Posted on 04/24/2014 4:35:17 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Whether a woof, ruff, yip, or yap, dogs bark dozens, if not hundreds, of times each day. Imagine if every pet canine in the U.S. -- all 83.3 million of them -- congregated. The chorus would be a postal worker's nightmare.
Dogs sound off in almost any situation. Maybe the doorbell rang, or a stranger approached, or a bird fluttered nearby. Even with little to no obvious stimulation, dogs can bark incessantly. Behaviorist and biologist Raymond Coppinger once observed a dog that barked for seven hours straight, even though no other canines were within miles.
Because dogs bark repetitively and in varying contexts, for decades, a hefty chunk of scientists argued that these sounds served no specific purpose. Coppinger, for example, put forth the notion that barking relieves arousal, and merely indicates an emotional state. At the turn of the century, however, these views started to evaporate. A key clue came in 2002. UC-Davis animal scientist Sophia Yin recorded the barks of different breeds of dogs at play, when the doorbell rang, or in isolation. She found that bark frequency and duration differed significantly between the situations.
"The fact that barks were context specific... strongly suggests that barks serve specific functions," she reasoned.
For all the barking the dogs do, their closest relatives, wolves, rarely bark at all. As little as 2.3% of their vocalizations are barks; the rest are almost entirely howls. Moreover, wolves bark only in warning, defense, and protest. Even though 30,000 years of evolution separate the two species, many breeds of dogs look quite similar to their lupine cousins. But the sounds they make are easily discernible.
Taking note of this contrast, Hungarian ethologist Csaba Molnar forayed into the barking discussion, postulating that the bark came to prominence through the process of domestication, in essence, as a way to communicate with humans.
In 2005, Molnar presented evidence to back his assertion. Molnar had 36 subjects listen to a variety of barks from a breed called mudis. The barks were recorded during different situations: when the mudis encountered a stranger, acted aggressively, were prompted to go on a walk, begged for a ball, played, or were left alone. Regardless of whether or not the subjects were dog owners, they were able to guess the situations in which the barks were recorded at levels significantly higher than chance when presented with the choices.
Further evidence backing Molnar's theory came courtesy of Dmitry Belyaev's domestication experiments on silver foxes. For years, researchers selected the most docile foxes that showed the least fear of humans and bred them. Over the generations, the foxes began to sport characteristics like spotted coats, floppy ears, and curled tails. They also began barking a lot more, specifically when they saw people!
It might be presumptuous to think that barking evolved on our account, but right now, it's the most plausible explanation we have!
And we wouldn't like it if they did. Can you imagine?
They co-evolved with us.
She went over to her bed in the corner and whined louder.
One of the little Jack Russels had peed in her bed and she wanted it cleaned up. As soon as I took her bed to wash it she never whined again. Cate is a great dog! :)
My dog is 14 and has been losing his hearing also. Sometimes, not a lot, he just stands out in the yard and barks at nothing. My theory is that his bark is something he can really hear, so it comforts him. But who knows.
our australian shepherd mix would lift his upper lip like a smile. hilarious. if you want to know why dogs bark, consider how domestic dogs communicate with each other, then compare that with communication for human hearing. My daughter-in-law’s beagle barks a LOT. My rat terrier hurts my ears. Loved my husky/wolf cause she didn’t bark menacingly unless it was a threat to someone she didn’t like. Only twice in her lifetime. She whined in greeting and howled, of course. Boy do I miss her.
Our dog is probably part aussie...and will smile (only in a.m. now - she’s 13+)...but she used to only bark when strangers came...and especially if they had eye contact...and she can make people scared...now she seems to bark to order my husband to do something...it is a happy bark tho.
Remember this? Animal sounds.
https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5528382/il_fullxfull.262724919.jpg
I’ll take a dog quoting Shakespeare to some of the “yuts” I see on the streets of DC, any day, any time.
PS: My cats can say “out” so clearly you’re waiting for them to say something else, like “dinner”.
Ring ding ding diding diding ding.
Squirrels don’t elicit that response?
I got it....moved by and ruminating on...
Squirrel Warning!
HAHAHAHA!!!!
Rufus sez, “I bark, therefore I am”
I don’t know why they bark but I love howling with them.
Borderline subsonic or ultrasonic whining?
Mine do both.
I can hear it *just* enough to start twitching.
;D
Because they can.
“The Fox”
Dog goes woof, cat goes meow.
Bird goes tweet, and mouse goes squeak.
Cow goes moo. Frog goes croak, and the elephant goes toot.
Ducks say quack and fish go blub, and the seal goes OW OW OW.
But there’s one sound that no one knows...
WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?
Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!
Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!
Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!
Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!
Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
Big blue eyes, pointy nose, chasing mice, and digging holes.
Tiny paws, up the hill, suddenly you’re standing still.
Your fur is red, so beautiful, like an angel in disguise.
But if you meet a friendly horse, will you communicate by mo-o-o-o-orse, mo-o-o-o-orse, mo-o-o-o-orse?
How will you speak to that h-o-o-orse, h-o-o-orse, h-o-o-orse?
WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?!
Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!
Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!
Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!
Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!
Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
A-hee-ahee ha-hee!
A-hee-ahee ha-hee!
A-hee-ahee ha-hee!
WHAT THE FOX SAY?
A-oo-oo-oo-ooo!
Woo-oo-oo-ooo!
WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?!
The secret of the fox, ancient mystery.
Somewhere deep in the woods, I know you’re hiding.
What is your sound? Will we ever know?
Will always be a mystery what do you say?
You’re my guardian angel hiding in the woods.
What is your sound? (A-bubu-duh-bubu-dwee-dum a-bubu-duh-bubu-dwee-dum)
Will we ever know? (A-bubu-duh-bubu-dwee-dum)
I want to, I want to, I want to know! (A-bubu-duh-bubu-dwee-dum)
(Bay-buh-day bum-bum bay-dum)
Dog barking evolved as a means to communicate with humans. Interesting.
I can imagine that! :-) One of mine communicates, one converses, one demands..and one just squeaks like a newborn because he’s figured out it gets the two leggers in the house to coo over him and the calico to go all momma kitty for him.
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