How to Stop a Schnauzer Howling
Howling all the time can be very annoying, and you might find you hunting for ways to end this loud and disturbing behavior. To be able to successfully stop this sort of thing, you must first learn what is causing your Schnauzer to howl in the first place.
Dogs, like wolves, use howling for communication, as well as because they might feel isolated or lonely. Dogs may also howl when they are in heat, or if they don’t have enough to do during the day. Although howling is not an indication that something is physically wrong with your dog, most people want it to cease, since it cannot only disturbs you, but your neighbors as well. Some ways in which you can reduce the time spent howling by your dog:
1. Dogs that get plenty of play and exercise are much less likely to become bored and howl because of this reason. Take your dog for walks when you have the chance, and try to play with them more. A dog that is tired will not want to stay up all night howling.
2. Spend more time with your dog. If a dog is lonely, they will often show this through howling. More time spend playing with your dog means less howling. If you cannot see your dog much during the day, a late afternoon walk or run might be just the ticket to tiring out your dog enough as that he simply doesn’t have the energy needed to howl at night.
3. Give your dog friends to play with. Dogs are much like people, in the fact that they like to have interactions between other dogs. Allowing your dog play times can decrease the need he has to howl.
4. If you have to leave your pet for long time periods, and your dog is lonely, they will certainly howl to relate this fact to you. Giving your dog things to do while you are away can help tremendously with howling. They even have dog toys that actually have treats in them that the dog must work at to get to, giving them lots to do while you are away from them.
5. Although dogs that are neutered or spayed can still howl, they are often much calmer, resulting in a decreased need to vocally express their problems. However, this shouldn’t be the only reason for sterilizing your dog, and should be carefully considered before doing so.
6. If you have tried just about everything, and still find that your dog is howling all the time, you may need to enroll him in obedience classes. Lots of times, classes like this can stop the behavior along with various other obedience issues your pet might be displaying.
Although howling by your dog can be abrasive and annoying, it is the dog’s way of letting you know that they are not happy about something in their lives. When you can figure out what is causing the unwanted behavior, it will be much easier to find ways in which to change this.