The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the golden retriever as an exuberant Scottish gundog of great beauty, a serious worker, a superb guide for the blind, and a competent search-and-rescue dog. Of course, it’s also one of the most popular dogs in America – but does it bark a lot?
I love the “Compare Dog Breeds” feature on the AKC website. For today’s post, I wanted to compare something people don’t always consider- barking. Since bringing home our Dixie Rose almost 3 years ago, we’ve learned to predict what will cause her to bark. She alerts to us when a jogger or bicyclist passes by our front window. We know another dog is being walked in front of our house when she really alerts (a nice way of saying she loses her mind). Alternatively, she never barks when the doorbell chimes, she doesn’t bark when we’re on a walk, and on the whole she is a very quiet dog. I wondered if her vocal habit is her nature (born) or her nurture (training) so I turned to the ACK site. Let me share with you what I found!
For reference, here are the top 3 most popular breeds in America.
- French Bulldog
- Labrador Retriever
- Golden Retriever
AKC evaluates barking as how often the breed vocalizes, and whether with barks or howls. While some breeds bark at every passerby or bird in the window, others only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.
Barking
Lowest (barks only to alert)
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
- Saint Bernard
Moderate
- Labrador Retriever
- German Shephard
- Bulldog
Likes to be Vocal
- Beagle
- Border Collie
- Schnauzer
Very Vocal
- Corgie
- Chihuahua
- Dachshund
While training can go a long way toward teaching your pup when it’s appropriate to vocalize and when they should be quiet, the amount of work to make that happen is very dependant on their breed. For me, choosing a breed that’s quiet was a great fit. Since I work from home, it’s wonderful having the ability to conduct video calls or phone calls without interruption.
Read more about temperament and trainability at the AKC website.
Golden Retriever Puppies 