Now, when you bring your brand-new pup home for the first time, you should certainly expect a level of noise increase. After all, dogs bark and there’s nothing you can do to stop them from having a good old woof from time to time.
However, it’s fair to say that some breeds enjoy vocalising their thoughts a lot more than others, so if you know you’re noise averse or are on the sensitive side, you may want to make sure that the breed you’re interested in is on the lower end of the barking scale.
Noisier breeds include the likes of dachshunds, beagles, chihuahuas, German shepherds, basset hounds, rottweilers, Yorkshire terriers, pomeranians and miniature schnauzers. That’s not to say that these breeds are not absolutely wonderful, only that you need to go in with open eyes (and closed ears) if you do decide they’re the right fit for you.
What can be useful for those of you with barky little pups at home is bringing in a professional dog trainer to help you get the woofs under control.
Of course, some barking is useful and, in fact, you will want your dog to sound the alarm in certain circumstances, but nuisance barking is problematic and can even be a sign that all is not well with your dog. As such, addressing it sooner rather than later can be beneficial for one and all.
Your trainer will help you get on top of the situation, but you can help by not telling your dog off when they bark. You may be inadvertently reinforcing the behaviour if the dog gets attention or thinks you are joining in. Try ignoring the barking and instead providing rewards when the dog chooses to be quiet and settled.
Diversion tactics can also prove useful, if you know what your pup is barking at. For example, if it’s other dogs that sets them off, go out with some high-value treats and offer them up when dogs approach. This should teach them that if they ignore something rather than reacting, they’ll be rewarded for it.
