- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Whether your dog has a litter for the first time or you’ve just adopted a puppy, you’ve embarked on a big new adventure. There’s a lot to discover about puppies and their development, including when they start barking!
Just like babies aren’t born talking, puppies aren’t born barking, either. Puppies don’t start barking until they’re 7-8 weeks.
According to Dr. Jamie Whittenburg, DVM for Kingsgate Animal Hospital, newborn puppies are deaf, blind, and mostly silent; however, they may make tiny cooing or whimpering sounds. These sounds alert the mother to her puppies’ distress or location. After 3-4 weeks, a puppy’s senses rapidly develop, their eyes open up, and they begin to make more purposeful sounds, such as whining. By eight weeks, most puppies have learned to bark and will do so during play sessions with their littermates.
If your puppy doesn’t bark, don’t worry. Some may start a bit later—and some will never bark. It’s normal if your puppy grows up and never starts barking.
Let’s break down the bark and what to do if your puppy doesn’t bark!
5 Reasons Puppies Start Barking
If your puppy barks, you might wish they didn’t! Though barking might be a bit of a nuisance for us, it’s an important tool for your puppy. Puppies may bark to communicate many emotions, including the following.
- Anxiety. Dogs can become overly attached to their pet parents, and many may suffer separation anxiety if not properly trained. A dog with separation anxiety left alone without their favorite human may bark all day or become destructive. This is very distressing for your dog, so training them to be calm and relaxed when you’re not around is essential.
- Excitement. Does your dog bark at you the minute you get in the door? Wagging their tail, barking loudly, jumping up, and drooling all over you? This excited bark can also happen when they’re having fun at a dog park or making new puppy friends.
- Boredom. If your dog lacks physical or mental stimulation, it could increase the likelihood of them barking at anything and everything in their environment. Squirrels, falling leaves, mail carriers, you name it. So try to keep your dog adequately occupied to prevent dog boredom from getting out of control.
- Fear. Have you got a scared dog on your hands? Puppies might start to bark in fear at unfamiliar people, other puppies, furniture, appliances, or even seemingly silly inanimate objects like plastic bags! This could be more common in dogs that lack socialization. So, start socializing your puppy with other pets and people early on and get them used to new environments.
- They want attention. Dogs are clever and have learned over time that barking at humans gets our attention and can help get them what they want! This could be anything from food and belly rubs to playing or being let outside.
Remember, while most puppies will start barking at around eight weeks old, each puppy develops on their timeline. You might even see some discrepancies between littermates. Dr. Whittenburg says that if a puppy is raised around other dogs, they may start barking earlier. Additionally, if mom isn’t much of a barker, it’s likely her puppies won’t be either.
Do Puppies Need to Bark?
The answer? It depends. Since barking is rarely used for inter-dog communication, it’s believed barking resulted from dog domestication. In fact, barking may not have served a purpose in ancient wild dog communities at all. This can also be seen because some dogs, and particular breeds, rarely bark or don’t bark at all. Meanwhile, dogs who may have been bred for hunting or guarding tend to be more vocal.
While new research into barking continues, it’s widely accepted that most dogs use barking to communicate emotions and needs with their pet parents, called “demand barking.” In addition, some studies show that dogs have specific barks depending on the context.
How Do Puppies Learn to Bark?
Dr. Whittenberg explains that, as far as we currently know, dogs today are likely born knowing how to bark. But, it is a trait that they have developed over many years of evolution. And, as we’ve mentioned before, barking may not have initially been in canine biology.
Puppies learn to bark by mimicking the sounds of other dogs around them, like their mom and dad. And, of course, puppies can also learn to bark from training. Once they’re old enough, teaching your pup to ‘speak’ at opportune moments can be a handy tool to help you understand what they want.
How to Teach Your Puppy Healthy Barking Behaviors
Good habits start early! The sooner you manage your puppy’s barking, the easier it will be to control the barking later on, resulting in more appropriate behavior when your pup grows into an adult dog. In addition, socialization with other dogs and humans is vital for healthy puppy barking behavior.
Dr. Whittenburg stresses that barking is a natural behavior, and it happens from time to time. Excessive barking, however, or barking at inopportune moments, can be an issue. Ignoring this barking can help, but the most important thing is to never reward a puppy for demand barking.
She also mentioned that a great way to teach dogs is by giving them a more desirable ‘replacement’ behavior. An example would be training a dog to ring a bell with its nose or bring you an object when they need to go outside instead of barking to be let out. Plus, it’s important to spend adequate time with your dog and keep them from barking out of sheer boredom or as a way to get your attention.
How to manage loud, excessive puppy barking
If your puppy loudly and excessively barks, it can be distressing. Here are some tips to help reduce your puppy’s barking. If you’re still having trouble, Dr. Whittenburg recommends contacting a reputable dog trainer or a veterinary behaviorist.
- Reduce stressors. Is your dog scared of something or territorial? The best way to stop the barking is to obscure these stressful things from their view! You can try drawing blinds, keeping them in another room from the stressor, or playing the radio or TV to drown out unfamiliar outdoor sounds.
- Keep your dog occupied and calm. Take your dog for a walk before you go to work. Get some puzzle toys to keep your dog mentally entertained. Find your dog a doggy daycare or sitter so he can make new friends. Try a pheromone diffuser to keep your dog calm. All these things can help prevent anxious or boredom-driven barking.
- Try training. No luck with the above methods? There are various training methods you can try. For example, walk away when your dog is barking and only treat them when they’re quiet again. Teach the command ‘hush’ or ‘quiet.’ And remember, you can enlist a dog trainer if you need extra help.
What If Your Dog Doesn’t Bark Much?
There are various completely normal reasons that your dog might not bark. For example, some breeds like Basenjis and Chow-Chows don’t bark much, if at all. Additionally, some dogs can have chilled-out personalities, meaning they won’t bother barking too much.
Dr. Whittenburg reiterates that if you’re lucky enough to have a dog that doesn’t bark, it’s probably nothing to worry about. And, unless a physical or medical issue prevents the dog from barking, there is typically no cause for concern. It can just be normal for some dogs to never bark.
If you have a puppy who used to bark a lot and it’s died down, they may simply be learning to bark less or mellowing out as they grow up. Another explanation for your pup not barking much is that they’re feeling shy or anxious. If you’ve recently adopted a puppy and introduced them to a new environment, they might need to settle in before their whole personality shines through. Signs your dog is feeling shy or anxious include the following.
- Flattened ears
- Tucked tail
- Hiding
- Hunched body
- Showing the whites of their eyes (whale eye)
- Nose or lip licking
This is normal in the first few days or weeks after bringing your new pup home. And once they’ve settled in, you may see their barking increase.
When to worry about a non-barking puppy
If your new puppy doesn’t seem to adjust well to their new home, remember you can always ask your vet for advice. Your vet may then recommend you to a dog behaviorist if you have a particularly shy or anxious dog.
If there are any physical reasons your dog has stopped barking, such as having something stuck in their mouth or throat, or your dog is not barking and showing symptoms of other illnesses such as vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, or loss of appetite, contact an emergency vet right away.