Singing Happy Birthday - why did my dog go nuts?
Discussion
Yesterday was my son's birthday, and in the evening we got the cake out with the candles and all the usual malarkey. We started to sing Happy Birthday. Now, we have recently adopted a dog, she's a roughly 6 year old Jack Russell, and a friendlier and more affectionate little dog I have never seen. She is a delight, and, around people at least, the opposite of the usual Jack Russell caricature. I suspect she's spliced with a bit of Dachshund and Corgi. Anyway, back to Happy Birthday. As we start singing she starts whining and yowling. We've had plenty of TV, recorded music, piano playing etc since she's been with us (2 months) and she reacts to none of it. But human singing voices without musical accompaniment seem to have set her off.
Afterwards I decided to try it again, on my own, so started singing Happy Birthday, and she cocked her head to one side, and started yowling and jumping around. This time I could tell she was actually distressed. Her ears went back and she went in to a sort of defensive shape on the floor, and got quite agitated. It was most peculiar. I stopped singing and approached her to calm her but could tell she was upset and didn't want me near her, and I got a bit of a growl. It took a few minutes for her to come round and go back to normal.
What the hell is going on with that? Now I confess I'm no silky voiced Frank Sinatra, nor is anyone in my family, but this behaviour really surprised me and I wonder if there's any good explanation for it? I know there are funny YouTube vids of dogs howling along with their owners singing and playing pianos and all that, but this was different. She was genuinely distressed and wanted us to stop.
I suppose there's probably no real explanation but I wondered if anyone else had seen this sort of behaviour?
Afterwards I decided to try it again, on my own, so started singing Happy Birthday, and she cocked her head to one side, and started yowling and jumping around. This time I could tell she was actually distressed. Her ears went back and she went in to a sort of defensive shape on the floor, and got quite agitated. It was most peculiar. I stopped singing and approached her to calm her but could tell she was upset and didn't want me near her, and I got a bit of a growl. It took a few minutes for her to come round and go back to normal.
What the hell is going on with that? Now I confess I'm no silky voiced Frank Sinatra, nor is anyone in my family, but this behaviour really surprised me and I wonder if there's any good explanation for it? I know there are funny YouTube vids of dogs howling along with their owners singing and playing pianos and all that, but this was different. She was genuinely distressed and wanted us to stop.
I suppose there's probably no real explanation but I wondered if anyone else had seen this sort of behaviour?
That is odd to react to signing, which she must hear from the radio etc quite often.
Our lab reacts to my son playing his trumpet. Even in the next room she starts howling and not in a happy way. Not so bad with the trombone, but still howls a bit. I can understand that noise, as it can be quite loud, but signing is strange!
Our lab reacts to my son playing his trumpet. Even in the next room she starts howling and not in a happy way. Not so bad with the trombone, but still howls a bit. I can understand that noise, as it can be quite loud, but signing is strange!
t singing ;-)You've no way of knowing how she was treated in her former life.
Perhaps a drunken rendition of "IIIaaayaaaiii will alwaaaaaays luuurve yooooooooo" was dished up with other ill treatment.
My rescue Norman is also terrified of singing - and I'm not that bad - but also the oddest things, like carrier bags.
Perhaps a drunken rendition of "IIIaaayaaaiii will alwaaaaaays luuurve yooooooooo" was dished up with other ill treatment.
My rescue Norman is also terrified of singing - and I'm not that bad - but also the oddest things, like carrier bags.
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