Question

[stacisnyder04]

How do you know if your puppy will turn out to bark all the time. You see I am getting my puppy soon but i will be living in an apartment and if the dog barks alot we will have to move or get rid of him and I don't want to do that. Is there anyway you can tell if they will be a barker. I am going to see them April 2nd to pick one out and they will be 4 1/2 weeks old.

[StewiesMom]

I don't think there is any way you can tell. Just gotta get lucky I think

I've only heard Stewie bark twice. When I went to see him and his littermates, he was right in there with the rest of them, so I don't know how you would pick one over the others.

[mymason]

I don't think there's a way to tell if the pup will be a barker or not....
I live in an apartment too, so I understand your concern. I have always generalized that small dogs bark more often than big dogs, and I believe this is true to an extent. Mason barks quite a lot, mostly when he wants attention. He barks when he wants me to: throw his toy and play fetch, grab his toy from under the couch, pick him up, come out of the bathroom, etc.

I have been trying to train him to reduce his barking but have not been successful yet. There are times (especiall when I ignore his barking) when he yaps like he's gone mad....like he barks LOUD in a very high pitch - I have to admit, it's very frustrating. But I think it comes with adopting a dog - afterall, it's their way of communication as we have language. I don't expect Mason to not bark at all....I don't think it's realistic.

[frankiesmommy]

I think it might be determined by the way they're trained and treated?

[taje]

Pita was the only dog in the room NOT barking when I went to see her and she's not a barker. I had the same experience with a Greyhound I adopted. If there's a quiet dog among a bunch of barkers I would think thats the one to get.

[Babbie]

I think it depends a lot on the dogs personality. But also on the training...if you wanna b sure just start training/teaching him at a young age!

[Luvmypupster]

I sometimes wonder if it is partly do to temperament and or genetics. My maltese is a yappy little boy but my yorkie rarely barks. I did notice that my maltese breeder did have barkers at her house, seems like all the dogs she had barked. When I began my search for my yorkie I asked the breeder that I had decided on what type temperament her yorkies produced. She told me she had always been compliment at shows, her vet, everyone on how calm and quiet her yorkies were. As it turned out the yorkie I bought from her is indeed very quiet and very calm. By the time my maltese reached 6-7 months old , I knew he was going to be yappy. I have done the rolled newspaper swatting my hand, penny's in a can, water gun to squirt him with..everything and nothing works..he's a barker.

[lilbumbleybees]

There really is no way to tell if your pup will be a barker or not. Some people have their dogs de-barked. Honestly, I think it's cruel to do that. The best thing you can do is train and be firm from day one with your new puppy. Reward when she does good things. If she is barking, say, "NO!" and when she stops praise her, praise, her, praise her. Just remember, dogs don't do ANYTHING to please us. They only do things when it holds a benefit for them. You don't want barking? Disicpline, then reward for the good behavior. Good luck!

[randyrambo]

Rambo is a barker too!
He also does the high pitched yelping thing especially when we put him outside when were mopping the floors........he woofs a lot at night and if he hears another dog he (talks) to them, i wonder what they are saying?????????????

[Cyndiw13]

I think you can teach a yorkie not to bark - just let them know that it is unacceptable behavior ("NO" in a loud voice) - Sweetie barks if she wants attention - and we have taught her to "Tell me" - she looks like she's barking but no sound comes out (except sometimes her teeth chomp together at the end of her un-bark). It's really cute - she knows when I ask her to "tell me" no sound is supposed to come out.
Yorkies are VERY smart pups. With persistence they can learn just about anything!

Good Luck - Cyndi

[Ringo]

Ringo barks at drive thrus (McDonald's) and toll booths. It's strange and annoying.

[stacisnyder04]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I don't want him not to bark, i just don't want him to do it all the time beucase I do not want to disrup the tenates. if I had my own house I would not care. Thanks everyone and I will talk to the breeder and see what kind of temperment her yorkies have.
Thanks again

[natalie]

Maybe it can be the way the breeder raises him?
Before I got my puppy, she kept him away from his litter mates and mommy for 1 1/2 weeks so by the time I picked him up, he was used to being alone. She played with him a few hours a day and put him back in his own pen and he slept without a peep. He hasn't peeped here either. He'll wait until he sees people moving around and if he wants to play he'll let out a little tiny yelp or two but other than that.. no barking at all.
Possibly, you can ask your vet how she's prepping him for his new home. I think small little things help the outcome of the puppy's behavior.

[aimee]

I think both the breeders' enviroment and yours will play a part. Tia was quiet as a mouse when we brought her home. Recently, she's started the "Yorkie squeek" and this low gutteral growl that Sandy has taught her (I'm not kidding, she sits there trying to mimic Sandy - it's so funny - her's is just more high pitched...) She's started barking now when I leave the room or when I come home from the grocery store. She'll give me one bark if she wants me to throw a toy! I think it's cute, not excessive.

Anyway, good luck! My mom was able to "train" her lhaso not to bark using the "no bark" method mentioned above.

[chachi]

My pup is for the most part quiet. He does bark at our cat and we tell him no bark and he stops. I think these dogs are very smart and you can teach them not to bark (excessively) If you are consistant. They are definitely good listeners.