'Mother Was a Wolf:' Dog's Impressive Howl Leaves Internet in Stitches

When a dog was given permission to let out a howl while indoors, his vocal talents certainly didn't disappoint.

The hilarious clip was posted on TikTok by user @cassdowney, showing her dog Leonardo having a snooze before she wakes him up to ask, "Leo, do you need to howl?"

Her pet then immediately sits upright to get himself in a better position to unleash a full howl from the comfort of the sofa.

According to The American Kennel Club, a dog's howl is a loud and sustained doleful sound, or an outcry that dogs and wolves let out for a variety of reasons. It could be a sign of imminent danger, a cry for attention or a response to a high-pitched sound.

If a dog's howling is very frequent, then it can become problematic, and owners might consider addressing the dog's behavior. If they're howling for attention or as a reaction to their environment, animal-care website PetMD encourages owners to desensitize the dog by ignoring their alerts, so they eventually realize it doesn't work and give up.

The TikTok video, captioned "spoiler alert: he did," has generated over 3.2 million views and 767,000 likes since it was posted on March 15.

Dog trainer Leigh Siegfried of Opportunity Barks told Newsweek that howling like this is a way for dogs to have "a full range of expression." She added that some dogs will be more inclined to bark or howl than breeds with a more-relaxed nature.

Siegfried said: "Barking and howling is all just communication. So, if a domesticated dog is inclined to howl, they tend to be reacting to some noise in the environment.

"We as humans can all yell and sing, but we don't need to. It's just our way of expressing ourselves. This is just a dog's way of expressing itself."

If owners are fed up with their pet howling incessantly, Siegfried said they should offer more enrichment to ensure the dog is biologically fulfilled. If the animal is given enough stimulation, then they shouldn't feel the need to bark.

"If the dog is howling too much, you need to get your dog engaging in their inherent dog nature by doing things that enrich and satisfy them. Dogs that are biologically satisfied are generally not running around and barking all day.

"Dogs that aren't enriched enough will find their own fun by doing things they need to do," Siegfried added.

Social-media users have been amazed by Leo's vocal abilities, and the video has amassed over 6,400 comments.

One user commented on the video: "The way he cleared his throat beforehand," and another person wrote: "Mother was a wolf, father was a tea kettle."

Newsweek reached out to @cassdowney for comment via TikTok.

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