Have you heard of the term Death Howl?
The first time I learned about it was way back when I was in High School. I was then a working student, and I had to leave my dog for an extended period of time because my schedule is packed. I had classes in the morning and work in the evening. At that time, I only had one dog which was a loving aspin.
When I got home my neighbor greeted me with, “Your dog is howling. Did you know that's bad luck? You should get your dog killed”, I was horrified by what I heard. It’s like she’s just asking me to kill a bug.
I answered that it was just an old Filipino belief, but she still insisted that it is real and shouldn’t be taken lightly. She also shared her experience when they heard their dog howl before her grandfather passed away to convince me more. She kept going for at least three nights, bugging me to kill my dog as it is a bad omen to have a howling dog.
The thing is, throughout history, humans thought that dogs are supernatural or have a strong sense of the paranormal as it was once believed that they guide us in our journey to the afterlife, whether towards heaven or hell. In Greek mythology, this belief is derived from Cerberus, the legendary three-headed dog who stands as the guardians of Hades. Cerberus not only protects the realm of the dead but also symbolizes the connection between our world and the afterworld.
There is also a belief traced back to ancient Egypt that a howling dog was believed to be calling a soul to Anubis, which is a god of funerary practices and care of the dead that has a human-figure with a dog head. He has an important role of escorting the deceased to the afterlife, and is considered one of the most powerful deities in the early dynastic period.
This myth became a strong influence to make the legend a practice in some cultures, such as in Filipino culture that when you hear a dog howling, it means death is coming to someone close to the owner’s dog. It is actually considered a universal belief as many cultures already considered this even in this day and age.
In the Philippines, particularly in Cordillera, a dog is considered a sacred animal accompanying the gods, they often practiced a dog offering in order to recover a family member that is sick. The indigenous tribes of igorots called it daw-es which is usually done to drive off bad spirits that are bringing misfortune to people. Daw-es rite is normally observed as a form of cleansing ceremonial at the end of a relative's funeral. The mambunong (native priest) of the community will offer a prayer to the Kabunyan (God) along with the slaughtered dog that is being sacrificed. Participants of the rites should consume the dog meat to cleanse the place of bad spirits in order to not happen the same thing again. This tradition and belief is all over the mountains of Cordillera.
For this reason, some people associate bad omen in a dog’s howl in which if people do not kill the dog, a relative or a person close to the dog’s owner will soon die. This is clearly a tragedy that for centuries, dogs from many regions around the world had faced and may still be facing.
Scientifically-based speaking, there is research that explains why a dog is howling and it has nothing to do with Cerberus, Anubis, or even Kabunyan.
According to Stephanie Gibeault, MSc, CPDT, from American Kennel Club, these are some most likely the reason why do dogs howl:
They don’t feel good. Dogs may howl to communicate that they are not feeling well or in pain. This vocalization serves as a way to express their distress to their owners.
They hear a siren. Dogs often howl in response to sirens or high-pitched noises. They perceive these sounds as similar to howls from other canines, triggering an instinctual response.
It’s in their genes. Dogs share a genetic relationship with wolves, which are known for howling as a form of communication.
They want attention. Some dogs howl to get attention from their owners. This is their way of expressing needs, such as hunger, need to go potty, or they want some playtime.
It is very important for people to understand why a dog is howling. A dog that is kept as a pet rarely howls, unlike those undomesticated canine species in the wild such as the wolves, foxes and coyotes. Just like growling and barking, howling is also a form of communication to them. Pay careful attention to how many times your dog howls, and the situation where and when it happens. In that way, you can conclude rationally the cause why your dog is howling.
A typical howl means that they are lonely and is calling the pack leader. That is why, if an owner gets separated from the dog for an extended period, there is a tendency that they will howl because they consider the owner as their pack leader.
The myth, death howl, is clearly rooted in superstition rather than fact. It is important to explore both perspectives so we can expand and deepen our understanding behind the dog’s howl and its environmental factors.
Bottomline, the fascinating connection between superstition and canine companionship just shows how loyal a dog serves whether in life and beyond. And as to my neighbor? I didn’t listen to her. It’s been around seven years but my dog and everyone around me are alive, still kicking and howling.
REFERENCES:
Gibeault S (2023). Why Do Dogs Howl? Retrieved from: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/why-do-dogs howl/#:~:text=Dogs%20Howl%20to%20Express%20Emotions,was%20likely%20related%20to%20fear.
Conklin L (2024). Why Do Dogs Howl? 6 Top Reasons Your Dog Howls. Retrieved from: https://www.rd.com/article/why-do-dogs-howl/
Jularbal M (nd). From Main Ritual to Main Course: Dogs, Dog meat, and the Igorot Trope. Retrieved from: https://thecordillerareview.upb.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2-Jularbal-21-De.pdf
Augustyn A. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cerberus
Anubis: Egyptian God. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Anubis
Agoot L (2018) Daw-es: Igorots’ Cleansing Ritual for Dead, Living. Retrieved from: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1052457
