I have always considered a Labrador to be a great addition to any home. A Labrador will bring you plenty of joy and is great for people of all ages. One concern that people have about any type of dog is whether it barks constently or not. I did some research into whether a Labrador barks a lot and here is what I found.
So, do Labradors bark a lot? Overall, while some level of barking is inevitable with any type of dog, a Labrador does not bark a lot compared to other breeds. Labradors tend to be very social and do not react to many situations with barking.
When you are looking to add a Labrador to your home, you will be pleased to have learned that they do not bark a lot. but why is it that you shouldnt be concerned with barking by a Labrador.
Why You Shouldn’t Be Concerned About Labrador Barking
Bred to be Quiet
A Labrador has historically been used to retrieve animals during hunting and gathering trips. In order to do this successfully, a Labrador
Less Likely to Bark Than Other Breeds
Overall, a Labrador is not likely to bark often compared to other dog breeds. For many dog breeds, barking is a primary form of communication, which means they could bark for pretty much any reason. However, a Labrador has other means of communication. A Labrador tends to be much more social and will often communicate through other forms of body language including wagging their tail and even the way they are walking or looking at you.
Quieter Bark
Even if your Labrador does bark from time to time, it may not be as noticeable or hard to deal with. There are certain dog breeds that have a much louder bark, which can be heard from a much further distance. Even some smaller dogs come with a bark that is substantially louder than one that is produced by your Labrador.
Friendly Animal
Ultimately, a Labrador is less likely to bark than other types of dogs because they are very friendly animals. One of the reasons why some dog breeds bark more than others is because they are territorial or aggressive. When you have a Labrador, you will find that they will be far more concerned with playing and having fun than barking.
Why a Labrador May Be Barking
While a Labrador does not bark very much, some level of barking is inevitable and knowing why it occurs would be very beneficial. If your Labrador is barking, there could be several reasons why.
Hungry or Need to Go Outside
In many situations, a Labrador may be barking because they need something. If your Labrador needs to go outside or is hungry or thirsty, it is likely that they may give you a quick bark to notify you. Once you have a better understanding of your dog’s needs and communication style, this type of bark will be very easy to identify.
Playful
If you are playing a game with your Labrador, they could easily start to get very excited during the game. In many situations, a Labrador will want to continue to play after you have had enough. For a short period of time after the game, the Labrador may give you a few quick yaps before they calm down. However, the Labrador will quickly realize the game is over and likely will need to take a rest as well.
They are Scared or Threatened
The most alarming time in which you may notice that your Labrador is barking is if they are scared or threatened. Barking is a Labrador’s most natural form of initial defense. If they notice that something is not right, the Labrador could start barking as a warning. However, this is normally a pretty rare occurrence with a Labrador.
How to Minimize Barking
Even though excessive barking with a Labrador is very rare, there are many things that you could do to prevent it or minimize it.
Keep Dog Active and Happy
One of the best ways that you can help to minimize barking with a Labrador is to make sure that it continues to get its basic needs. A Labrador will need to have regular meals, access to water, and get exercise and attention. If you are not able to keep up with this, they could get frustrated or bored, which could lead to yapping or barking.
Keep Dog Away from Front Windows
If you notice that your dog gets easily excited by people walking by your home, you should close the blinds for any front-facing windows. This will help to reduce the amount of excitement and anxiety that your dog experiences, which will directly result in a lower amount barking from the dog.
Training
Ultimately, the best way that you can control barking from a Labrador, or any other type of dog, is through better training. While some level of barking is bound to happen, you can work to manage it through an obedience class. During this process, you will learn techniques that you can follow that will help to quiet your Labrador. This will give you an effective way to stop the barking even if it starts out of nowhere.
Avoid Getting Emotional
If a Labrador, or any other dog is barking, the last thing that you should do is get emotional. Part of the reason why a dog is barking is because it is excited about something. If you are also getting emotional and show frustration, it could make the situation worse and it will take longer for the dog to calm down. Instead, you need to remain calm and use the methods you learned in training courses to better control the barking.
Additional Questions
What should I do if my Labrador starts barking?
While a barking Labrador is less common, it will happen from time to time. If your Labrador does start barking, you should try to first figure out why it is occurring. The majority of the time, the barking will be occurring because the dog needs some basic needs met, which should be easy to address. In other situations, the dog could be barking because it feels threatened or scared. In these situations, you should try to remove the Labrador from the situation as quickly as possible without overreacting or getting emotional.
Why would a dog start barking more later in life?
Similar to any human, dogs continue to see their personalities change over time based on a variety of factors and life experiences. If you have a dog that does not bark a lot when it is very young, it could still bark more in the future. This could be due to increased anxiety or health factors. If your dog starts to bark more as it gets older, you should try to figure out the reason why and discuss the situation with your vet.
