I think they do both.
They bark because they are dogs and it comes naturally. They also pick up cues from other dogs.
Our little shih tzu and Adie didn't bark a lot until Skeeter joined the household and he is an alarmist. The others start barking when he does.
I was just thinking about my childhood pet, a Boston terrier. We went to pick him out before his eyes were even open. The breeder told us that he was feisty and started messing with his face. In response he actually started growling and pawing at her finger. She said he was playing already. (Is that possible?)
He did turn out to be a tireless (and often grumpy) playful family pet! |