I have three labs and only the one howls like crazy when I play the flute. She is fine until I play a g# (highest one) and then she freaks out. She hates the last page of the Chaminade Concertino for this very reason. My husband looked up why they do this, and I think it said that it has something to do with how wolves used to run in packs and this was their way of communicating with one another.

Does anyone else have this issue? I can't even have my flute friends over here for duets because of this!

Personally, I think that they like to sing and that when they do this together, it stimulates their ears so that they hear difference/combination tones. You High G# may activates something in your Lab's ear (cochlea) like being tickled that triggers that response from this dog.

I'm a veterinary technician and have noticed a similar issue with my cats - they leave the room as soon as the flute comes out. I believe its more because the high pitch of the instrument hurts their ears. A dog's sense of hearing is so much more developed than ours and the higher pitch (high g# for instance) really irritates them.

Yes, that'a another point. Their hearing is beginning to become more sensitive up there in that range where ours is beginning to become less sensitive.
http://flamingeagle.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!6D6AEF2B71D122D0!642.entry

I'm not sure of the specific equal-loudness contour for dogs and how this relates but it may be that this G# is particularly more loud than surrounding notes for this animal.

My dog doesn't howel when I play. She just goes away.

My parrot starts singing along with me and dancing around. He loves the flute and the piccolo.

Hmm... my cats love to meow whenever I take out my piccolo. They will follow me around with it and jump into my lap when I play. Weird? They do it when I whistle too. Crazy cats!

its because it hurts their ears

Who are you responding to? If it hurt my cat's ears so bad, then why do they go and seek me out when I am in the other side of the house AND they jump onto my lap and lay at my feet when I play? Now that doesn't make sense!

Yeah, I don't think it's that they don't like it because they would just get up and leave the room. My dog wags her tail and the other two dogs join in and do the same. The explanation below makes sense:

"Sometimes dogs will howl when they hear sirens or other loud higher pitched sounds like clarinets and flutes. These sounds may even come from a television set. Dogs do this as an instinctive response to hearing what they interpret to be another howl (dog in the distance). They are not doing this because it hurts their ears."

http://www.pets.ca/pettips/tips-36.htm

Some birds seem to like the flute.
At a time I was practsing at my terrace, several sparrows used to come and stay in the nearby. I was working Altes book, mostly notes on the second to third octave.

My practice room overlooks a small pond in the back yard with a waterfall. When the windows are open and I'm practicing the flute the whole area fills with birds acting happy, singing and taking baths.

There is no similar action for practicing the saxophones or clarinet or piano.

I've noticed the same thing with my dog when I sing high. I am a soprano and when I'm warming up my voice, I start low and go higher and higher each time. The dogs start howling like wolves at the moon when I reach the higher end of my voice. It's from about D to high A. They don't leave the room, just come right up to me and start howling with me.
Amy Boyack
http://SisterSingers.com/blog
http://TheInterestExterminator.com