bark
The barking (barking) is the most common vocalization of domestic dogs . In Germany two onomatopoeic spellings are typical: "Wow" and "woof". “Jaul”, on the other hand, is not an onomatopoeia for barking, but for yowling , another utterance of the house dog ( Canis lupus familiaris ).
Sense of barking
While wolves almost never bark, dogs communicate much more often by barking. The grimacing games of young wolves are often replaced by barking games in the games between young dogs.
The fact that domestic dogs bark more often than wolves probably represents an evolutionary adaptation to life with people. The willingness to do so is inherited and is differently pronounced in different dog breeds. It does not have to be learned by the individual through dealing with people. Wolves and other species of the dog genus also bark, but only in a few situations. Puppies , on the other hand, bark more frequently, which allows the theory that, during adaptation and breeding by humans, the puppy-typical characteristics and behaviors were specifically promoted and extended over its entire life. The adult house dog is similar in its behavior to the puppy of the wolf.
Meaning of barking
There are roughly six ways a dog may bark:
- barking nervousness or excitement
- the attention barking
- the fear barking
- the frustration barking
- the defense or defense barking
- barking on command
The most common barking is attention barking, but it varies depending on the dog, breed and owner.
Wolves
The wolf is the closest relative of the domestic dog. He seldom barks and when it does, it's a short, quiet, monosyllabic “woof”. This barking is used when a strange being or a strange wolf approaches the pack . The barking wolf thus warns other pack members. Otherwise the wolf does not bark, but there are also a few exceptional situations, such as in pack fights, in which there is also barking from time to time.
However, the pups often bark to their parents. They want to express warning, fear, etc. Adult animals mostly howl . They howl for reasons such as hunting, contacting other wolves or alarms.
Domesticated wolves do not bark, but their children's children (if still living with humans) do begin to bark like domestic dogs. It is similar with foxes .
Wolves and domestic dogs
Dogs and wolves have almost identical vocalizations. Dogs howl less often and those who live with humans bark more often. In wolves, barking is a warning and protest signal, dogs, on the other hand, use barking, especially with a person opposite, as an expression of a wide range of internal states. Their barking is significantly more variable than that of wolves.
When wolves live with domestic dogs for a period of time, it often happens that wolves bark instead of howling. Barking also seems to prevail in the wild: Coydogs, i.e. mixed breeds of coyotes and domestic dogs, bark.
Other canine species
foxes
Foxes bark and / or chuckle. The bark is a loud, almost hoarse short "thud". They make these sounds when there is danger, when defending the territory and when calling for a call in the satchel. The poaching takes place during a fight with a rival or to defend the prey against conspecifics or envious people.
coyote
Coyotes rarely bark, mostly whistling, howling or “calling”. However, the warning call (similar to the wolf) sounds like the bark of a domestic dog. Often the howling fades into a bark.
Jackals
Jackals bark when hunting, otherwise similar to the fox.
Other animals
Other animals can also bark or make a bark-like sound. Hyenas have a laughing and rude bark. Seals and sea lions , for example, can bark, although it should be noted that they are canine . Muntjac are called “barking deers” in English because they make a similar sound when they are excited. The "fright" of the deer and gazelles , which serves as a warning call, also sounds like a bark. Bats don't bark, but the screeching of some species is reminiscent of a bark. Probably the most interesting animal, however, is the South American bushmaster (at four meters the longest viper in the world and the largest venomous snake in America) from the group of pit vipers that live in the Peruvian jungle. Some bird species also make sounds that are reminiscent of the barking of the domestic dog. This is especially true for parrots that are kept with dogs.
Origin of barking
A dog's bark comes from the larynx . For barking, however, the larynx must be relatively large. The original dogs probably couldn't bark - their larynx was too flat. The original dog probably howled. Some of its offspring, such as the Australian dingo or the Central African Basenji (Congo terrier), still have an archetypal flat larynx and are therefore not as good at barking. These dog breeds howl or howl more often.
Legal
From a legal point of view, barking dogs represent a noise immission. The barking of the neighboring dog can therefore, according to German law, be a kind of nuisance ( § 906 BGB ), from which an injunction claim ( § 1004 BGB) can be determined under certain circumstances . The prerequisite is that the barking of the dog exceeds the level that must be tolerated as is customary in the area. The dog owner must ensure that the dog does not bark during the rest periods . Brief barking caused by the situation (greeting people, arrival of strangers, etc.) must also be tolerated by the neighborhood during rest periods. Barking for more than half an hour a day or barking for more than ten minutes during the rest period always constitutes a noise nuisance . The dog owner runs the risk of being fined according to § 117 OWiG .
Debarking
In some countries around the world, it is common practice to muffle dog barking by removing part of the vocal cords. This practice, known as debarking, is banned in England and in those EU countries that have signed the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals.
Debarking, which is also called “devocalization”, is still legal in all other countries in the world, for example in many states in the USA. Since the respective laws of the individual states apply here, the provisions vary. There have been applications for a ban in California , among others , and debarking is already illegal in Massachusetts .
Quotes
- Dogs that bark don't bite - a saying.
- When the foxes bark in October, they call for snow or ..., they order snow - old farmer's rule.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Dorit Urd Feddersen-Petersen: Hundepsychologie. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 978-3-440-09780-9 .
- ↑ Ádám Miklósi : Dogs. Evolution, cognition and behavior . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-440-12462-8 , pp. 286 ff .
- ↑ Amotz Zahavi and Avishag Zahavi : Signals of Understanding. The handicap principle. Insel Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1998, p. 13, ISBN 345816927-X .
- ^ Higher Regional Court of Brandenburg , judgment of January 11, 2007, file number 3 O 374/03
- ^ Higher Regional Court Hamm , 22 U 249/89