While dogs can understand what we are communicating to them, no matter how much we fool ourselves, they certainly do not “know” what the words mean. What dogs understand is our energetic communication, our tone of voice, and the associations they have with certain sounds or words.

Dogs communicate vocally in various ways, including howling, whining, whining, growling, barking, and howling. However, it’s fair to say that most owners really have no idea what their dog is saying.

A dog’s body language combined with any vocalization is the key to understanding.

Like humans, individual dogs have different personalities and temperaments, so there are no generalizations here. Some dogs are not very vocal, others are quite “talkative”.

We need to learn to read our individual dog’s behavior and understand the context when it tries to communicate with us “verbally” before we can begin to process what it might mean.

Let’s start with something that we can probably all identify, yelling.

Screaming It is easy! We all know the cry that accompanies a clumsy step on the tail or the leg of our dog; This means that they are experiencing pain. We can also identify the cry, often from a puppy, when another dog bites too hard. Even the quietest dogs will yell if they suddenly get hurt like this.

What a dog is saying with a yell is “ow” and he wants a positive response from the other party involved – to stop the action causing the pain.

Moaning or whining It can also mean that a dog is in some kind of distress and it is wise to understand that this may be the case and investigate accordingly.

For a particularly vocal dog, whining can mean they want something, especially if they are wagging their tails too. It is advisable to check if they need something essential like water, a break to go to the bathroom or just go out ‘to play’. A whine can turn into a bark if the request is not honored.

What a dog wants here is for you to understand his need and satisfy it. It is up to you to use your judgment to determine whether the request is welfare related or other care related, in which case it may be helpful to wait until your dog is calm and then seek to provide it on your terms.

Whining can also indicate a high level of excitement, such as when returning after a long absence, and can also be accompanied by jumping, licking, and barking – not-so-desirable behaviors!

Snarl Most of the time, it is a warning, and if steps are not taken to prevent it, an assault can occur and even become an attack. Rather than viewing a growl as a bad thing, it’s best to figure out what needs to change to make your dog more comfortable, which could be as simple as backing up or taking a break.

Dogs often growl playfully, especially in a tug of war. However, keep in mind that pulling is not always a ‘game’ for a dog, when winning can demonstrate or reinforce dominance. Here it is important to make sure that your dog’s other body language says that he is playful, and if you are unsure, pause for a moment and wait until your dog calms down before resuming play. When two dogs are playing together and growling, it’s a good idea to force a break every now and then if they don’t do it themselves.

There are some dogs that also growl or complain of pleasure while being petted. Again, the most important thing is that you know your own dog, its habits and idiosyncrasies.

Bark It can be for many reasons, including as an alert of potential danger, out of boredom, when they want something, if they are scared, distrustful, in danger and of course playing.

When a dog is distressed, his barking will be more high-pitched and repetitive, and it will get louder the more annoying he is. When a dog is bored, the barking is more likely to be repetitive but monotonous. If the barking is an alarm, there will be greater intensity and clarity.

A bark of ‘demand’ is likely to be directed at you, asking you to provide what they want.

It is always helpful to look and see what the dog is doing and then react accordingly.

Howling or howling It is often triggered by hearing another high-pitched noise, for example, the response to someone singing or the sirens of emergency vehicles. On the other hand, the howls are deep and prolonged, like the sound we have come to associate with dogs hunting for prey or searching for someone lost.

Dogs here may be calling to keep in touch with other members of the pack, so it can also be a sign of distress when your dog is isolated or separated from you, for example if you are staying home alone all day.

This, of course, can be a source of particular annoyance to your neighbors!