# My dog doesn't bark. Is that normal?



## YodaBoss (Apr 4, 2008)

He just whines that's pretty much it. The only time Yoda barks is when we are playing and he wants met to throw the ball for him to fetch or when he is playing with Boss. He has growled for like a second when somebody came to paint our yard but hid behind us. I am afraid that he is teaching our new pup, Boss, not to bark either because the little one is starting to whine like him (even though Boss has barked more than Yoda has since we got him a year ago!!) Is there a way I can teach him to bark? Is it normal that he just whines? It would help if they bark since my husband tends to travel a lot for business.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

i tought my older dane when she was little (before i got our other dane) how to speak because she never used to bark. i used to have a toy or treat and start making a lot of noise and getting really excited and waving my arms around trying to get her to bark. when she would i would praise and give her what i had. and kept doing it over and over, then starting adding "speak" to when she would bark as her marker. along with a goofy arm wave lol. she got it. when we got our second dane though whos very very very vocal, she started barking on her own. now they both bark at even the slightest noise outside to let us know something is out there. its comforting, nothing like a great dane bark!


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## Mudra (Nov 1, 2007)

Ugh, ya wanna trade dogs? =) Just kidding. Dont worry, it'll come. ANd when it happens, believe me, you would wish he didn't learn how to. I thought my dogs were MUTE before.. I was wrong... I taught them the command SPEAK and now, their barking isn't as bad as when they first realized the JOY of barking. =)


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

Mudra said:


> Dont worry, it'll come. ANd when it happens, believe me, you would wish he didn't learn how to.


So true.... They will eventually learn to bark on their own. 

Where did you get your dogs? Could they have been debarked?


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

Mudra said:


> Ugh, ya wanna trade dogs? =) Just kidding. Dont worry, it'll come. ANd when it happens, believe me, you would wish he didn't learn how to. I thought my dogs were MUTE before.. I was wrong... I taught them the command SPEAK and now, their barking isn't as bad as when they first realized the JOY of barking. =)


you need to teach them how to quiet then. give the command to speak and when they do you said "quiet" or "easy" or whatever your command is and when they stop you treat them. then make them speak, then quiet them. they will soon get the hint of what you want.



Patt said:


> So true.... They will eventually learn to bark on their own.


i think the problem with my older dane when she was little was that she was very shy and small, and her bark was still loud and fierce, and it startled her. so she never barked unless she had to. but now she just lets it alllll out


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

Kim's a year old now and her bark tally is now up to 6. Three were out of frustration trying to figure out what I wanted. Some dogs just don't bark much.

You can teach your dog to bark on command. I haven't done since, living in an apartment, it would be unwise for me to encourage barking, and I'd rather my neighbors didn't have to deal w/ repeated barking if she learns that barking is good but hasn't yet figured out to only do it on command.


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## YodaBoss (Apr 4, 2008)

GreatDaneMom said:


> i tought my older dane when she was little (before i got our other dane) how to speak because she never used to bark. i used to have a toy or treat and start making a lot of noise and getting really excited and waving my arms around trying to get her to bark. when she would i would praise and give her what i had. and kept doing it over and over, then starting adding "speak" to when she would bark as her marker. along with a goofy arm wave lol. she got it. when we got our second dane though whos very very very vocal, she started barking on her own. now they both bark at even the slightest noise outside to let us know something is out there. its comforting, nothing like a great dane bark!


I think I'll try that tactic (including the arm wave! ) since playing with him seems to be the only time that he barks.



Mudra said:


> Ugh, ya wanna trade dogs? =) Just kidding. Dont worry, it'll come. ANd when it happens, believe me, you would wish he didn't learn how to. I thought my dogs were MUTE before.. I was wrong... I taught them the command SPEAK and now, their barking isn't as bad as when they first realized the JOY of barking. =)


Believe it or not, I will be praying for that day when he realizes the "JOY of barking." My husband teases me that "my" dog, Yoda, is not a "real" dog because he doesn't bark and claims Boss as "his real dog."


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

Carter doesn't bark unless he thinks someone is comming in the back door. Even out walking and se see's another dog, its high pitch whines and yips not barks.

Even jumping and getting him excited doesn't make him bark. Some dogs just don't care to bark much.


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## YodaBoss (Apr 4, 2008)

Patt said:


> Where did you get your dogs? Could they have been debarked?


We rescued Yoda from our local pound when he was about 8wks old. I'm not sure if was debarked.... but I was thinking maybe that's just him, a "wuss" like my husband would say. He is not a barker, nor a digger (only when he's bored) but most definitely a WHINER and a LICKER.

Our new son is Boss, we rescued him from another pet shelter, and he is definitely a barker. He has barked at the lawn maintenance people, butterflies, airplanes (he just looks up in the sky and starts growling and barks at it like he is about to do something) and at my in-laws . But lately, he only barks when he's hungry and getting impatient with me holding his bowl while waiting for him to sit.

Thank you for all your responses! I feel better knowing that somebody out there has the same exact sentiments as me. Other than him being an excessive licker and a big whiner, he is an extremely smart and friendly dog. Maybe the younger dog will teach him how to bark!


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## Quincy (Feb 25, 2007)

Some people would love a dog that does not bark, or bark that often. Some people may even look for a breed of dog that generally is quiet and do not bark such as the Basenji, see information via this link:-
http://www.basenji.org/?q=node/7
.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

A debarked dog will still bark - they just make a different sort of sound.

Some dogs just aren't barky and that's normal for them. And some dogs will 'learn to bark' from other dogs. Greyhounds tend to be non-barkers, but they have certainly started barking a LOT more since our Podengos joined the family 

Basenji don't bark but they are vocal.


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

My dogs do not bark either. And if they do, I need to check it out quickly as something is seriously wrong. As far as not barking when the person came to paint the fence- obviously you admitted the person into the yard, so I would not worry the dog did not bark. 
What breed is he? Some breeds are just more vocal than others. Another one of the reasons I love my sighthounds is barking is rare. Even when someone comes to the door, they just pace. Of course being as big as they, their pacing is a real obvious sign someone is here. 
Also- the one that barked the most, and even that was rare, was Hottie. He would bark at the tv set watching dog shows or animal planet.. lol. I mention this because some dogs will let the " alpha" do the alert and just there as " back up". One of my female shepherds, she rarely barked most of her life- until her " alpha" mother died, then its like she took over as the ' alarm system" where as had not done it prior to that. Could be your dog is letting the other older ( alpha) dog handle things.. And hiding behind is a sign not quite ready to step out here yet. After all- if you were " scared" you certainly would not give your location away by announcing where you were.. lol


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## YodaBoss (Apr 4, 2008)

borzoimom said:


> . Could be your dog is letting the other older ( alpha) dog handle things.. And hiding behind is a sign not quite ready to step out here yet. After all- if you were " scared" you certainly would not give your location away by announcing where you were.. lol


LOL!!! Yeah i wouldn't announce where I'm hiding either! i think our 3.5 month old pup, Boss, is going to be the alpha dog because he is usually the one who barks/growls at the neighbors who pull up in the driveway and Yoda (the older one) just runs behind him and let Boss lead the way.


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