養(yǎng)狗的人會(huì)知道，狗有時(shí)候會(huì)對(duì)著空蕩蕩的地方（也可以說(shuō)是空氣）無(wú)緣無(wú)故地汪汪叫。這真的很挑戰(zhàn)狗主人的神經(jīng)，狗這樣汪汪叫的時(shí)候到底在想什么呢？

A dog can be a person’s best friend, or so the theory goes. But that relationship can be tested when a dog begins barking at an empty corner of a room, at a door, or anywhere where there doesn’t appear to be any activity at all taking place. Is the dog hallucinating? Is it communicating with interdimensional beings? Or does it simply want to drive its owner to the brink of sanity?

從常理上來(lái)講，狗是人類最好的朋友。但是當(dāng)一條狗對(duì)著房間里空蕩蕩的角落、對(duì)著門或?qū)χ魏我粋€(gè)沒(méi)有動(dòng)靜的地方汪汪叫，人與狗的友情可能就要面臨考驗(yàn)了。這是狗出現(xiàn)幻覺(jué)了嗎？還是狗正在和跨維度空間的生命交談？亦或是狗只是想把主人逼瘋？

According to the American Kennel Club, the most common explanation for unprompted woofing is that it’s not really unprompted at all. Instead, it’s likely that humans are simply unable to perceive whatever visual, aural, or olfactory cues the dog is sensing.

美國(guó)養(yǎng)犬俱樂(lè)部稱，對(duì)于毫無(wú)來(lái)由的汪汪叫最常見(jiàn)的解釋是它可能并不是真的無(wú)緣無(wú)故，只不過(guò)人類無(wú)法察覺(jué)到狗能感知到的視覺(jué)、聽(tīng)覺(jué)和嗅覺(jué)線索。

Dogs are, obviously, equipped with superior hearing, including the ability to detect sounds that are higher in pitch. In theory, a dog could be reacting to a noise that a person nearby wouldn’t be able to hear—possibly a far-off vehicle siren.

顯然，狗具有超級(jí)敏銳的聽(tīng)力，能聽(tīng)到更高音調(diào)的聲音。理論上，狗可能是在對(duì)某種聲音作出反應(yīng)，可能是遠(yuǎn)處車輛的鳴笛聲，而狗身邊的人聽(tīng)不到這個(gè)聲音。

If a dog barks seemingly unprovoked at night, it might be because ambient noise is lessened and they’re more attuned to the various howling and barking of other dogs. Because dogs are territorial, one dog barking can turn into many.

如果一條狗在夜里似乎無(wú)緣無(wú)故地叫起來(lái)，這可能是因?yàn)樗闹艿穆曇魷p弱了，讓狗可以聽(tīng)到其他狗的叫聲。因?yàn)楣肥怯械乇P意識(shí)的，一只狗汪汪叫會(huì)引發(fā)很多只狗都開(kāi)始汪汪叫。

Dogs are also able to see better in the dark than humans thanks to their ability to get more light into their retinas. If a dog is reacting to what looks to you like an empty backyard at night, it’s possible that something has caught their attention, be it a wild animal, a leaf, or a serial killer.

狗在黑暗中比人看得更清楚，這是因?yàn)樗鼈兊囊暰W(wǎng)膜能吸收更多光線。如果一條狗對(duì)著夜里在你看起來(lái)空蕩蕩的后院汪汪叫，那么可能是它們注意到了某樣?xùn)|西，也許是一只野生動(dòng)物，一片葉子，或一個(gè)連環(huán)殺手。

That’s not to say that dogs only bark when their canine senses are triggered. Some dogs might bark spontaneously out of boredom, in which case more exercise or playtime is probably needed. They might also be trying to get their owner’s attention.

這并不是說(shuō)狗汪汪叫都是因?yàn)樗鼈兊母泄俨煊X(jué)到了什么。有些狗可能是因?yàn)闊o(wú)聊才自發(fā)地叫起來(lái)，這時(shí)候意味著它們需要更多運(yùn)動(dòng)或玩樂(lè)時(shí)間。它們也可能是在試圖引起主人的注意。

The AKC recommends that owners avoid scolding their dogs for barking, since they’re simply trying to remain vigilant. Instead, you can try reassuring the dog to let them know you’re aware of their concern. If they tend to bark while gazing out a window, you can also try to manage their vantage point with curtains. If you suspect the source is an audio cue, some white noise, like a television or radio, can help.

美國(guó)養(yǎng)犬俱樂(lè)部建議，狗主人盡量不要在狗汪汪叫的時(shí)候訓(xùn)斥它們，因?yàn)樗鼈冎皇潜３志X(jué)而已。你應(yīng)該試著去安撫狗，讓狗知道你已經(jīng)了解它的擔(dān)憂。如果狗總是一邊望向窗外一邊叫，你可以試著拉上窗簾，讓它們看不到窗外的事物。如果你懷疑狗狗是因?yàn)槁?tīng)到了某種聲音而叫，你可以播放一些白噪音（比如打開(kāi)電視或收音機(jī)）來(lái)蓋住這種聲音。

Less often, chronic barking might be a sign of cognitive issues. If barking is persistent and no fugitive is hiding out in your bushes, then you might consider a trip to the vet.

盡管不太常見(jiàn)，但長(zhǎng)期汪汪叫也可能是狗出現(xiàn)認(rèn)知問(wèn)題的信號(hào)。如果狗不停地叫，而灌木叢里又一無(wú)所獲，你可能要考慮帶狗去看看獸醫(yī)。

英文來(lái)源：Mental Floss

翻譯&編輯：丹妮

審稿：潘一僑、齊磊