also often occurs in response to a yip-howl from another dog. It has a more sonorous sound to the human ear than does the yip-howl, which is often described as mournful.
Moaning: This sounds something like "ar-owl-wowl-wowl . . ." over a short interval of time. It is a sound of spontaneous pleasure and excitement that means "I am excited!" or "Let us play!" A dog usually moans when something he really likes is about to happen.
Panting: "Let us go!" This is a sign of excitement.
10 Dog Barking Moments & What Your Dog Is Trying To Say
1. Continuous rapid barking, midrange pitch: "Call the pack! There is a potential problem! Someone is coming into our territory!"
Continuous Barking but a bit slower and pitched lower: "The intruder [or danger] is very close. Get ready to defend yourself!"
2. Barking in rapid strings of three or four with pauses in between, midrange pitch: "I suspect that there may be a problem or an intruder near our territory. I think that the leader of the pack should look into it."
3. Prolonged or incessant barking, with moderate to long intervals between each utterance: "Is there anybody there? I'm lonely and need companionship." This is most often the response to confinement or being left alone for long periods of time.
4. One or two sharp short barks, midrange pitch: "Hello there!" This is the most typical greeting sound.
5. Single sharp short bark, lower midrange pitch: "Stop that!" This is often given by a mother dog when disciplining her puppies but may also indicate annoyance in any dog, such as when disturbed from sleep or if hair is pulled during grooming and so forth.
6. Single sharp short bark, higher midrange: "What's this?" or "Huh?" This is a startled or surprised sound. If it is repeated two or three times its meaning changes to "Come look at this!" alerting the pack to a novel event. This same type of bark, but not quite as short and
sharp, is used to mean "Come here!" Many dogs will use this kind of bark at the door to indicate that they want to go out. Lowering the pitch to a relaxed midrange means "Terrific!" or some other similar expletive, such as "Oh, great!"
7. Single yelp or very short high-pitched bark: "Ouch!" This is in response to a sudden, unexpected pain.
8. Series of yelps: "I'm hurting!" "I'm really scared" This is in response to severe fear and pain.
9. Stutter-bark, midrange pitch: If a dog's bark were spelled "ruff," the stutter-bark would be spelled "ar-ruff." It means "Let's play!" and is used to initiate playing behavior.
10. Rising bark: This is a bit hard to describe, although once you've heard it, it is unmistakable. It is usually a series of barks, each of which starts in the middle range but rises sharply in pitch - almost a bark-yelp, though not quite that high. It is a play bark, used during rough-and- tumble games, that shows excitement and translates as "This is fun!"
Interpreting Canine Vocalization
When scientists study dog sounds, they identify a number of different vocalizations with different nuances of meaning. There are two important factors to attend to in dog vocalizations. The first is the pitch of the sound. For barks and other sounds, low-pitched sounds usually indicate threats, anger, and the possibility of aggression, while higher-pitched sounds can mean fear or pain or, where they are less sharp, pleasure or playfulness.
A Dog's Growl & What It Means
Growls can stand alone or be used to modify barking sounds to add a degree of threat. Below are 5 different ways a dog may grow and what the dog means by that growl:
1. Soft, low-pitched growling: "Beware!" "Back off!" This is used as a threat and usually causes the listener to move away, giving the dog more space.
2. Low-pitched growl-bark: This is a clear growl that leads to a bark. It means "I'm upset and I'm ready to fight!" This is a clear warning that pressing the dog will lead to aggression.
3. Higher midrange-pitched growl-bark: "I'm worried [or frightened], but I will defend myself." This is the threat of a less-confident animal who will, however, most likely fight back if pushed.
4. Undulating growl: This is a growl that goes from low midrange to high midrange with a kind of a semi-bark often added as the pitch rises. It means "I'm terrified. If you come at me, I may fight or I may run." This is the fearful-aggressive sound of a very unsure dog.
5. Noisy growl, with teeth hidden from view: "This is a good game!" "I'm having fun!" It is usually part of the play sequence and may be tucked in between a series of stutter-barks. It usually indicates intense concentration, as in a tug-of-war or play-acting aggression.
More Dog Sounds And What They Mean
Soft whimpering: "I hurt!" "I'm scared." The average person is most likely to hear this at the veterinarian's office, when the dog is suffering, or when a submissive dog is in a strange place that appears threatening. This is really a carryover of the mewing sound that young puppies make when cold, hungry, or distressed.
Louder, more prolonged whining sound: "Please give me . . ." or "I want ..." A dog usually uses this sound when waiting for food, or for the leash to be put on, or when trying to get his owner's attention, and so forth.
Sighs: This vocalization, which is invariably accompanied by the dog's lying down with his head on his forepaws, can have two meanings, depending on the context and certain facial expressions. With eyes half-closed, it is a sign of pleasure, meaning "I am content and am going to settle down here." With eyes fully open, it is a sign of disappointment when something anticipated has not materialized, best interpreted as "I give up!"
Baying: This is the characteristic sound of hounds during a hunt. It is usually interpreted as "Follow me!" "Let us get him!" or "All together now!"
Yip-howl: This is really more of a yip-yip-yip-howl, with the final howl quite prolonged. It usually means "I am lonely" "I feel abandoned!" or "Is anybody there?"
Howling: "I am here!" "This is my territory!" or "I hear you out there!" A confident animal will often howl simply to announce his presence. Howling also often occurs in response to a yip-howl from another dog. It has a more sonorous sound to the human ear than does the yip-howl, which is often described as mournful.
Moaning: This sounds something like "ar-owl-wowl-wowl . . ." over a short interval of time. It is a sound of spontaneous pleasure and excitement that means "I am excited!" or "Let us play!" A dog usually moans when something he really likes is about to happen.
Panting: "Let us go!" This is a sign of excitement.
10 Dog Barking Moments & What Your Dog Is Trying To Say
1. Continuous rapid barking, midrange pitch: "Call the pack! There is a potential problem! Someone is coming into our territory!"
Continuous Barking but a bit slower and pitched lower: "The intruder [or danger] is very close. Get ready to defend yourself!"
2. Barking in rapid strings of three or four with pauses in between, midrange pitch: "I suspect that there may be a problem or an intruder near our territory. I think that the leader of the pack should look into it."
3. Prolonged or incessant barking, with moderate to long intervals between each utterance: "Is there anybody there? I'm lonely and need companionship." This is most often the response to confinement or being left alone for long periods of time.
4. One or two sharp short barks, midrange pitch: "Hello there!" This is the most typical greeting sound.
5. Single sharp short bark, lower midrange pitch: "Stop that!" This is often given by a mother dog when disciplining her puppies but may also indicate annoyance in any dog, such as when disturbed from sleep or if hair is pulled during grooming and so forth.
6. Single sharp short bark, higher midrange: "What's this?" or "Huh?" This is a startled or surprised sound. If it is repeated two or three times its meaning changes to "Come look at this!" alerting the pack to a novel event. This same type of bark, but not quite as short and
sharp, is used to mean "Come here!" Many dogs will use this kind of bark at the door to indicate that they want to go out. Lowering the pitch to a relaxed midrange means "Terrific!" or some other similar expletive, such as "Oh, great!"
7. Single yelp or very short high-pitched bark: "Ouch!" This is in response to a sudden, unexpected pain.
8. Series of yelps: "I'm hurting!" "I'm really scared" This is in response to severe fear and pain.
9. Stutter-bark, midrange pitch: If a dog's bark were spelled "ruff," the stutter-bark would be spelled "ar-ruff." It means "Let's play!" and is used to initiate playing behavior.
10. Rising bark: This is a bit hard to describe, although once you've heard it, it is unmistakable. It is usually a series of barks, each of which starts in the middle range but rises sharply in pitch - almost a bark-yelp, though not quite that high. It is a play bark, used during rough-and- tumble games, that shows excitement and translates as "This is fun!"