BehaviorBody Language The Meanings Behind Different Dog Sounds Barks, growls, howls, whines, whimpers, even dog purring - different dog sounds have different meanings. Here's how to decipher the different noises your dog makes and what they mean! By Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA - Published: July 20, 2011 Updated: August 2, 2023 33