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dog—a dog that can hold its own against coyotes, not a
pooch who could be a quick snack for an eagle. If you
want a dog you can teach to fetch and find, you may
decide on a retriever or even a hound. Think about the
way you like to live (are you the outdoorsy type or a
bookworm?), before choosing the dog who will share your
life.
Along with different sizes and temperaments, breeds
differ in the way (and amount) that they bark. Some dog
breeds, such as the various and varied Terriers, tend to
bark more than others. Terriers in particular can be
“yappy”, since they are smaller and have shorter vocal
chords. They also tend to be excitable and tenacious – a
perfect recipe for extended barking. Hound dogs have
been bred to sing out when they have treed or cornered
their prey: they bark, howl or bay, and their voices can
cover some distance.
Pointers, retrievers, spaniels and setters comprise the
Sporting Group, and tend to be happy, alert and
companionable dogs. Sporting dogs were originally bred
to hunt birds, and they need a lot of exercise in order
to stay happy. You will find dogs in this group who only
bark when they need to, and others who bark too much.
Much depends on how they are treated and trained.
Working dogs were originally bred to haul carts and
sleds, and to perform rescue and guard work. Great
Danes, Doberman Pinschers, Newfoundlands, and Alaskan
Malamutes are four in a long list of dogs in this group.
The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the
American Kennel Club’s list of Working dogs, is that
most of them are Big Dogs with a capital D. Some will
bark like crazy and others will rarely bark at all –
it’s an individual thing. When a working dog does bark,
it’ll probably be a big, deep bark.
Herding dogs were once part of the Working Dog class,
and were bred for guarding and herding groups of animals
such as sheep, goats and cattle. Even a herding dog who
has never left the city will instinctively “herd”
members of the family, other pets or the person on the
end of the leash. Herding dogs tend to be possessive of
their people, and some may treat strangers – as wolves –
with suspicion. Such dogs may be especially prone to
barking at strangers or delivery-persons.
Toy dogs aren’t especially known for barking overmuch or
for maintaining strict silence either, but because they
are so small, their voices tend to be high and sharp.
Non-sporting dogs and the Miscellaneous Breed group are
a widely diverse group of animals: individual
temperament, breed, history and training will determine
your dog’s tendency to bark, whine, howl or otherwise
communicate vocally.
You can look up individual breed characteristics at the
American Kennel Club’s website (www.akc.org/breeds)
before getting a new dog, and it’s a good idea to speak
with breeders and owners too. For those of us who
already have a vociferous canine, we can at least become
aware of the breed’s natural tendency to bark, which may
help us understand if a dog is barking because he comes
from a long line of barkers, or if there is some
psychological (and more manageable) reason for all that
noise. (If you want a dog that doesn’t bark, there is a
breed called Basenji that talks a little but doesn’t
actually say “Woof”.)
Article
Summary
All dogs bark, and barking is useful.
Different breeds of dog bark differently and tend to
bark in different situations
Small dogs have higher voices.
There is only one dog that doesn’t bark; the Basenji.
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