Did it ever occur to you why do dogs howl and why is it that when they hear another dog howl there seem to be a cascading events of howling throughout the neighborhood? Regardless of the dog’s breed, the ability to howl is engraved in all the of the canine’s genetic make up. Tracing back, it all started with their ancestor – the wolf. The wolf doesn’t necessarily bark but when it communicates with other pack members, it howls. And this special talent has been passed down to generations of dogs. It may not be as evident with the common household and toydogs such as the Shih Tzu; but these cute furballs are still every bit of a dog and will howl if given a reason to – just like Munchkin over here.
Munchkin may not understand what an Ipad is but he surely gets the sound coming from it. Howling has been used by dogs to send messages such as warnings and greetings. Common situations where howling is observed include exploration of a new territory, letting the pack know where a member is and assertion of territorial grounds. This is the reason why Munchkin seems so troubled and worried about the sound of howling that he feels the need to answer back. No dog can resist not replying to a howl because this means as an emergency message to them – that somewhere out there, someone is telling something. And you know dogs, they are so independent creatures and they thrive well in packs. They have a natural ability to help or assist when a pack member needs them. That’s just how they are, and probably the reason why we love them so much – because acceptance means a lot to them and they willing to give everything just for that. So going back to this famous Shih Tzu (Munchkin is the same Shih Tzu who is famous for the teddy bear Halloween costume), Munchkin did very well when it comes to being alert and observant. We may not totally understand what’s going on with the howling between the Shih Tzu in and outside the Ipad but one thing we can be sure of – that there is an unbroken bond that ties all dogs in the world, and that is howling.
