Just barking

Stella howls. Not at all types of sirens, though, she's very discriminating. She responds to a certain siren (I think it's the one from the fire truck) whether she's inside or out and it doesn't matter what she's doing, she stops to howl. We don't try to stop it because it's something primal that she really can't control. It's sometimes very low and mournful. Other times it's sort of perfunctory. Often it seems to bring her some joy or perhaps a catharsis. So we don't stop her because while the siren is sounding, her howling seems to serve a purpose, she's working something out, going through a process, maybe analyzing something or getting something off her chest. Whatever she's feeling or thinking, the siren brings it out vocally. It's natural so we let it run its course without being annoyed. However...when the siren stops, the soulful howl deteriorates into a repetitive series of unimportant woofs and sharp yips that have no function or purpose. It's as if she's just doing it because she's usually so quiet and this is her time to hear herself bark. When it gets to the point where it's unbearable, someone will say sternly and with a slightly raised voice, "OK, Stella. Now you're just barking." At that she snaps out of it, shakes off, wags her tail appreciatively and reverts to the silent, yet expressive dog she really is.

I guess we all want to emit sounds of substance when we vocalize and sometimes it is hard to know when we're "just barking"... a stern yet loving voice telling us so might sometimes be in order.

P.S. Yes, I am aware that this blog is just barking. Hopefully, I howl in other writing.