Anybody Owned a Dog That Never Barks?

[SakiSiam]

We've had our boy for nearly two years now. He's getting on for 10. His background is very successful ex-racer, and then used for breeding. He is terrified of everything outside of his normal experiences, which makes life a bit difficult. He's our fourth rescue dog (all sight hounds), but before him we haven't had a dog that has never barked. He is the most gentle creature; even though he spends his days frightened, couldn't image him attacking anything.

Anybody else had this experience? We're doing all we can, but would love him to feel that our garden, as well as his house, is safe.

We had a rescue collie that came over from Ireland. We think he had been beaten to silence, as he didn't bark at all. When I took the DD to visit at the rescue, we noticed when she picked a long stalk of grass from the edge of the fence that as the shadow of the stalk fell over him that he cowered. So sad! We imagine he'd had to fight for food with others, as he used to just bolt it down as quickly as possible. And he was so very very obedient. I could walk him with a piece of cotton for a lead and he'd never dream of tensioning it, always to heel exactly to your pace. I can only imagine a tough demanding regime where he was before.
Eventually about 6 or 7 years later, he did summon the odd bark when someone came to the door, which we praised him for.

Current collie, also a rescue is fear aggressive, ears tuned to the slightest sound and barks at everything. Still, at least we know when the wireless printer (in the other room) is successfully printing.

In the beginning, DDog seldom barked, but he was also undersocialised, nervous, and with a number of behaviour problems - all essentially fear-based. There was also evidence that a previous owner had used a
vibrating anti bark collar on him.

Over time, he became more confident in life, and started barking more. Essentially, what I didn't realise at the time was that he was too scared to bark.

Mine hasn’t barked yet, but he is a Shiba Inu so he has ‘screamed’ a few times.

Yes mine don't bark. It depends on the breed. I have huskies. I get the odd alert bark if someone is lurking at night from one of them. However the breed are generally not barkers.

I genuinely don’t think I’ve heard our Doberman back since she was a puppy. She’s a useless guard dog.

God I wish I did. My two never shush!

This ones known as Bob the Gob. He's the second barkiest greyhound I've met
He surprises most other greyhound owners with his bloody racket - he gets far too excited in the presence of other groos.
He's an absolute sweetheart though, a retired racer with a shit home before us (never walked, house trained or fed properly )
He loves nothing better than snoozy cuddles with us on the couch

Our lab very rarely barks. I’ve heard it a few times and wasn’t sure which dog was barking- it was so deep! Almost no barking is heaven. The JRT downstairs barks incessantly. That would drive me absolutely mental.

My dogs rarely bark. Really rarely. The staffie occasionally barks in her sleep. The other dog gives a playful bark sometimes if she wants a walk , but neither of them bark at the door or at noises etc

Rescue lurcher, only ever barks at black Labradors. Never ever barks at home.

Lurcher does one bark when the doorbell rings. Sometimes she follows it up with another much more subdued woof, almost as though she's debriefing herself.

One of my JRTs makes a variety of weird yips, wails and yodels but doesn't bark! The other one barks enough for both of them -_-

I have a 3year old springer and 11 year old cocker...neither bark. The 3 year old will whine a little every now and agin whilst playing or hyper. But thats it. Not at the door, strangers, when needing the loo he just stands by the door but will otherwuse wait until i let them out. Both are super spoilt and the 3 year old from a pup but generally quiet dogs

Day to day my golden doesn't bark. Never at the door or people walking past.

But he does at the really scary things a few times a year. Like pumpkins or reindeer decorations or at a new road sign once.

We've had our retired racing greyhound nearly five years and I can count the times I've heard him bark on the fingers of one hand. Once, we accidentally shut the back door while he was still in the garden and another time when he said hello to a puppy that then got over-exuberant and jumped on his head. He does, however, have a full vocabulary of squeaks and whines, roos like crazy if encouraged, and sleep-woofs while dreaming about chasing rabbits

My DGran adopted a terrier type mongrel it never barked once in the 6 years she had him. He was scared of his own shadow though I think the bark was beaten out of him.

Had our rescue Fox hound nearly 4 years he has barked twice both times when a cyclist appeared out of nowhere and nearly ran me down on the pavement. He leapt in front of me and let out one loud woof

Whippet. Never barked; very nervy.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan > 'Sometimes she follows it up with another much more subdued woof, almost as though she's debriefing herself.'

@NeverEnoughCake2 > I know that 'roo-ing' so well. How I miss it now from our Italian Greyhound. He'd be greeted in the pub by everybody roo-rooing .

The main form of communication from our ex-racer is his grunts from behind the sofa, as he lays by the radiator. I think it's when he shifts positions and thinks, 'This is the life'.

Our Dandie doesn't bark but that is one of their traits as it would give the game away when hunting.
I think non barking is a good thing

My hound can’t be bothered barking! She just lounges round all day!

PIL's have had 2 staffies, one after the other, neither of them barked.
My parents Border Collie barks at anything and everything.

Our Lab rarely barked but when he did it was a lovely deep bark like the Terry Thomas of dogs.

My brother's rescue greyhound occasionally barks.

I have a springer and he’s only ever barked when he’s been dreaming! Lots of springers don’t bark, I love that about him. I used to have a collie/lab who never shut up!

A very anxious greyhound never barked, to be fair the other hounds didn't bark much either.