Dogs may not have perfect pitch or know the words, but that doesn't stop them enjoying a good old sing-along.
One dog displaying some impressive musical ability recently went viral on TikTok with over 5.3 million views on the platform.
In the video posted by Mary Ann Redmond, Indi the border collie can be heard singing along with her owner, managing to hit every note Redmond sings.
"Indi back in the studio today," reads the caption.
"How does one teach a dog to howl MUSICAL NOTES," commented one impressed user on TikTok.
Howling is one of the ways dogs communicate, and it's a behavior that can be traced back to their ancestor, the wolf.
"Your canine companion may not even know why they are howling, but the behavior is deeply buried in their genetic code," says the American Kennel Club (AKC).
The AKC goes on to suggest that dogs actually have a sense of pitch.
"For example," it continues, "as more wolves join in, each one changes their tone, and recordings have shown that each wolf is howling a different note. Your dog, too, can differentiate between pitch and tone. Dogs also pick up higher frequencies than the human ear, so they may be howling along to something you can't even hear. Your dog may deliberately join in at a completely different pitch or note just to individualize their howl."
Patrik Holmboe, the head veterinarian at Amsterdam's Cooper Pet Care, told Newsweek that there are many reasons our dogs like to join in with certain sounds, many of which we humans will never fully understand.
"Just like for humans, how dogs process noise is an area of active research, and all the details are definitely not currently known," he said.
"We know that the auditory systems of dogs are certainly fine-tuned for detecting certain types of noises that would have helped them evolutionarily in the wild," he continued. "Think noises of potential prey or communication from pack members. These types of noises will trigger specific areas of the brain—and subsequent behaviors and actions—as opposed to other, more ambient sounds such as rain or wind."
Sometimes dogs are overly vocal when they are stimulated and having fun. "Many dogs simply like to vocalize, whether it's barking or otherwise, and having fun mimicking a noise can be a good time. In addition to this, curiosity very likely plays a role. Especially with new sounds, dogs might not know exactly what the sound is and might try to mimic it in order to see what happens," he said.
Another reason a dog might join you in song or howl for no reason is a desire to simply communicate.
"If something or someone is trying to communicate, why not communicate back?" Holmboe said. "Fear or aggression might play a role too: We all know a fearful dog can bark, growl, yelp or make other noises. And if there's a strange sound that a dog is afraid of, they might mimic the noise as a warning to keep away."
Whatever the reason for her singing, users on TikTok loved the video.
"I've heard a border collie sing, I can die happy now," commented one user, "Now THAT's impressive. And I loved 'you got it surrounded,'" commented another.
Newsweek has reached out to Mary Ann Redmond via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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