How do dogs communicate using sounds?

In addition to body posture, vocalization is another means of canine communication, with a certain amount of variation between breeds. Some breeds, for instance the Dachshund, tend to be very vocal, whereas others such as the Greyhound and Saluki bark much less frequently.

Apart from warning growls and snarls of aggression, dogs will also whimper, whine, bark, howl and yelp. In domesticated dogs barking may occur in any situation where the animal gets excited and wants to draw attention to itself; for example when playing, being fed, greeting its owners and generally responding to other sights or noises. The typical canine bark consists of a single syllable lasting no longer than one second. While barking is obviously valuable in drawing attention to intruders, if allowed to go unchecked the behavior can be extremely tiresome for owners, neighbors, and in fact anyone who comes within earshot. Some small dogs are such frequent and persistent barkers that they suffer from permanent tonsillitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis because of the continual damage which they inflict upon their throats. In most breeds barking begins at around three weeks of age. There is some evidence that the continued administration of female sex hormone gradually reduces the amount of barking by male dogs.

Read the rest of this entry »