If only we could train her to woof "I love you"
What's so great having a Husky Shepherd dog? When she gets in touch with her Siberian Husky genes, images from Call of the Wild come to mind. She curls into her tail for a nap, dreaming of Arctic winds or marches us down the street as if pulling a sled. Years ago our neighbors told us they heard her lonely woo woo when she was alone for a few hours. Her genetic code includes vocalization but since we rarely leave her alone anymore, she has no reason to howl.
We only came home once to the sounds of her sad song. It broke my heart because we knew she sincerely was missing us. She has memorized various sounds over the years related to each of us. She knows the sound of our car engine, the downstairs door and the garage door. I can hear the difference in her barks too. She can go from a loud guard dog level to a soft "hey a kid is walking by the house" level. One requires her blindly charging the door, the other may include a lifting of the head from the floor, or not. Cleo has a wide range of barking styles.
With age Cleo has developed a few funny noises, like grunting or moaning related to sleeping or being sleepy. She yawns loudly.
The day I heard her howling I thought back to this story on how wolves howl when they miss their friends. Have you experienced this lonely sound at home? Does your dog have a wide range of barks? I'd love to read your experiences in the comments.