Does anyone else have a silent dog?

Question

My dog whom I have had for three months now has not barked once. She is with me almost all day and night, even goes to work with me and not a peep out of her. She is not a Basenji, and she has been to the vet a couple times since I adopted her from the shelter, and the vet says she is perfectly healthy except an ear infection we cleared up. I just understand why she is so quiet.

The vet did not think she was debarked, she said dogs that are debarked are usually such conpulsive barkers that they try to bark over and over and over, but no sounds come out.

Answer 1

Never heard of that; I have a cat that was like that and now he tries to meow but it's high pitched and irritating; I wish he'd be silent. She may have had a traumatic experience, may just not have anything to say (haha) but unless you can get records from before the shelter, you just have to wait it out and see if she starts barking.

Answer 2

I temporarily took care of a dog for a day, and not a single time she barked. When asking the vet about this, he told me that it is probably because the dog knows YOU'RE the alpha in the house, and therefore does not feel the need to protect her family, since you're the dominant one. He also mentioned that once the dog begins to bark, you can't really shut him up! Anyways, by her quiet behavior, she's just probably being submissive. At least be glad she's not a barker! :)

Answer 3

I have a black lab and he didn't bark for probably the first 6 months. I guess he had nothing to bark at. We moved to a new house and there was a bassett hound next door that barked all of the time. My dog started barking then, but he still doesn't bark anywhere near as much as other dogs. Be thankful.

Answer 4

My cousin once adopted a dog from the pound. it never barked or made any noise so my cousin thought it was abused and scared. So he tried to teach the dog how to bark, by bending down and barking himself. hahaha. Not sure if it worked but the dog remained silent for a few years until one day it barked at a pool man. So my advice is to let her be as long as she's happy and healthy otherwise. good luck.

Answer 5

Could be whoever had the dog before punished her so severely for barking, she just stopped. We have a dog here in daycare who never says a thing and screams like she is being murdered when you touch her neck with both hands.

I believe the people who had her before slapped a shock collar on her and fried her every time she made noise.

Answer 6

Some dogs just need a reason to bark, and she hasn't found hers.
I raised a dog (from birth), and she never barked or growled, until she was 1 1/2 yrs old, and when she finally did, she was standing over me, while I was sleeping, and barking/growling at something outdoors. It ended up being a dog in our backyard, and she was ''protecting'' me.

Answer 7

Maybe she is too young? Sometimes puppies don't bark for quite a long time...then one day they do, and actually scare themselves! It's funny to watch this reaction. As long as she's healthy, and you're not necessarily looking for a guard dog...then be thankful she's quiet

Answer 8

Yep I do...I have a Basenji! She doesn't bark but does make other noises though. So she really isn't silent or mute.

Answer 9

I've seen dogs like that although they are rare. Just enjoy it! Just to be sure, are you certain she's not debarked?

Answer 10

When my dog barks, it's only at night, if that. Otherwise, she doesn't bark, even at people she doesn't know. It's just how she is, so it may be just how your pup is.