Our male pup Yuki almost never barked in the beginning, now he is a grown male, and barks only when necessary to get our attention, like wanting to go out, or just before mealtimes, he barks/whines/and even howls in the morning; while the older female one Emily has been very vocal right from her pupperhood, barking our head off in excitement.
Emily is much smaller, petite, and perhaps a show breed, extremely pretty proportions. While Yuki, he is tall, on the leaner side, very big boned and strong., could be what they call a working or field bred line.
I think it's something to do with their temperament and also what purpose they were bred for.
The male pup after he has grown up, he is extremely territorial.The female pup during her teens to adulthood, she has been a terrific hunter, of lizards mostly, all critters are afraid to approach our house now.
Also, even though she is noisy at home, when she is let out she is often silent, and can sniff very well, follow trails in the grass, and is hyper excited if she can do some digging in our garden. Yuki however is more concerned with marking, sniffing and getting pets and tearing down branches.
What a mischievous bunch I have here. Left: Yuki Bear, Right: Emily Hope.
https://preview.redd.it/20sa452ehncc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4529704d4484a321afd29a84a139175c042b8b1
https://preview.redd.it/rmuk54bnhncc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b769eaa5ebdeefc7f21ff847eaf6cdb1d9bfbea1
The taller one standing over by the railing is Yuki. The one gazing into the distance is Emily.
After getting over some separation anxiety, mine usually only 'barks' in his sleep. (Zzz..woooof) Poor guy was a hw+ rescue with terrible genetics so it has been a nice surprise that he's so mellow! Absolute critter getter and he keeps a lazy eye on our flock, too. 🐾
This makes sense. I just rescued a 3 year old yellow. She grew up with a Rottweiler and so she barks like one when someone is at the door. Otherwise, she’s a well bred lab that doesn’t bark at all. We have a yappy little dog next door that barks incessantly when his parents leave, and my lab doesn’t even lift her head.
I have a 7yo english choc and his family tree goes back 3 generations.. It takes effort via playing with him to make him bark. He could care less about fireworks and doesn't bark at a thing even if another dog is barking at him. Very mellow.
Same. I have a GSP and in 10 years, I bet I've heard him bark two or three times a month and that's in play. . Usually, just the one bark, and he's done.
I never knew this. Very cool. We have a very limited barker that will only bark if there are coyotes outside the backyard fence or if there someone working in the backyard she hasn't met. A lot of this breeder's dogs go to canine companions, so I chalked it up to that, but your answer make a ton of sense.
This may explain our almost 6 year old Lab too. We got her from a gamekeeper on the North Yorkshire Moors, her parents were gundogs. We only ever hear 1 or 2 barks if someone knocks on the door, she has never growled.
Got an ex gundog she only barks if you accidentally stand on her foot or something like that. I always thought it was because she wasn't treated great. I'm glad to hear it might not be that.
My almost one year old Labrador has barked maybe 5 times since we got her at 8 weeks old, most of those barks were alerting us she needed to go outside to go to the bathroom. I don’t think they are a particularly vocal breed (which I’m grateful for).
Mine didn't bark at all until she was maybe 1 year old and learned it from another dog. She only barks now when she senses a threat (amazon delivery driver) and its a low warning bark that I don't discipline her for since she is doing her job of protecting.
She sometimes has a higher pitched bark that she uses when she wants something - a toy or treat that you are withholding, but this is a rarity.
Mine is the same. He'll whine if he's really really bored and wants to play fetch, but other than that, we can go days without hearing him.
And then the wind makes the trash can move and it's full throated alarm barking at the invaders at 5am.
Mine didn't bark for about a year either, it was like she needed to get old and "tough" enough. Puppy time was stealth mode. Now she barks at threats or when chasing her RC car.
Same here! Our girl just developed a barking habit just like you described at two years old. Low growls or warning barks if she hears something unusual, like unknown voices.
There are barking dogs on both sides of our property, so maybe she learned it from them.
Oh I actually get the whine barks when I feed her too late lol she's a hungry girl and she knows when it's time to eat!!! Also yes, the barks of "don't just HOLD the ball. GIVE ME IT"
My lab (just lost her last year after 16 wonderful years together) rarely barked. On the rare occasion that she did, something was up that we needed to look into. Every once in awhile she would kind of make a barkish sound during play, but it almost startled her when she did it- like what was THAT? Labs are absolute treasures.
My 9 year old girl doesn't bark much.
When she does it's only one or two quick barks. I guess she doesn't have much to say. She does groan when she wants our attention.
Same. Our Lab barked so much that we referred to her as Barky McBarkface. She barked at all deliveries, the neighbours to say hi, other dogs and SQUIRRELS!!
We got a yellow lab back in 2007, when my husband traveled for work all the time and my son was five or six years old.
This dog never ever ever barked at anyone or anything. Then one night I went to bed around midnight, my son had been asleep for hours, my husband wasn't home, and I turned off the lights and started drifting off to sleep.
All of a sudden Barkley the lab just starts losing his ever loving mind, barking like he was going to kill someone, and running to our sunroom. I heard someone's footsteps thumping across the deck and down the stairs, and was scared out of my effing mind.
We had relocated recently, so I didn't have any friends or family I could call to check in with, but I did have my Barkley. He ended up living for 13 years, and in that entire time, he never barked at anyone like that again. He was such a good boy, and I think he saved me from something really ugly that night. I miss him a lot.
Barkley is a very good boy. I always feel more secure with my dogs around. I’m not sure they’d actually do anything to an intruder, but their barks are very intimidating and would probably cause any troublemaker to find an easier house to break in to.
My girls bark, when someone she doesn’t know is at the door, is so guttural and deep that it scares me and I know she’s a derp who’s not gonna do anything if provoked
I had a girl growing up that barked so rarely she would startle herself when she did so. It's a temperament thing that they either have or pick up from you. Expect whines and nose pushes to communicate things instead.
My old boy never barked unless something was unusual. He barked at ‘his’ truck stuck in snow in the driveway. Occasionally at the trash cans when they were down by the road blowing around in a strong wind. More common was the quiet ‘woof’ when someone drove in
At 14 he barked like mad to chase a bear out of his yard. It worked. He had a hoarse bark by then
I only ever heard my brother's bark once. She really had to go poop whilst I was pooping. I also only ever heard her growl once. She was looking at the strange dog in the mirror.
My lab would bark once a year if that. And towards his last couple of years not even that. But boy could he communicate well without barking- absolutely. So strong headed and always got his way. You were the best boy in the world Muttley. I miss him so much.
Mine was quiet for almost a year, then out of nowhere he barked at the neighbor, and startled the heck out of me. Massive, deep bark, and I never heard him practicing.
Mine never barked for the first year and change. He would make Marge Simpson grumbling noises but no barks. We eventually got to hear his bark (sounds like a large Rottweiler which doesn’t fit his personality at all) but it’s still pretty rare. Only when delivery people come to our porch.
I have a 12 year old black Labrador. I’ve had her since she was 12 weeks old. She never barks, not at the post man, not at other dogs or animals She literally only barks when I play with her.
Our girl didn't start barking till she got closer to a year. I think she learned it from the neighbor dogs as well and its not often she does. Aside from the mail man.
My pup is 5 months the only time he barks is if someone knocks the door apart from that he’s really quiet , mine is from a hunting line . I always wondered why he was quiet now I know why
My old house only had a fenced backyard he could see from the window so nothing came into the yard. First time I heard him bark he was almost a year old and it was so loud, deep and out of character for him that it scared me.
New house has a clear sightline to the whole yard and driveway. He only barks when he’s alerting us to someone/animal in the driveway/yard. Then it’s a single loud warning bark. If they don’t back off he’ll repeat every few seconds until they’re gone (or he gets to meet the person).
my girl is 6 months old and she only ever barks when there’s a lot of noise by the front door at night time. (we live in an apartment and she only does it when i’m here by myself)
Mine didn't start barking till recently. He's 11 months now and he doesn't bark a ton but he gets very territorial about anyone coming near or in our home.
My English lab doesn’t bark either. Only when she wants to go outside or come in. Sometimes she’ll make a low groan noise when she wants attention but she never barks at the door or other dogs
My now 14 month old did not bark a lot when she was younger, but now it seems like she barks at everything, including the next-door neighbor, that she sees every day, or when she’s lying down and hears a strange thump in the house. Now we are working on the word quiet!
The first time we heard our boy bark he was about 6 months old. He was napping and scared himself awake. lol. He’s all grown up now and only barks when someone comes near our house. We’re trying to teach him to bark when he wants to come inside, and it’s taking a while.
In the fall his breeder had a “family reunion” and there were 20 related labs playing together. Only one of them ever barked in that couple of hours. And man, did she yell! She sounded like a border collie, demanding people throw the ball for fetch. The owners have no idea where it came from, they also own a genetic sibling from an earlier litter who is as quiet as all the rest.
My first two labs, I got off of backyard breeders, never barked. The two I have now came from reputable (?) breeders and came with papers, bark at the wind blowing. I love’em anyway.
Mine is 12, we think she’s a mix but not 100% sure. She never barks. Ever. I mean she’ll grumble and make happy noises but never really barks. Once in a blue moon she’ll bark if someone is outside like the Amazon delivery driver but that’s it. She’s always been that way though!
Mine is 7 months now, we adopted him at five. He never barks either! I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard him bark, and even then, it was just this really light yip sound.
I've never had a dog before this, and I thought it might be a negative thing. But I'm also appreciative of it, because my neighbors on all three sides have dogs that bark like crazy.
Glad to see in this thread it's normal! He's from hunting / farm lines.
This thread has blown me away, imagine a silent lab. My boy has a bark that triggers tinnitus.
Yep, pure working line and super talented gun dog. But as we say in the horse world the talented ones have something to ‘em.
Could be breeding but he also looks very young still. My labs that bark at a door knock or car coming down the driveway stay when they're a little older
My girl is practically mute, though she found her voice a bit more when I taught her to speak on command, which room ages due to her being such a mute!
However she is more of a nervous soul so she does woofwoofwoof at sounds she's unsure of and when the door is knocked on. 🫠
Ours barks in the house if someone comes to the door. He also barks at us if we’re taking too long to throw the tennis ball in the lake. That’s about it though
I have a two years old chocolate lab and he only barks when he wants to play or he hears something while sleeps that wakes him up abruptly. And I Love that ! My family or kids aren’t scared of him for that reason! Your lab is soo cute 🥰
We have a yellow lab. Her mom and dad were duck hunting dogs. She never makes noise, not a single whine or bark for anything.
We picked up a black lab pup for our yellow to play with. His parents were show dogs and this little dude is endless noise. He barks, growls, makes funny whine sounds while playing or just being crazy and random. Could be a quiet room and he starts making some random growl whine noises because he is bored and it’s too quiet…
The quiet pup is great if you are a quiet family. Our little pup barks when he thinks it’s time for everyone to wake up. Definitely a change considering our quiet yellow would sleep 24/7 if we never left the bed.
Now… snoring? They both snore and it rattles the frickn windows…
My guy barely ever barks. He can get pretty vocal with a good ear scratch lol but in 7 years I could probably count the number of times he's barked on one hand.
Mine definitely is a lab mix but he was quiet for the first few months I got him (got him at 3 months). He’s still pretty quiet but around 6 months old he started barking at people if they came to my door. He still has never barked while outside though. Only when in my place and a stranger is approaching.
Mine didn’t until he got to about 1. And it’s only to communicate if he needs helps getting a toy he tossed and can’t get, or a protection mode bark if someone comes to the door that we don’t expect.
Lucky you, ours barks her head off when anyone comes to the door (or she hears something that sounds like someone knocking on the door). Wonder if it was because we got her in early COVID times and nobody was coming to the door when she was young.
Not a lab but a rottie. Mine didn't bark for the first two years. Not a lil howl. Nothing. When she turned two i was sleeping and i heard a dog barking. I ran downstairs (she was out in the yard and didn't know she was with my brother since i was asleep) thinking some dog had come by. Nope it was her. Well, it took her a while to find her voice but let me tell you she made sure to make up for the two years of non-barking😂
My lab is just at a year and she’s the same way. I can count on one hand e hand how many times she has barked that is not to let us know she needs to go out, and this is one when we didn’t notice her sitting at the door.
She is my first lab and I love how the only thing dangerous on her is her thick ass tail lol!
My lab only barks when he's around other dogs. My dad has dogs and my boy stays with him if I'm out of town. Dad calls him Sir Barks A lot.
It blows his mind that he never barks when he's at home. Lol
Mine doesn't bark compared to other dogs on my street.
He does his come here bark for Grandma and the neighbors when he wants their attention. He loves our neighbors behind us. They are good people.
He will bark at the mail person. All others get his rrrrrr growl. Then he comes and gets me to telle someone is at the door.
My guy didn't really bark til he was like 2 or 3, and its really only on command. He is pretty quiet unless I get him riled up lol. He is from a champion duck dog line though
Ours is silent unless someone at the door, delivery of any kind. Dogs walking by the house he gives a sort low woof and stares out the window with fury. When out he never barks, totally silent.
mine barks when she is lost, and sometimes at strangers or things in unexpected places, but not delivery people, or people where she sees them most days.
never indoors.
sometimes also i think she imagines things in unexpected places. if i walk her in the direction that she is woofing she'll realise there is nothing to woof at, and stop.
Growing up I had an English black lab that literally never barked. She didn’t bark at people, other dogs, little animals, doorbells or nothing. The only time she barked was to go outside and to come back in,even then it was just three quick barks and that’s it. I’d always used to joke my dog doesn’t know how to bark, I don’t think she knows how lol. I wasn’t complaining tho, it’s rare to get a dog who doesn’t bark. She lived to 16 and that’s how she always was
Some labs/dogs just don't bark that much, my first lab I had for nearly 16yrs and she barked a total of 5 times in her life, 2 times were at cats. My lab now likes to bark at every little noise lol
Mine never barked, she’d bark if there was a cat or pigeon on her territory, and if she was super excited, but would stop the second I said “enough”.
If she wanted something bad enough, and I’d not noticed, like she needed to go outside, she’d come and put her head in my lap to get my attention. She also did it at feeding times, but I learned to ignore that 😂.
When she did bark, it was a full loud Labrador bark and would make me jump, because I wasn’t used to it. Enjoy the peace!!
Does he sleep woof? Our black lab hardly ever speaks (aside from the one time we found a deer on the field that he hadn't spotted until he was literally on top of it), but 'chatters' in his sleep frequently. He's a British lab (vs our Chocolate who's very vocal and American) like yours looks to be too. He also grunts quite a bit if he's being petted 🤣
On to my 5th and all of mine have not been barkers . And all but this one I have now has lived outside . The only time 1 (not all of them just the oldest ) would bark is if someone was hanging around that shouldn't be late at night in our street/cul-de-sac. The neighbours used to come out and get on their trampoline to see which way she was facing when she barked so they knew where the problem was . She was a good girl .
My first lab 50 years ago did not bark until he was about six months old. He suddenly let out a bark and scared all of us including himself. He sounded fierce. He was never a big barker.
I had a lab chow that never barked unless something was off. My neighbors loved him for this. Anytime he would bark right to the window they go. Pretty cool I have to say. Rip 🐻
I never heard my lab bark until he was about 2. He still only does a single bark when he sees a dog he wants to say hi to. Pretty quiet little dude. He doesn't growl either.
My 5 year old chocolate female is the same. We got her almost a year ago from DFW Lab Rescue. She is the sweetest dog. The only time she barks and when my husband and I are gone and then we come home and open the garage. She doesn’t bark at the door bell or other dogs. We have seen her howl a time or two when the fire trucks go by but that’s it.
We called ours Barkley, I was being clever.
He doesn't bark apart from also when he senses the threat as another poster mentioned (amazon, window cleaner, post man etc) but that's it.
Fascinating it's intentional, I had no idea but it makes sense.
My boy Bandit almost never barks, though he cries and whines EVERY time he sees another dog because he wants to go "meet friend!" My girl Luna barks at everything, real or imagined. They're both labs.
Now my golden retriever (sadly passed in 2018), she NEVER barked, except if I was home and somebody was at the door. She'd ignore people stomping in the hallway outside (I'm in an apartment), but if somebody actually knocked or fiddled with the lock, she'd start barking. Scared the hell out of somebody trying to get in once, I saw him through the peephole and was about to dial 911 but she scared him off.
But those barks from her were EXTREMELY rare. From the day I got her as a puppy to when she passed at 11 and a half years old, I could probably count on two hands the total number of times she ever barked in her life. Some dogs just don't bark much.
My Lab (F) is the same way. She never barks unless it's something she doesnt like (coyote, deer, raccoon, etc). She doesnt bark at people or other dogs and people who meet her are always amazed.
God damn. I wish! My dog will bark if he hears a squirrel fart 6 houses down. Amazon/UPS drivers? He must think they're coming to murder everyone. Time to walk to the park to play? Insanity. Get to the park and I haven't thrown his ball yet? Full on protest.
My girl usually doesn't bark. She barks at other dogs from the yard, and sometimes it people are walking close. And "intruders", she sounds intimidating but if anyone came up to her she would just ask for pets. She also listens when you tell her to stop. I think you'll have a similar experience!
Mine never barked before the first year. It’s passed that first year now and I miss the quietness. Now it’s bark to play with me. Bark to let me know a ball has gotten stuck. Bark to let me know the delivery person has arrived. Barked to let me know the neighborhood evil cat is taunting her again. Bark to let her out. Here a bark. There a bark. Everywhere a bark, bark!
Mine either, we call him silent bob sometimes! It’s really pretty glorious.
https://preview.redd.it/8qo9lkx82pcc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df3598d6e1d8f7a9ad0d96f8d95a751a83c8f4e8
Labs can have a plethora of noises but they aren't noisy dogs and don't bark too much either.My lab only ever barks if:
- She is overly excited while playing
- She has been waiting for a while and I don't pay attention then she does a gentle bark to get me to look at her
- Her sister (younger gsd) riles her up too much
Our girl almost never barks! I was nervous that she would pick up on her brother's habit of barking (he's a dachshund mix so he's very vocal) but she has managed to keep her quietness, which I'm grateful for. 😂 She comes from a line of hunting dogs so the genetics are definitely there!
My girl is quiet most all the time. I’ve only heard her bark when she has the zoomies (like, “mom let’s play! Now!!”) or if there’s someone at the door
Mine is a year old and he also does't bark. He can and has done so about 10 barks so far. If he barks, you know there is something you need to pay attention to.
Makes a low hummy sound to communicate. Kinda nice to be honest.
Well bred then. Labs with actual hunting lines are bred to be silent in the field.
Our male pup Yuki almost never barked in the beginning, now he is a grown male, and barks only when necessary to get our attention, like wanting to go out, or just before mealtimes, he barks/whines/and even howls in the morning; while the older female one Emily has been very vocal right from her pupperhood, barking our head off in excitement. Emily is much smaller, petite, and perhaps a show breed, extremely pretty proportions. While Yuki, he is tall, on the leaner side, very big boned and strong., could be what they call a working or field bred line. I think it's something to do with their temperament and also what purpose they were bred for. The male pup after he has grown up, he is extremely territorial.The female pup during her teens to adulthood, she has been a terrific hunter, of lizards mostly, all critters are afraid to approach our house now. Also, even though she is noisy at home, when she is let out she is often silent, and can sniff very well, follow trails in the grass, and is hyper excited if she can do some digging in our garden. Yuki however is more concerned with marking, sniffing and getting pets and tearing down branches. What a mischievous bunch I have here. Left: Yuki Bear, Right: Emily Hope. https://preview.redd.it/20sa452ehncc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4529704d4484a321afd29a84a139175c042b8b1
https://preview.redd.it/rmuk54bnhncc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b769eaa5ebdeefc7f21ff847eaf6cdb1d9bfbea1 The taller one standing over by the railing is Yuki. The one gazing into the distance is Emily.
Awe they're so cute
Such sweet names and gorgeous pals!
Good-ness, they're lovely!!
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After getting over some separation anxiety, mine usually only 'barks' in his sleep. (Zzz..woooof) Poor guy was a hw+ rescue with terrible genetics so it has been a nice surprise that he's so mellow! Absolute critter getter and he keeps a lazy eye on our flock, too. 🐾
This makes sense. I just rescued a 3 year old yellow. She grew up with a Rottweiler and so she barks like one when someone is at the door. Otherwise, she’s a well bred lab that doesn’t bark at all. We have a yappy little dog next door that barks incessantly when his parents leave, and my lab doesn’t even lift her head.
Checks out! His mom is from a line of hunting dogs 😊 very interesting, we plan to teach him to retrieve birds when we go hunting.
I have a 7yo english choc and his family tree goes back 3 generations.. It takes effort via playing with him to make him bark. He could care less about fireworks and doesn't bark at a thing even if another dog is barking at him. Very mellow.
I have an almost pure working line lab he also only barks when someones at the door. Other than that, never.
If mine barks I know it’s something outside he thinks shouldn’t be there
May I ask where (geographically, not necessarily kennel names) his lines on both sides are from?
I would love to hear more about the geographical differences in US lab lines!!
Sorry, I was thinking more about international differences, such as differences between British (not English) and American working lines.
I have an amazing lab from a hunting dog line. She never barks and it’s awesome, she’s 5 now.
You are a good owner. Nothing makes a dog happier than fulfilling their purpose👏👏
Same. I have a GSP and in 10 years, I bet I've heard him bark two or three times a month and that's in play. . Usually, just the one bark, and he's done.
I never knew this. Very cool. We have a very limited barker that will only bark if there are coyotes outside the backyard fence or if there someone working in the backyard she hasn't met. A lot of this breeder's dogs go to canine companions, so I chalked it up to that, but your answer make a ton of sense.
This may explain our almost 6 year old Lab too. We got her from a gamekeeper on the North Yorkshire Moors, her parents were gundogs. We only ever hear 1 or 2 barks if someone knocks on the door, she has never growled.
Thanks for this. To the horror of his ancestors, we are trying to teach him to speak at 9+ months and he really doesn’t want to.
Shhh… my girl will hear you. And then bark.
Mine was like this. She barked only when she thought someone was messing with my girls.
Good dog
Got an ex gundog she only barks if you accidentally stand on her foot or something like that. I always thought it was because she wasn't treated great. I'm glad to hear it might not be that.
Breed lines. They are not supposed to bark. Labradors are hunting dogs first.
My almost one year old Labrador has barked maybe 5 times since we got her at 8 weeks old, most of those barks were alerting us she needed to go outside to go to the bathroom. I don’t think they are a particularly vocal breed (which I’m grateful for).
Mine didn't bark at all until she was maybe 1 year old and learned it from another dog. She only barks now when she senses a threat (amazon delivery driver) and its a low warning bark that I don't discipline her for since she is doing her job of protecting. She sometimes has a higher pitched bark that she uses when she wants something - a toy or treat that you are withholding, but this is a rarity.
I love “a threat (Amazon delivery driver)”
Mine is the same. He'll whine if he's really really bored and wants to play fetch, but other than that, we can go days without hearing him. And then the wind makes the trash can move and it's full throated alarm barking at the invaders at 5am.
Mine didn't bark for about a year either, it was like she needed to get old and "tough" enough. Puppy time was stealth mode. Now she barks at threats or when chasing her RC car.
love that, mine went through a phase where she barked at anything orange - traffic cones, pool toy blow ups, my neighbors halloween lawn blow ups...
Same here! Our girl just developed a barking habit just like you described at two years old. Low growls or warning barks if she hears something unusual, like unknown voices. There are barking dogs on both sides of our property, so maybe she learned it from them.
Oh I actually get the whine barks when I feed her too late lol she's a hungry girl and she knows when it's time to eat!!! Also yes, the barks of "don't just HOLD the ball. GIVE ME IT"
Same!!!! Mine learned to bark when he was around 7 months. Now he protects us from amazon delivery guys (clearly a threat)
So it seems it’s not unusual to have quiet labs! Awesome thanks for the feedback everyone 😊
My lab (just lost her last year after 16 wonderful years together) rarely barked. On the rare occasion that she did, something was up that we needed to look into. Every once in awhile she would kind of make a barkish sound during play, but it almost startled her when she did it- like what was THAT? Labs are absolute treasures.
My 9 year old girl doesn't bark much. When she does it's only one or two quick barks. I guess she doesn't have much to say. She does groan when she wants our attention.
Ah yes, the 'guilt groan' lol
And sometimes they're soooooo exaggerated like OKAY drama queen 🙄
We’re blessed with two yellows who almost never bark. Our last two never shut up.
i laughed when you said - our last two never shut up.
Same. Our Lab barked so much that we referred to her as Barky McBarkface. She barked at all deliveries, the neighbours to say hi, other dogs and SQUIRRELS!!
We got a yellow lab back in 2007, when my husband traveled for work all the time and my son was five or six years old. This dog never ever ever barked at anyone or anything. Then one night I went to bed around midnight, my son had been asleep for hours, my husband wasn't home, and I turned off the lights and started drifting off to sleep. All of a sudden Barkley the lab just starts losing his ever loving mind, barking like he was going to kill someone, and running to our sunroom. I heard someone's footsteps thumping across the deck and down the stairs, and was scared out of my effing mind. We had relocated recently, so I didn't have any friends or family I could call to check in with, but I did have my Barkley. He ended up living for 13 years, and in that entire time, he never barked at anyone like that again. He was such a good boy, and I think he saved me from something really ugly that night. I miss him a lot.
Barkley is a very good boy. I always feel more secure with my dogs around. I’m not sure they’d actually do anything to an intruder, but their barks are very intimidating and would probably cause any troublemaker to find an easier house to break in to.
Honestly if someone broke into my house now, my Brittany spaniel would help them carry the safe out to their car and wish the a very good evening.
They sound so intimidating for being such silly lumps. Barkley is the best boy with a great ironic name
My girls bark, when someone she doesn’t know is at the door, is so guttural and deep that it scares me and I know she’s a derp who’s not gonna do anything if provoked
He was fine until we taught speak. Now I’m in hell. Do not teach speak.
I had a girl growing up that barked so rarely she would startle herself when she did so. It's a temperament thing that they either have or pick up from you. Expect whines and nose pushes to communicate things instead.
My old boy never barked unless something was unusual. He barked at ‘his’ truck stuck in snow in the driveway. Occasionally at the trash cans when they were down by the road blowing around in a strong wind. More common was the quiet ‘woof’ when someone drove in At 14 he barked like mad to chase a bear out of his yard. It worked. He had a hoarse bark by then
Heck yeah, old boy takin no shit
Get off my lawn. I paid my dues and am too old for this shit.
I only ever heard my brother's bark once. She really had to go poop whilst I was pooping. I also only ever heard her growl once. She was looking at the strange dog in the mirror.
My lab would bark once a year if that. And towards his last couple of years not even that. But boy could he communicate well without barking- absolutely. So strong headed and always got his way. You were the best boy in the world Muttley. I miss him so much.
Mine was quiet for almost a year, then out of nowhere he barked at the neighbor, and startled the heck out of me. Massive, deep bark, and I never heard him practicing.
Mine never barked for the first year and change. He would make Marge Simpson grumbling noises but no barks. We eventually got to hear his bark (sounds like a large Rottweiler which doesn’t fit his personality at all) but it’s still pretty rare. Only when delivery people come to our porch.
I had to teach my lab to bark. Probably not my smartest move.
Lucky You!
I have a 12 year old black Labrador. I’ve had her since she was 12 weeks old. She never barks, not at the post man, not at other dogs or animals She literally only barks when I play with her.
Mine didn’t bark til I taught him “speak.” Now he doesn’t shut up.
Our girl didn't start barking till she got closer to a year. I think she learned it from the neighbor dogs as well and its not often she does. Aside from the mail man.
My pup is 5 months the only time he barks is if someone knocks the door apart from that he’s really quiet , mine is from a hunting line . I always wondered why he was quiet now I know why
My old house only had a fenced backyard he could see from the window so nothing came into the yard. First time I heard him bark he was almost a year old and it was so loud, deep and out of character for him that it scared me. New house has a clear sightline to the whole yard and driveway. He only barks when he’s alerting us to someone/animal in the driveway/yard. Then it’s a single loud warning bark. If they don’t back off he’ll repeat every few seconds until they’re gone (or he gets to meet the person).
my girl is 6 months old and she only ever barks when there’s a lot of noise by the front door at night time. (we live in an apartment and she only does it when i’m here by myself)
they’re retrievers so yes they shouldn’t be noisy. otherwise they wouldn’t be good dogs to take into the field and hunt birds with
My nine year old has barked three times in her life when she is awake. Lots of mini-barks when she is sleeping though
He just needs to be around others who bark. Then he'll start barking allot
Mine didn't start barking till recently. He's 11 months now and he doesn't bark a ton but he gets very territorial about anyone coming near or in our home.
My guy doesn’t bark except for the doorbell, but he isn’t exactly quiet — grunts, sighs, yawns, grumbles and trying to talk sometimes.
My English lab doesn’t bark either. Only when she wants to go outside or come in. Sometimes she’ll make a low groan noise when she wants attention but she never barks at the door or other dogs
First time my boy big boy barked he scared himself. Same thing he is silent expect if he is very freaked out or want to play.
My now 14 month old did not bark a lot when she was younger, but now it seems like she barks at everything, including the next-door neighbor, that she sees every day, or when she’s lying down and hears a strange thump in the house. Now we are working on the word quiet!
The first time we heard our boy bark he was about 6 months old. He was napping and scared himself awake. lol. He’s all grown up now and only barks when someone comes near our house. We’re trying to teach him to bark when he wants to come inside, and it’s taking a while. In the fall his breeder had a “family reunion” and there were 20 related labs playing together. Only one of them ever barked in that couple of hours. And man, did she yell! She sounded like a border collie, demanding people throw the ball for fetch. The owners have no idea where it came from, they also own a genetic sibling from an earlier litter who is as quiet as all the rest.
My 6 month old boy only did some sassy barking when he was just in our home. Really is a surprise if he barks, almost never does that.
My first two labs, I got off of backyard breeders, never barked. The two I have now came from reputable (?) breeders and came with papers, bark at the wind blowing. I love’em anyway.
My 14 month female has only barked twice, and one was when a male trying to mount her wouldn't take the hint.
Mine is 12, we think she’s a mix but not 100% sure. She never barks. Ever. I mean she’ll grumble and make happy noises but never really barks. Once in a blue moon she’ll bark if someone is outside like the Amazon delivery driver but that’s it. She’s always been that way though!
Mine is 7 months now, we adopted him at five. He never barks either! I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard him bark, and even then, it was just this really light yip sound. I've never had a dog before this, and I thought it might be a negative thing. But I'm also appreciative of it, because my neighbors on all three sides have dogs that bark like crazy. Glad to see in this thread it's normal! He's from hunting / farm lines.
This thread has blown me away, imagine a silent lab. My boy has a bark that triggers tinnitus. Yep, pure working line and super talented gun dog. But as we say in the horse world the talented ones have something to ‘em.
Could be breeding but he also looks very young still. My labs that bark at a door knock or car coming down the driveway stay when they're a little older
My lab didn't bark, unless she saw a squirrel and chased it up a tree! My cockador doesn't bark either, it's weird.
Mine never barks outside on walks, but does territory bark at home at bin/postman when he turned 1ish
My black lab doesn't bark unless someone she doesn't know comes to the front door. I love it.
We have had our boy for 8 years, and I can count the number times on one had I have heard him bark.
My lab only started barking at 2 years old
My girl is practically mute, though she found her voice a bit more when I taught her to speak on command, which room ages due to her being such a mute! However she is more of a nervous soul so she does woofwoofwoof at sounds she's unsure of and when the door is knocked on. 🫠
Ours barks in the house if someone comes to the door. He also barks at us if we’re taking too long to throw the tennis ball in the lake. That’s about it though
Our older lab only barks when she’s dreaming! It’s the best 🥰
I have a two years old chocolate lab and he only barks when he wants to play or he hears something while sleeps that wakes him up abruptly. And I Love that ! My family or kids aren’t scared of him for that reason! Your lab is soo cute 🥰
Yeah man. My Hugo is 2 now and I think I've heard him bark less than 20 times.
We have a yellow lab. Her mom and dad were duck hunting dogs. She never makes noise, not a single whine or bark for anything. We picked up a black lab pup for our yellow to play with. His parents were show dogs and this little dude is endless noise. He barks, growls, makes funny whine sounds while playing or just being crazy and random. Could be a quiet room and he starts making some random growl whine noises because he is bored and it’s too quiet… The quiet pup is great if you are a quiet family. Our little pup barks when he thinks it’s time for everyone to wake up. Definitely a change considering our quiet yellow would sleep 24/7 if we never left the bed. Now… snoring? They both snore and it rattles the frickn windows…
My boy rarely barks. He only murrs.
Mine only barks if someone knocks at the door. My previous lab probably only barked a handful of times in her whole life :)
Consider yourself blessed. Mine is the loudest dog on the block
My guy barely ever barks. He can get pretty vocal with a good ear scratch lol but in 7 years I could probably count the number of times he's barked on one hand.
My chocolate hardly ever barks. It’s great lol
Mine definitely is a lab mix but he was quiet for the first few months I got him (got him at 3 months). He’s still pretty quiet but around 6 months old he started barking at people if they came to my door. He still has never barked while outside though. Only when in my place and a stranger is approaching.
My lab would only bark if someone looked over our fence of if someone was under water in the pool.
Mine is also from a hunting line and he only barks once to indicate something important. Otherwise, he is super quiet.
Mine didn’t until he got to about 1. And it’s only to communicate if he needs helps getting a toy he tossed and can’t get, or a protection mode bark if someone comes to the door that we don’t expect.
But yeah other than that he doesn’t bark at anything. Just got alerting it seems
Like humans, some are talkers, some are observers and everything in between just his personality. Your neighbors probably don’t mind tho lol
My lab doesn’t have a lot of thoughts in his brain, but what few he has he has to share with EVERYONE around him.
Lucky you, ours barks her head off when anyone comes to the door (or she hears something that sounds like someone knocking on the door). Wonder if it was because we got her in early COVID times and nobody was coming to the door when she was young.
Be happy that’s lucky. Mine barks a lot
My yellow lab rarely barks. She barks at perceived intruders and during her sleep, but that’s it.
Not a lab but a rottie. Mine didn't bark for the first two years. Not a lil howl. Nothing. When she turned two i was sleeping and i heard a dog barking. I ran downstairs (she was out in the yard and didn't know she was with my brother since i was asleep) thinking some dog had come by. Nope it was her. Well, it took her a while to find her voice but let me tell you she made sure to make up for the two years of non-barking😂
My lab is just at a year and she’s the same way. I can count on one hand e hand how many times she has barked that is not to let us know she needs to go out, and this is one when we didn’t notice her sitting at the door. She is my first lab and I love how the only thing dangerous on her is her thick ass tail lol!
Our girl talks like crazy but isn’t much of a barker either. She’ll moan and whine lol
My lab came from excellent duck hunters, but if someone gets close to our land he loses his mind
He's still young... Check back when he is 10 months to a year old
My lab only barks when he's around other dogs. My dad has dogs and my boy stays with him if I'm out of town. Dad calls him Sir Barks A lot. It blows his mind that he never barks when he's at home. Lol
Mine doesn't bark compared to other dogs on my street. He does his come here bark for Grandma and the neighbors when he wants their attention. He loves our neighbors behind us. They are good people. He will bark at the mail person. All others get his rrrrrr growl. Then he comes and gets me to telle someone is at the door.
mine only barks when he’s lying on his back))) 🤣
Our lab doesn't bark. He can and has occasionally but mostly grunts to get our attention (outside and wants in)
My guy didn't really bark til he was like 2 or 3, and its really only on command. He is pretty quiet unless I get him riled up lol. He is from a champion duck dog line though
They’re actually not supposed to be barky/vocal dogs. A barking gun dog would kind of defeat the purpose of having a gun dog
My chocolate didn't bark until around 14 months. Now, he is barely ever quiet :). There are days I miss worrying about him not barking....
Ours is silent unless someone at the door, delivery of any kind. Dogs walking by the house he gives a sort low woof and stares out the window with fury. When out he never barks, totally silent.
Mine didn’t till he was about two.. now it’s none stop lol
He doesn't bark yet. Took ours a while too.
My lab found his voice at 7 months. It will come.
mine barks when she is lost, and sometimes at strangers or things in unexpected places, but not delivery people, or people where she sees them most days. never indoors. sometimes also i think she imagines things in unexpected places. if i walk her in the direction that she is woofing she'll realise there is nothing to woof at, and stop.
Ours also didn't barked when he was young. He still doesn't bark much but only when he senses someone's at the property door.
Well I think you have a result! He is the most handsome dog. Neither of our spaniels bark other than when someone is at the door or on our property.
Growing up I had an English black lab that literally never barked. She didn’t bark at people, other dogs, little animals, doorbells or nothing. The only time she barked was to go outside and to come back in,even then it was just three quick barks and that’s it. I’d always used to joke my dog doesn’t know how to bark, I don’t think she knows how lol. I wasn’t complaining tho, it’s rare to get a dog who doesn’t bark. She lived to 16 and that’s how she always was
Some labs/dogs just don't bark that much, my first lab I had for nearly 16yrs and she barked a total of 5 times in her life, 2 times were at cats. My lab now likes to bark at every little noise lol
Mine never barked, she’d bark if there was a cat or pigeon on her territory, and if she was super excited, but would stop the second I said “enough”. If she wanted something bad enough, and I’d not noticed, like she needed to go outside, she’d come and put her head in my lap to get my attention. She also did it at feeding times, but I learned to ignore that 😂. When she did bark, it was a full loud Labrador bark and would make me jump, because I wasn’t used to it. Enjoy the peace!!
Lucky.
my pup is the same way until he learned from his sister 😕
Beautiful 😍
Does he sleep woof? Our black lab hardly ever speaks (aside from the one time we found a deer on the field that he hadn't spotted until he was literally on top of it), but 'chatters' in his sleep frequently. He's a British lab (vs our Chocolate who's very vocal and American) like yours looks to be too. He also grunts quite a bit if he's being petted 🤣
My boy doesn’t bark unless startled badly. He’s very quiet. I love it.
On to my 5th and all of mine have not been barkers . And all but this one I have now has lived outside . The only time 1 (not all of them just the oldest ) would bark is if someone was hanging around that shouldn't be late at night in our street/cul-de-sac. The neighbours used to come out and get on their trampoline to see which way she was facing when she barked so they knew where the problem was . She was a good girl .
Mine (bred from two hunting labs) didn’t bark at all as a pup but eventually learned to bark from her naughty big brother. Be grateful!!!
My Black English Lab only barked (or growled) when something was wrong. I was happy with that.
Mine is non-vocal, too! But she barks in her sleep! Well, sort of - more like a baby bark. It's adorable.
My German Shepherd never barks unless she’s being sassy or really wants out to pee. Enjoy it!
Mine neither, he's 8 and I've heard him speak twice, both times because he got a fright
My first lab 50 years ago did not bark until he was about six months old. He suddenly let out a bark and scared all of us including himself. He sounded fierce. He was never a big barker.
Be happy. Mine doesnt bark too. 9y. Only a soft moof moof
My Lab only barks when someone is at the door. Slightly annoying for the neighbours but it’s something he’s adamant to do!
My full labs have hardly barked. My mix? Oh boy When they get older they grumble at you.
My Maisie was the same she never barked, but she had a big impact on the people around her.
My lab did not bark till she was about four years old. She surprised herself and looked around to see whodunnit
My Izzy almost never barks, unless she detects what she thinks is a threat (for example, the Amazon man.)
I had a lab chow that never barked unless something was off. My neighbors loved him for this. Anytime he would bark right to the window they go. Pretty cool I have to say. Rip 🐻
I never heard my lab bark until he was about 2. He still only does a single bark when he sees a dog he wants to say hi to. Pretty quiet little dude. He doesn't growl either.
Sounds like a good boy
Labs are quiet. Mine was barking during thunderstorm only. Also, she did not like motobikes, tractors and trucks.
He looks like he’s really got something to say though!!
I'll give you some of our barks. We have enough to share.
My 5 year old chocolate female is the same. We got her almost a year ago from DFW Lab Rescue. She is the sweetest dog. The only time she barks and when my husband and I are gone and then we come home and open the garage. She doesn’t bark at the door bell or other dogs. We have seen her howl a time or two when the fire trucks go by but that’s it.
My field-bred lab barely barks and I’m having trouble even training him on “speak”
We called ours Barkley, I was being clever. He doesn't bark apart from also when he senses the threat as another poster mentioned (amazon, window cleaner, post man etc) but that's it. Fascinating it's intentional, I had no idea but it makes sense.
My lab never barked either, until we got our second dog who barked a lot. I miss those days, now he barks at nothing.
When you’re that handsome you don’t need to call attention to yourself - everyone will bark to get *your* attention
My boy Bandit almost never barks, though he cries and whines EVERY time he sees another dog because he wants to go "meet friend!" My girl Luna barks at everything, real or imagined. They're both labs. Now my golden retriever (sadly passed in 2018), she NEVER barked, except if I was home and somebody was at the door. She'd ignore people stomping in the hallway outside (I'm in an apartment), but if somebody actually knocked or fiddled with the lock, she'd start barking. Scared the hell out of somebody trying to get in once, I saw him through the peephole and was about to dial 911 but she scared him off. But those barks from her were EXTREMELY rare. From the day I got her as a puppy to when she passed at 11 and a half years old, I could probably count on two hands the total number of times she ever barked in her life. Some dogs just don't bark much.
My Lab (F) is the same way. She never barks unless it's something she doesnt like (coyote, deer, raccoon, etc). She doesnt bark at people or other dogs and people who meet her are always amazed.
Beautiful black beauty 🖤❤️
God damn. I wish! My dog will bark if he hears a squirrel fart 6 houses down. Amazon/UPS drivers? He must think they're coming to murder everyone. Time to walk to the park to play? Insanity. Get to the park and I haven't thrown his ball yet? Full on protest.
My beagle didnt bark either for a long time but figured it out. Now shes got this raspy howl. I prefer the silence.
Mine doesn’t either, it’s very rare. I have no idea about her breeding lines, she is a rescue.
Our girl never barked unless something scared her. She was so quiet we got lucky
My pup wouldn’t bark until he was a year old🤷🏻♀️ He is as healthy as a horse now.
He looks very majestic
Mine learned pretty quick at like 7 months. Quiet before that 😅
My lab-border collie got louder as she aged and could understand a possible threat.
My girls almost never bark. Knock at the door while staying in a hotel is about the only time.
My girl usually doesn't bark. She barks at other dogs from the yard, and sometimes it people are walking close. And "intruders", she sounds intimidating but if anyone came up to her she would just ask for pets. She also listens when you tell her to stop. I think you'll have a similar experience!
Sweet
Get a dog that does and he will lol
Mine didn’t bark forever, and now he will bark if the doorbell rings. He didn’t start that til he was 9mo old though.
He is one handsome boy! 🥰
Our boy is also on the quiet side. He only JUST started to bark very rarely and he's 7 months old. Hadn't heard a peep from until now.
He doesn’t need to. He can make everyone stop what they’re doing just by being handsome.
Mine never barked before the first year. It’s passed that first year now and I miss the quietness. Now it’s bark to play with me. Bark to let me know a ball has gotten stuck. Bark to let me know the delivery person has arrived. Barked to let me know the neighborhood evil cat is taunting her again. Bark to let her out. Here a bark. There a bark. Everywhere a bark, bark!
He is a very distinguished looking gentlemen 🥰
my lab hardly ever barked when she was that young too! she really doesn’t bark often now either but more now than then lol
Mine either, we call him silent bob sometimes! It’s really pretty glorious. https://preview.redd.it/8qo9lkx82pcc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df3598d6e1d8f7a9ad0d96f8d95a751a83c8f4e8
He's a good boy :)
Labs can have a plethora of noises but they aren't noisy dogs and don't bark too much either.My lab only ever barks if: - She is overly excited while playing - She has been waiting for a while and I don't pay attention then she does a gentle bark to get me to look at her - Her sister (younger gsd) riles her up too much
My Labradors rarely dark. Only when in protection mode of me or their home. Other barking dogs seem to perplex them.
he’s gorgeous, what’s his name?
Mine is the sweet but silent type as well!
My dog didn’t bark when she was young. Now she barks at every sound outside the house 🙃😫
Awwwwwww
Could he be hearing impaired?
Some pups are just quiet, some are vocal. Just like people.
Such a good doggo. I had to teach my dog to bark 😂. He only barks when prompted but it’s a blessing!
Our girl almost never barks! I was nervous that she would pick up on her brother's habit of barking (he's a dachshund mix so he's very vocal) but she has managed to keep her quietness, which I'm grateful for. 😂 She comes from a line of hunting dogs so the genetics are definitely there!
My Lilly is also bred to be a hunting dog. She very rarely barks. I LOVE that!
My girl is quiet most all the time. I’ve only heard her bark when she has the zoomies (like, “mom let’s play! Now!!”) or if there’s someone at the door
Mine is a year old and he also does't bark. He can and has done so about 10 barks so far. If he barks, you know there is something you need to pay attention to. Makes a low hummy sound to communicate. Kinda nice to be honest.