
The AKC tells us that Huskies are so vocal because as sled dogs, they needed to communicate effectively with both their humans and teammates. To that end, a Husky has quite the vocabulary!
A need for food, affection, discomfort, or get me out of this #!%!# crate can be expressed in a whine, but a growl is exactly what you think it means: A warning of unease. A ‘chirp’ is a playful, excited sound, while “talking,’ perhaps the Husky’s most endearing vocalization, seems to resemble human-spoken words – so much so that one is tempted to look for a zipper in the Husky suit worn by a person.
Oh, but that howl. It is as much Husky as “Yo, bro” is skater and snowboarder subculture. That quintessential Husky howl is haunting – and loud! To great success, Huskies always howl for a reason, whether it’s to express their thoughts on current events, or to attract attention. Sometimes a Husky will howl in response to a “mechanical howl” (i.e., a fire engine siren), but sometimes it’s just to vent. As far as we can tell, however, a howl is never for nothing. It is a deeply ingrained behavior passed down through generations of pack life where constant communication was crucial for survival.
That’s what “they” tell us. We know differently.
According to Native American folklore, Siberian Huskies howl when they are feeling forgetful. Expressive yowling jogs their memory and helps the dog recall important information. The next time we walk into a room and forget why we went there, we’re going to try howling. Hey, it worked for he Siberians.
There are GOBS of You Tube videos sharing the breed’s loquaciousness, but the one below had us at “I love Granny: