Do you ever wonder why dogs bark or howl at night? It is a common behavior that can be attributed to various reasons. While some may dismiss it as a natural instinct, others believe that there is a deeper spiritual meaning behind dogs barking or howling at night. In this article, we will explore 11 possible spiritual interpretations of this phenomenon. Whether you are a believer in the supernatural or simply curious about the world around you, these meanings will intrigue and captivate your imagination.
1. Warning of Negative Energy or Spirits
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Some cultures believe when dogs bark or howl at night, they are warning of negative energy or spirits in the area. In other words, that there is a presence in your home or neighborhood you don’t want around.
It’s believed dogs have the ability to see things we can’. These could be anything from angels and deceased loved ones to evil spirits. And when dogs interact with them, they’ll give signs outwardly that something is going on.
Their barking or howling could be their way of warning you about negative energy in your home so you can cleanse it. And depending on the situation, they might even put themselves between you and the negative spirit or negative energy to protect you.
So while it’s never fun for you (or your neighbors) to hear your dog howl at night, it might be their way of letting you know something is up. And if you pay close attention and try to figure out what exactly is bothering them, it could save you a lot of grief down the line!
What To Do if You Suspect Negative Energy
If you think your dog is barking or howling because they see a spirit or other negative energy, first take a deep breath.
After all, there are plenty of non-paranormal explanations for their behavior, including stress and anxiety. For example, have any of these occurred recently?
- Have you gone through any major life changes or been stressed out?
- Have you been seeing family members less due to COVID restrictions?
- Is your dog adjusting to a new place (like a new home or new routine)?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “yes,” this might actually explain your dog’s behavior.
In this case, consider ways to help your pet relax or seek out the help of a professional.
2. Protective Guardians watching over you
The most common spiritual significance of dog barking in the middle of the night is when your pet is barking and growling at a trespasser or predator. Dogs have a natural protective instinct, and that can be interpreted in the spiritual realm as well.
If the barking happens outside your home, it might only be a protective canine spirit guardian. We’ve already established dogs as protectors. Even in the spiritual world, these animals take pride in guarding their human companions.
There are so-called spirit animals for every person on earth. It only makes sense for every person to have at least one spirit dog as a protector. Such a spirit dog would then spend its time watching over you, warding off dangers from the spiritual realm you can’t even imagine.
If that spirit dog has sensed an incoming danger or trespasser, it will naturally bark and growl to warn both you and the danger. But you wouldn’t be able to see this danger, causing confusion.
How can you tell if your dog is barking at a supernatural obstacle or a real-world intruder? When was the last time your pet displayed this behavior? Some psychic phenomena are impossible to see with your own two eyes. But dogs, being more in tune with psychic energy than humans, can sense them more easily.
The theory isn’t foolproof, but it will make sense if your home is surrounded by nature and wild animals. It might just be possible for any wandering spirits to trigger your pet into barking.
This same thing applies in any situation where your pet is preoccupied with something you can’t see. Trust your dog to act as the protector it was meant to be. It might not be much help in a brawl, but it will certainly keep you aware of any dangers nearby.
If your pet barks at an unseen foe that goes away when you turn on the lights, then it’s probably just a wild animal stalking around your property. Make sure you don’t give it any reason to keep coming back.
3. An Ancestral Message
It is believed by the Hawaiian people that when a person dies, their spirits will go to the heaven world or afterworld where they will be joined with their aumakua, which is their spirit animal guide.
This aumakua serves as an ancestor to the individual and/or their bloodline. They watch over and protect their family, including from spirits of other people who have died and are stuck on earth or are lingering spirits of lower realms.
For the Hawaiians and many others, this is how we receive messages from our ancestors and how our ancestors watch over us. They come in the form of our spirit animals. This is why it’s important to learn about your ancestral roots, beliefs, traditions and such. It helps you connect with your innermost self and can help bring forth messages from your spirit guides, angels, the universe, etc. Not to mention it gives you the strength to rise above problems and challenges you are going through.
When dogs bark/howl at night in Hawai’i, it could be a message or warning from your aumakua that you need to pay attention to for your health, safety or spiritual well-being. It is also possible that you need to check yourself because someone/something negative is NOW coming into your energy field or you have an attachment.
Such warnings/messages of something attaching to you or entering through spiritual portals (knowingly or unknowingly) could also be brought forth by signs such as feeling the sudden urge to shiver, having goosebumps on one side of your body, feeling extreme chills on one side of your body while experiencing warmth on the other side, feeling nauseous/vomiting or feeling tired/heavy.
Whether you believe in these kinds of things or not, always listen to your intuition/gut instinct. When in doubt or if something doesn’t feel right—remind yourself that it is better to be cautious than sorry.
Dog barking spiritual meaning:
According to the Hawaiians, dogs barking/howling at night could be a warning/message that you will soon face death of someone close or distant. The same goes for someone close or distant being attacked by spirits/energy vampires (negative people).
4. Spirits Trying to Communicate
As mentioned, spirits and ghosts can communicate through various methods such as dreams, physical signs and mediums.
There are a few signs that a spirit may be trying to communicate with you through your dog barking or howling at night.
A sudden change of behavior
If you believe that a loved one is trying to communicate with you from the other side, be on the lookout for a change in your dog’s behavior. A change may be their spirit is visiting you more frequently.
As a spirit is in an energy form and can travel places in the speed of thought, they can channel their thoughts and memories through you to your pet. If you feel that there has been a spirit from the other side that has been visiting you recently, it could be their presence that has changed your dog’s behavior.
There could be telltale signs like the dog following something around, staring at nothing and even changes in their barking.
Howling during significant times
The time at which your dog starts to howl or bark excessively is an important signal of this meaning. If the howling is sudden and occurs during significant moments while you experience subtle but meaningful physical or emotional changes, it might just be that a spirit is trying to communicate with you.
A change in the atmosphere
Feel something different in the air? If there’s an unexplained “feeling of another presence” or a chilling aura like something has suddenly changed in the room, it may mean that there’s another presence with you. It could even be a loved one who has passed away but still watches over you. Your dog’s bark might just be a reaction to what they’re sensing from the other side.
Dogs barking or howling at night at certain people
Dogs also have a heightened sense of smell and can see people who have passed away. If your dog starts to bark and make eye contact with someone who’s not physically there, it could mean that this someone is attempting to communicate with you.
5. Sensing the Presence of Ghosts
They may not be able to see the ghost in front of you, but it’s likely they can sense them. And as you’ve likely seen in the movies, dogs have a reaction to the presence of ghosts that can be summarised as … interesting.
But really, it’s a question of knowing what your dog has been through and what they’ve seen.
When I first adopted my rescue dog, I didn’t know much about her history. All I knew was that she was found out in the desert with her litter of puppies. So after bringing her home, I noticed that she was very hesitant to engage with people or even share room with us. But at the same time, she would stare at our walls for long stretches of time without moving.
It was alarming. Was she sensing energy? Could she see a ghost?
Something I learned about dogs is that when they experience a traumatic event and have witnessed violence, it becomes something they will remember. So if your dog senses behind-the-scenes action that you aren’t privy to, it may stress them out.
For example, if your dog has experienced any physical or emotional trauma in the past and they seem overly skittish when walking into a particular room in your house, take note. There may be something in that room that triggers them or reminds them of something terrible that happened there.
There are many different signs of ghost activity that your dog can potentially let you know by barking:
- Barking at nothing: If your dog is barking at what appears to be nothing constantly, this may be because he sees something you don’t. That could be a spirit or maybe even an intruder on your house.
- Barking with hair raised: If you’ve seen The Sixth Sense, you’ll remember that the psychic boy saw dead people who had been killed in unsolved crimes. The hair on his neck rose whenever he sensed one. Watch out for how your dog acts if it sees something: hair raised, barking and even growling are all indicators your dog sees something.
- Barking frantically: Regularly hearing your dog bark frantically into thin air could signal that there is some aggressive ghost activity in your home. The energy is chaotic and subsequently stresses out your pet. If this continues over time, consider contacting a medium or maybe even a specialist in reiki – a natural technique for stress reduction and relaxation.
I would recommend first picking up on the signs yourself to see if there’s anything happening that you can’t usually see or hear and then seeking help if it becomes too much.
6. Channeling Divine Energy
In ancient mythology, dogs played a big role in guiding humans to safety or helping them solve impossible problems. Dogs were seen as wise and revered for their ability to understand situations. As such, it was said that the barking of dogs were tied to spiritual workings.
If a dog barked twice during the night, then there was a special message for its master. These messages were seen as messages from the Divine which would give you important insight into your spiritual journey. If a dog barks three times, there was a great danger that needed immediate attention. It was such great danger that it could only be solved using Divine intervention.
If a dog barks twice in the middle of the day, then there was imminent danger that could not be solved without divine help. Thus, it was customary of people back then to take any sort of dog message very seriously.
Would anything improve the situation now if your dog jumped at you and barked twice? With our modern lifestyles and technology, probably not as much. But it’s interesting to learn how dogs are revered in ancient times.
According to Numerology Sign, dogs have always had this power to protect us from danger and offer us insight into our lives. They have this innate ability to channel divine energy and provide themselves with spiritual wisdom that could help guide their owners.
It is also said that dogs have strong intuition and they can sense any spiritual energy around us. It is often used by paranormal enthusiasts to detect any spirits around a location. So if your dog is barking in the middle of the night while looking scared or even angry, maybe you should consider checking your house for any bad energy.
Your dog is not just barking at nothing, there’s something that only their strong intuition and warning prowesses can detect but not you.
But as for dreaming about a barking dog? It means that you are on the verge of realizing something important in your life. It is often seen as an internal signal showing you what path you need to take so that you can live a fulfilled life.
7. A Sign of Upcoming Danger
In ancient times, people wouldn’t have a TV at home to watch news especially if you are living in far off places. Dogs, through their barks, howls and actions were the ones alerting their owners of incoming danger or calamities.
For example, dogs can be trained to detect natural disasters like earthquakes before they occur. They can bark incessantly, or howl and exhibit strange behavior to warn their owners.
According to experts, dogs can hear a very faint sound levels that can’t be heard by humans. This means that they can detect natural calamities before they even occur.
In relation to this, there’s been research showing that dogs are also capable of detecting illnesses like stroke, cancer and heart attacks through their acute hearing. Some dog owners report their pets acting uncharacteristically howling or barking at them or even taking strange actions before suffering such illnesses.
There’s also some spiritual beliefs surrounding a dog’s barking or howling that associates these actions with impending danger.
For instance in Hindu religion, there’s a belief that the howling of a dog is an ill-omen since it is used to announce someone’s death. People believe the howling will anounce an impending death in the family or village.
Similarly in Christianity, dogs are demonized with beliefs that their barks are associated with negativity because of the association with death and evil. This is based on some passages in the bible that suggest dogs howl when there’s an evil spirit present or when someone is about to die.
There’s also some superstitions surrounding dogs barking at night. For example in the Philippines, there’s a belief that If you hear dogs barking at night, it means someone will soon die. In parts of Louisiana in the US, it is believed that if a dog howl at night it means someone close to you will die soon.
So based on this spiritual and religious beliefs, some people get scared when they hear dogs barking outside their houses at night. It’s often associated with death and calamities which are just a few of the most frightening scenarios anyone would want to happen.
8. Seeking Attention or Company
At times, they might want you to be with them, but you’re not listening. You’re ignoring or perhaps you’ve been sleeping often and not paying enough attention to your dog.
Or maybe you leave your pet home alone often due to work or daily chores. It isn’t that you’re neglecting them. It could be a sign that they need a bit more attention from you, or other dogs.
If your dog is being left home alone too often, it will affect them.
When AKC Pet Insurance’s very own Steve Heinz went on a family trip and left his 8 year old Irish Setter home, the dog acted out and destroyed several things around the house.
The damage cost $1,500 for repairs including replacement of a brand new couch!
Research shows that an average cost of damage from a separation anxiety-stricken dog runs around $937.5. There’s also the emotional and psychological stress caused to both pets and owners to consider.
So it’s important to address this issue before it gets out of hand.
But remember, not all dogs bark for attention. My 8-month old puppy barks at me several times in a row because she likes doing it. I do pay attention when she does so and sometimes play along with it (unfortunately).
If barking seems like a sign that your dog needs more of your attention, spend more quality time with them. Give them opportunities to socialize with other pets and people in safe settings such as daycare, dog parks or walks.
We also recommend setting aside some time for your dog every day for some bonding activities like training sessions or playtime. When you have to leave your pet home alone, consider asking friends or neighbors to keep your pet company or get them their own pet sitter.
Dogs barking or howling at night can be more than just a random occurrence. Many people believe that it carries spiritual significance and can offer insights into the unseen realm. From protective guardian spirits to communication from the afterlife, these 11 spiritual interpretations shed light on the possible reasons behind this behavior. The next time you hear a dog barking or howling at night, you might just pause and consider the mystical possibilities that lie beneath the surface.
