Howling dog..

[Smowball]

There is a dog I can hear howling from my back garden. I dont know who's it is, but it did it all day yesterday and is still doing it. It sounds very close, within 100 metres, but its driving me mad! Who do you call about these things? I don't know if its locked outside somewhere, or has been left... but its not very happy!

[woofgang]

local council but they will probably need to know where the dog is.

[chaptazbru]

If it was me, I'd go round the area to see if I could locate it and see what state it's in. It maybe needs a visit from the RSPCA, poor thing. Also, it may have been abandoned and needs help.

[Nosha123]

poor thing is obviously unhappy!!! Probably owners at work and so just lock him in the garden! Why have a dog if you dont have the time to give it?
Poor thing

[chaptazbru]

Plenty of people like that Nosha - they get right up my nose !!!

[Nosha123]

poor dog is obviously terribly lonely... and crying for attention!
What a miserable life!
I bet once they get home he is let in fed and then largely ignored before turfing him out again!
He'd be better off being re-homed to someone who works just part time... or is retired

[Sir Alec]

My dog used to howl when his 'girlfriend' was on heat. It went on for about 2 weeks, then stopped as her scent had finally gone away from the local area.
It used to drive us mad.
If the howling has gone on for more than 2-3 weeks, then it is indeed a very unhappy pooch and needs to be looked into.

[Nosha123]

trouble is RSPCA wont do naff all.. as long as its relatively healthy looking and has water and shelter...
I sometimes wonder if they actually have an animals best interests at heart at all

[Smowball]

I can't see anything, my house backsd onto a cul-de-sac and I can't see anything there either. Am going to nip upstairs and try from bedroom windows

[B00]

"I sometimes wonder if they actually have an animals best interests at heart at all"

Only if there's money and or publicity in it for them.

[chaptazbru]

Please don't let it go smo.

I agree about the RSPCA, but if I'm not happy with them, I always write a very strong letter to their HQ's and that always gets a result. Pity I have to do that, but at least it works.

[FredPuli43]

Howling or barking? Howling definitely means unhappy in this case. Wolves howl as a means of calling to locate the rest of the pack, and get it together for the evening or to tell other packs where they are. Dogs seem to have got this trait too; mine all howl, for the first reason, of an evening, and sometimes for the second when three are in one pen and suddenly decide to call out for the other six in another (who respond by howling too!).

Lonely dogs bark the 'lonely bark',a sole bark at regular, evenly paced, intervals and this may go on for hours. It's quite distinct from other barking.

Howling or lonely barking. this dog's is alone, lonely, and calling out for company. The council can deal with noise nuisance, but really the RSPCA should be called in, to give the owner advice and/or to remove the dog.

[Smowball]

Definitely howling, like a wolf.

Can't see anything. It has stopped for the moment - don't know if owner has come home, but will keep an ear out.

[chaptazbru]

Can't you take a walk round if it starts aagain ?

[Smowball]

Yep I can. Its definitely very close, wherever it is.

[chaptazbru]

It's strange if you've never heard it before, sounds like a new dog on the block ...

[lankeela]

RSPCA won't do anything. The Enviromental Health people will write to the owner and tell them it has been reported and if further complaints are made they can even install monitoring equipment in a neighbouring property but it would take several complaints before they act. Could well be howling if there is a bitch in season as mentioned above.