small dog- non barker

[sbcvulcan]

I have a friend at work who is looking for a small breed dog that is not much of a barker. She is willing to look into anything it just needs to be less of a hyper little one. Any suggestions? By small we are talking about the size of a Yorkshire or a Bichon.

[Renee750il]

I've seen some miniature (not toy) Poodles that were very calm and quiet . . . The only way she could be reasonably sure though, would be to get a dog that's past the puppy stage, probably from a foster homed rescue.

[sammydawg]

How about a PUG -- they don't tend to be yappy-- and really, what's cuter than a pug? :D They like everybody-- just need to make sure you get one from a reputable breeder that doesn't have breathing probs.

[Rose's Gal]

Pugs would be good. But warning...they do shed! Maybe a French Bulldog? Or a Pekingese?
Does your freind care about shedding or grooming? How about trainablity? Does it have to be good with kids? Or other animals? How much exercise will it get? Does she want it to love everybody, or be wary around people it doesn't know?

[Renee750il]

Love the Pugs, but not all are quiet! A friend of mine had a wonderful little fellow, but he was vocal as all get-out . . . Amazing what a big bark can come out of that tiny little body, lol.

[sbcvulcan]

my neighbors pug barks all day, not quiet. I think she's like a dog with shorter hair

[BigDog2191]

Short-haired dachshund... my brothers only barks when someone's at the door or something--so good watch dog, too.

[aurorab]

Plus pugs can have gas and snore. Squished nose and all.
What about a chi? Short hairs seem to shed more than long hair Plus you can pick up the long hair easier). Some can be hyper or yippy but I have to and they are so calm and quite. Both were rescues. Baby we have had for over 2 yrs and we didn't hear her bark for almost a yr. Now she only barks at the door bell or our neighbor (we have no idea why but we always know it is him- hehe). Mira we have only had 4 wks and nothing only her little sound when she stretches out and relaxes. They get brushed every other day and get a bath 1x a wk w/ an allergen reducing shampoo, plus they get these stix that help her coat, breath and body odor, plus they seem to shed less. They are wonderful. So sweet, gentle, calm, train easily (especialy w/ food), and all they really want is to curl up next to you and be loved. They are pretty easy to take care of. I can say that 2 helps if they need to be alone for prds during the day. That was the only problem we had w/ Baby and w/ Mira she is fine all day in her kennel.

[BigDog2191]

Good recommendation, auro. I have a friend who has a really nice Chi mix, very well-behaved cause he was trained so well by him.

BUT! I've met some Chi's that would bark like there's no tomorrow. I think it's more of a how you raise the dog than anything else. Like for a big dog, if you take care of it's exercise needs, it won't bark. Don't know if that applies to small breeds though.

[aurorab]

Exactly BigDog. My one was turned in b/c she was too difficult to take care of, HA. All she want is food water and to snuggle. I can say that if she gets mad she can have an attitude and at 1st she would leave us a pile, actually for my husband, she only did it to him. But she hasn't done that in over a yr. We think that was her only defence/ only thing that she could do to get back at them. We know that she was hit. She would cower if you said anything more than 3 times.
Mira was probably hit to (she cowers) and then she must have been left out on the streets. That's where she was found.
But over all they have been wonderful. Even my mother, she's a bit afraid of dogs, loves them. And I don't care what anyone says mine are great w/ kids.

[sparks19]

My mom has a shih tzu pug mix and she barks when someone comes to the door but thats it. She doesn't make any noise when they leave and she is the perfect apartment dog too lol. and she LOVES everyone. She loves to cuddle and she even sleeps under the blankets at the end of the bed at night lol she loves to play fetch too believe it or not lol but she can be very calm and well behaved when you want her to be.

[aurorab]

oh I'll probably get in trouble for this (designer dogs and all) but I love Chugs, Jugs, and Bugs. They have all the great qualities of pugs (usually) w/o the nose and breathing problems. Plus they are just so cute!!!
Chug (chi/pug)
Jug (jack rus/pug)
Bug (beagle/pug)

[sparks19]

Yeah shelby doesn't have any of the health problems that a pug does. I also know most of the other pups from the litter and none of them have those problems and they are all super sweet and cute and loveable.

[Renee750il]

Exactly BigDog. My one was turned in b/c she was too difficult to take care of, HA. All she want is food water and to snuggle. I can say that if she gets mad she can have an attitude and at 1st she would leave us a pile, actually for my husband, she only did it to him. But she hasn't done that in over a yr. We think that was her only defence/ only thing that she could do to get back at them. We know that she was hit. She would cower if you said anything more than 3 times.
Mira was probably hit to (she cowers) and then she must have been left out on the streets. That's where she was found.
But over all they have been wonderful. Even my mother, she's a bit afraid of dogs, loves them. And I don't care what anyone says mine are great w/ kids.

There's nothing wrong with a good Chi except how people treat them. You've got to let the little critters have some dignity!

[aurorab]

I so agree. And secretly I hope she pooped all over their house. Can you tell I still really don't like her past owner. But I try not to think of them b/c now she is spoiled and loved!

[bubbatd]

Shoot !!! I can't think of the breed of the " barkless" dog !!!! Egyptian breed....help !!! small to medium , greyhound look , ..... ???????????

[bubbatd]

The African Basenji .... I was close !!!

[Rose's Gal]

Shoot !!! I can't think of the breed of the " barkless" dog !!!! Egyptian breed....help !!! small to medium , greyhound look , ..... ???????????
A Basenji? Well, they aren't really barkless. They do yodel, whine, and scream. lol But they are a very permitive breed, and I would NOT recommend them to somebody without lots of time on their hands, plus the ability to raise and train a dominant, intelligent, stubborn dog.

[bubbatd]

I really don't know them. Tried to find out about temperment and found what seems to be a good breeder here in Indy !

[Ash47]

Chihuahua- Don't spoil them too much, let them have their independence and grow into their own. Great little watchdogs and wonderful fun company. They love to love you. But not for anyone that doesn't have patience.
Italian Greyhound- Very sleek looking dogs. Kind and don't bark a lot. Have a tendency to get attached to their owner. Kind of timid.
Shih*Tzu- Great dogs. But grooming is not only a maybe, it is a MUST. Shih-Tzus are beautiful dogs and most of the time very loving. Need a little exercise and stimulation, but love to curl up next to their owner.

These are just a few off the top of my head. Research the breeds. And when you find one you like, search for one in a rescue. The dog has already been evaluated and most likely trained to sit and lay down, the basics.

[Renee750il]

Yep, Grammy, Basenjis are barkless, but that's got nothing to do with being quiet, lol! Our neighbor in California had one. That dog had quite a vocabulary, and a voice that carried for quite a distance :D They also need lots of exercise and aren't apartment dogs at all - something some profiles don't bother to tell prospective owners. You run across one in a shelter every so often because of it - even though the owners paid a bloody fortune for the pup!

That Italian Greyhound is a great idea - especially a retired racer . . . A friend of mine has one; she lives up to her name beautifully: "Lady."

[bubbatd]

Glad to know Renee..... guess I'd have to say a small Golden.!!! Only ones I've had that don't bark for the sake of barking !

[Renee750il]

Everyone was really astounded that Shiva didn't bark when the other dogs barked when we were staying with friends over the 4th. Then they understood when I told them that these dogs don't particularly care about barking until whatever they're after is withing striking distance! Talk about feeling safe, lol! Now Bimmer rarely barks at all, unless he wants the grrrrls to follow him . . .

[suzanne118]

what about a cavalier, they are quiet,kind natured, and are not hyper.
they love to sit on your lap..
(they snore)

[stevinski]

boston terrier

[Toller_08]

Neither of my Dachshunds were/are yappers. Tia will bark when someone is at the door and then she'll stop. Jesse, my past Dachsie, rarely ever barked...even when someone was at the door. I'm not sure if this is true of the breed or if it is just training but I don't know many Dachshunds who bark all the time.

[Melissa_W]

I would also say that an Italian Greyhound would be a good one. All the ones I've met have been pretty quiet and good natured. But like Renee or someone said, it'd be best to look for an older dog, so you can really tell what their temperament is like.

[Georgygirl]

I thought a "Puggle" was a beagle/pug cross and a "Bug" was a boston terrier/pug cross?

Anyway, I would say chihuahua also. They give a warning bark when someone is at the door but quiet down once the person comes in the door. Or at least that is the experience I've had with a chi. They are also very cute!:D

[tempura tantrum]

Basenjis are very similar to Shibas in terms of temperament. The "barkless dog" title is definitely a bit of a misnomer- as Renee pointed out, barkless does NOT mean silent, and they are anything but. They are quick to let their opinions be heard, and this generally means that the entire neighborhood will know when your dog's nails are getting clipped.

As others have pointed out, they're incredibly intelligent (like Shibas, they border on cunning), and definitely not the dog for anyone looking for an easy to train, low key dog. They're high drive, LOVE their exercise, and by no means a great off-lead prospect. They are every bit the hunter.

When I was making my final decision on what breed to obtain, it came between Shibas and Basenjis. I found them remarkably similar and loved the look and attitude of each, but in the end, I liked the breeder I found in Shibas much better than anyone I could find in Basenjis at the time. This was especially due to some research on Fanconi anemia, a devestating disease that plagues the breed, and causes premature death and an increased incidence of several types of cancers. Scientists are currently working on finding the gene responsible (I believe this has been done- but now they must find *where* on the gene it is located), and then developing a genetic test, but until then, finding a *truly* responsible breeder, who does NOT use affected lines can be a bit of a gamble. I've talked to a lot of people in the breed who have said that some of the most well-known and top winning programs use affected sires. Scary stuff, as usually dogs show no signs of ill health until around 2 or 3 years of age. Just goes to show you that a huge list of champions means NOTHING without a program that is first and formost concerned with health and appropriate temperaments.

[LabBreeder]

what about a Basenji???

*didn't read the post above mine...lol. but, i've heard they can be vocal it's just a kinda warbling, weird sound instead of a bark*