Skip to Content

How to Teach Your Dog to Howl or Sing on Command

Have any of you taught your dogs to howl on command?

This is a fun “trick” you can teach some dogs more easily than others.

Although, some dogs are naturally more vocal so maybe you don’t want to encourage them to howl more than they already do! 🙂

My dog Ace is not much of a barker, so the first time we got him to howl, I think he was just as shocked to hear his own howl as we were.

The following are my tips for teaching a dog to howl/sing on command, but let me know how you taught your dog in the comments.

How to teach your dog to howl or sing

Here’s what we did … I imagine there are other, better, ways.

1. Our friend Justin started “howling” to get Ace to howl.

2. Ace howled too!

3. We started using the cue “sing” and rewarded him with praise and food.

How to teach a dog to howl

Today, Ace will howl when we use the “sing” command, but he’s reluctant to do it and I’ve pretty much trained him to howl once I start howling first. 🙂 Then, once he gets started “singing,” he doesn’t want to stop!

Here’s a video:

Ace gets a little stressed out and is reluctant to “sing,” but he gets rewarded with pepperonis, so don’t feel too bad for him!

Other tips to teach a dog to “sing”:

1. Some dogs may be tempted to bark instead of howl. Just ignore the barking and reward your dog for even the tiniest howl.

2. It may be easier to teach “sing” if your dog already knows “speak” (bark).

3. If your dog howls naturally, like when he’s excited, mark the behavior with “sing” and reward him.

4. You may want to teach your dog a command for “quiet” to get him to stop howling! 🙂

5. Tilting your head back and making silent howling gestures just might become your dog’s cue, just to warn you. 🙂

6. Have fun with this. It ain’t meant to be so serious!

How about you?

How did you teach your dog to howl or sing?

Sign up to receive additional content in my weekly newsletter:

Top 24 How To Train Your Dog To Howl On Command Lastest Updates 10/2022

Wednesday 19th of October 2022

[…] Read More […]

Top 28 How To Teach Your Dog To Howl On Command Lastest Updates 10/2022

Tuesday 18th of October 2022

[…] Read More […]

Amy

Thursday 19th of March 2020

My dog sings along when I play the harmonica haha

Lindsay Stordahl

Thursday 19th of March 2020

Aww, that's so cute.

Chessey

Saturday 12th of August 2017

My dog is already very vocal and I am on the border of wishing he would master queit as well as he did singing, talking, barking, whining and oofing (which is his favorite answer to almost everything). Then again, I think conversing with my dog is normal and get a little upset when he ignores me because I had to go somewhere without him.

Linda

Tuesday 7th of June 2016

Zeus sings when I play my clarinet. His singing is especially energetic when I play the Clarinet Polka. On the other hand his singing is much more appropriately subdued when I play Fuure's Pie Jesu. I do try to have the windows closed when Zeus is in full voice.

Lindsay Stordahl

Tuesday 7th of June 2016

Haha! That's awesome! I play the clarinet as well. Or at least I used to.