The German Shepherd in the video below has a wonderful voice! When his owner starts belting out a few lines, he can’t help but start singing along. You can see that as soon as he hears the sound of music, the German Shepherd wants to howl. Adorable! But there is also some science behind it. Why do dogs howl when they hear music?
Watch this adorable video of a German Shepherd singing and then read the explanation below!
Why is your German Shepherd whining?
It should be reassuring to know that your German Shepherd probably isn’t whining because he’s in pain or discomfort… although you shouldn’t rule it out.
The most common reasons for a German Shepherd to whine are emotional reasons. Moans can occur for all of the following emotional reasons:
Sirens
You may have noticed that as soon as your dog hears a siren, that siren calls your dog’s attention.
There is a common misconception that the sound of a loud siren hurts your dog’s ears. This seems to make sense because sirens are typically quite loud and a passing fire truck with blaring sirens can actually be a bit painful for us humans to hear.
Stretching
German Shepherds sometimes whine as they stretch. This is most common after they wake up in the morning or after a nap. They will stretch their hind legs, and some dogs will whine as they do so.
Think of this kind of humans who stretch and yawn in the morning when we wake up. Some dogs whine just as part of their process of waking up and starting their day.
Why does Sheps bark and growl?
For anyone unfamiliar with dogs, certain noises, such as barking and growling, can be interpreted as aggression. However, that’s not necessarily the case. Your German Shepherd probably barks or growls when he’s having fun, interacting with others, and when he wants to get your attention or warn you of something.
Of course, growing and barking can also signal aggression, but you should be able to tell if a dog is on guard or not by observing his body language. An aggressive German Shepherd will have a stiff, stiff body, a wide, fixed gaze, and possibly raised hair. They may also wag their tails very slowly and show their teeth.