How odd is this? My dog is 10 mos. old and has never barked

[hopein08]

Seriously, this is true. Everybody is constantly asking me if she barked yet and assuring me that she will. She's a beagle, so I don't mind her being quiet. But I have no clue. She only really makes noise while she's asleep, she's almost barked out loud while sleeping. The closest she's come (awake, that is) to barking is on Friday when a telephone repairman was outside and she saw him out the window and raced up the stairs to sit on the landing and growl and make cute poofing sounds. But no bark. I'm not really worried about, I just thought I'd share on odd tidbit. But has anybody else had anything like this?

These are pics of her from October or so...I haven't got around to uploading Christmas pics & stuff...bad cute puppy owner, I know!

[S n o w b a l l]

1. That is odd for a beagle...

My sister has one and they had to buy a collar for her barking. You could hear her hound dog bark all across the neighborhood. As long as she's ok, I'd be grateful she didn't. She sounds adorable.

[hopein08]

3. Our vet said that she'd bark when she had something to bark about...

so she's okay in his opinion. But I know what you mean about the hound dog bark, I had a beagle from 1995 to last March ('06) who was very vocal. Whenever she started barking outside we'd go out and bring her in so it didn't disturb the whole neighborhood.

But she is adorable, when she was being a brave girl and growling from up the stairs she was also shaking like a leaf. She's really quite the scareddy (sp?) cat. But she was the runt of the little so maybe that explains the timidness and quietness.

[zanne]

22. She has nothing to bark (complain) about.

You'll probably look back on this period of her life longingly once she finally does start barking.

[JoDog]

25. You're vet's probably right

When we first adopted my late beagle/basset mix, he didn't bark for weeks. Whimpered, made the "poofing" sounds you mentioned, and even had a kind of squeak! We thought their was something wrong with him. Then one glorious spring day, he caught the scent of a rabbit--and he was off, barking and howling after his prey.

We later figured out that he was trained to be a hunting dog, and part of that training was to reserve certain noises for when he was on scent. He also had a distinctive "O! O! O!" sound. In one hilarious instance when he was on a scent and barking, a woman who lived in a house next to the park we were in came out and demanded to know what was wrong with my dog. She thought his howl sounded like a wounded animal, or like a dog ran over in the street! After I showed her that Joe was in perfect health, she blushed and we both laughed.

I'm sure once she finds something really interesting, she will find her voice and speak up. Until then, enjoy the relative quiet.

[skygazer]

2. I love Beagles

They are just the world's cutest dogs. Has she ever caught a scent? That amazes me that she hasn't barked, not that I'd be worried about it either. It's just unusual for a hound.

And where's the obligatory photo?

[hopein08]

4. I added photos to the original...can't believe I forgot!

:hide::hide:
Caught a scent? We don't hunt with her, if that's what you mean. But we have a fenced yard so the only thing she can chase are the pigeons and little brown birds that the neighbor feeds everyday, she really hates it when they get in her yard! Perhaps the oddest thing is that there are two dogs (a miniature pug type dog and a furry little terrier type) in one of the yards that touch ours and those two dogs yap and yap constantly when my pup (Lucy, is her name) is out and she's never even made a noise back at them!

[skygazer]

10. You don't have to hunt them for them to recognize a scent

If your yard is fenced, she's probably never caught a good scent of a rabbit or squirrel or something interesting like that - I don't think Beagles notice bird scents so much. But when they pick up an exciting smell, they tend to sing out!

Lucy's a cute name for a Beagle.

[Orrex]

5. That's no beagle--it's a dingo!

I've seen beagles aplenty, and yours looks nothing like a WWI Flying Ace.

Peddle your "I've got a dingo" stories elsewhere!

[Roon]

6. My cousin had a beagle puppy that howled and barked

someone stole him from his backyard and returned him two days later..LOL...The barking was too much for the thief.

[yewberry]

7. Hee hee heee....

Sometimes, even for beagles, barking is a learned behavior.

My little guy, Moby, never did the leg-lifting thing until he saw other dogs doing it. He learned quickly.

Your cutie will probably either pick it up from another dog, or (more likely) will see something that gets her really excited and just bark (BARR! BARR!!) and she'll be so pleased with herself that she'll keep doing it.

Enjoy it while you can!

[Goblinmonger]

8. I loves me the beagles

If I were ever in the position to have another pet, that would be the one. Had one as a kid and she was absolutely wonderful. She was run over by a snowmobile when I was in high school. Sigh.

[Lisa0825]

9. I had to teach my collie to bark.

She hadn't barked by the time she was 5 months old. She would come close at times, when we were playing rough, but didn't seem to know how to follow through. So, one day, we were playing, and she was growling and cutting off right beofre the bark, I started barking at her. After a few halfway attempts, and my continued barks, she finally barked at me!LOL! I think she just didn't learn before we took her from her litter.

[Yavin4]

11. Maybe There's Nothing to Bark About

Just a mellow dog.

[Godhumor]

12. I have a silent kitten

She doesn't have anything to say, so she doesn't--only purrs when she's happy. The only times she has ever meowed has been riding to the vet or trapped in her kitty carrier, otherwise she's mute.

The vet says it's just her personality(catinality?), and that animals, like humans, can be everything from boisterous to introverted. Sounds like your vet is saying pretty much the same thing.

[philosophie_en_rose]

13. Is she an only dog?

One of my dogs grew up in a puppy mill cage, so he never learned to speak dog until encountering our two barkettes.

His bark is the weirdest bark I've ever heard. It sound like a cat howling - if you can imagine that.

[hopein08]

30. I can imagine that!

Cat noises from a dog, I mean. Right after we got her she started making cat meowing noises when she was in her crate! It was so weird. That's part of the reason we don't mind calling her a scarredy-cat. She also pounced on her toys like a cat would instead of attacking them in a dog style.

But she is an only dog in our house. Including her, there were four puppies in her litter and it wasn't a puppy mill, just a family who had two beagles who mated. And the owners would not let any of the puppies be adopted until they were eight weeks. My grandmother has the theory that maybe, being the runt, she was with the litter and her parents too long and they taught her to be quiet.

But I thought that our barkette neighbor dogs would get her started but nothing so far.

[xchrom]

14. the epitome of doggy loveliness!

never worry -- she'll bark -- oh yes she will.

she's a beagle -- and one day she'll set to baying and you'll wonder why you ever wondered.

[murielm99]

15. We had a Lab like that.

We got her from some tenants who neglected her. She was beautiful and gentle. They kept her tied up outside all the time.

She loved my husband, because he was the only one who took care of her. Eventually, she came to love everyone in the family.

We got her when she was a year old. She did not bark until a whole year later, when she cornered a badger near the house. It was just one bark, but we all came running.

After that, she would find something to bark at every few months. We always told her what a good dog she was.

Our current dog barks at everything, including sleet and her own farts.

[skygazer]

17. "...and her own farts."

:spray:

I had a dog who always used to whip his head around in surprise when he farted, like he thought something was sneaking up on him.

Oh, hell, must clean tea off monitor now.

[murielm99]

24. That's what she does.

She whips her head around in surprise, barks, sniffs, then barks some more.

I am trying to get my husband to stop feeding her junk.

[marzipanni]

40. Have you seen this YouTube ?

The dog is aggressive toward his own rear foot which he fears is trying to steal his bone. :crazy:
(originally on Funniest Home Videos)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEmyBCccj5Y

[KurtNYC]

16. Could she be deaf?

If the neighbors dogs bark and she doesn't, perhaps it is because she doesn't hear them. Deafness runs high in certain breeds. Around 12% of Dalmatians are deaf and they don't react to noises because they don't hear them. Not sure about other breeds but the ears are that last thing to work on pups -- usually 2 to 3 weeks after birth.

Stories from owners here:
http://www.deafdogsatlas.com/profile/bioIN.html

[hopein08]

32. Nope, she's not deaf

She comes when she's called, gets scared by loud noises, listens to the television, and once she gets a squeaker in her mouth it would take the jaws of life to get it out of her mouth.

[seemunkee]

18. Our IG didn't make a sound until she was over a year.

But that is a little bit odd for a beagle.

[azmouse]

19. My parents had a Lhasa Apso that didn't bark much.

We wondered during her first year if she even could.

The first time she did bark she scared herself. We could see her jump. Poor baby! She was a sweet dog.

[mentalsolstice]

20. Sneak her into a hotel that doesn't allow pets

It works like a charm every time.

[OllieLotte]

21. Count Your Blessings.

I have a 5 year old longhair dachshund. Never heard a thing from her for 6 months. I remember the day my wife called me to the window to watch her bark for the first time. "Look isn't that cute"? She has a barrel for a chest (sounds like a really big dog) and hasn't shut up since.

[Deep13]

23. Is she deaf?

[liontamer]

39. don't know that that would matter

I know deaf dogs that bark. It's not the same as human speech.

[Parche]

26. Dog

Sounds like a ruff situation

[SammyWinstonJack]

27. I'll trade ya. I have a pomeranian who NEVER shuts up.

:rofl: Just kidding of course, on the trading part, serious about her constant barking though. Cute pup, btw.

[ThomCat]

28. I had a cat that never meowed, not once in 18 years.

When he tried, it came out as a quiet "ack." he was a fierce hunter and a loveable mush though. There was nothing wrong with him. He just didn't speak.

[NewWaveChick1981]

29. Maybe she just barks when you're not listening...

...Some dogs do that on purpose. :rofl: :hi: My dogs, however, do NOT have this problem. :yoiks: They're as loud as can be!

Seriously, I had a dog, a Lab/Boston Terrier mix, who didn't bark until after about six months with us. She'd been a shelter dog, and I don't know what her prior history was, but once she found her voice, she loved using it. :P

[BluePatriot]

31. Hm.

My grandparents had a dog with the issues you describe, and she wound up having some kind of throat problem. But if your vet has checked her out, maybe she is just a quiet dog. *shrug* We have a beagle and she has never been much of a barker...just a howler and growler.

[Javaman]

33. Einstein didn't talk until he was five, so I wouldn't worry. nt

[HoneyBee]

34. My dog is a year and a half and doesn't bark.

She whines, she cries but she does NOT bark. Once in a while, while playing, she'll ALMOST muster one up... but it's pretty pathetic, really.

[hopein08]

38. Mine cries too...what kind of dog is yours?

If you don't mind my asking, of course.

And I see that you've only got 24 posts here on DU so I must say...

Welcome to DU!!!:hi: :hi:

[InvisibleTouch]

35. My Pomeranian didn't bark for probably about a year.

And Poms are yappers by nature. But his breeder had taught his mom not to bark in the house, so he never learned it. I got him at 8 or 10 weeks. Eventually he did start barking, sometimes excessively, but it took a while. Now at 16, he still barks when he wants something, but not to sound an alarm over something he sees or hears. It's my 1-year-old sighthound who does that these days - and this is supposed to be a quiet breed! Goes to show you they don't always read the book.

Your pup is adorable, btw. :)

[uppityperson]

36. I had a non-barking dog once. Didn't realize it until 1 day I stepped on a paw by mistake

He let out a "woof" and got so excited, bouncing around like an insane dog. It took him a while, but eventually he figured out how to do it again. He was a smart dog also, tried to teach him to "speak" on command. He would open and shut his mouth like crazy but not make any noise. I'd demonstrate and he'd try and try and finally would figure out how to bark. Your beagle is a cutie. aroooOOOo

[Taverner]

37. Hmmm...the pup has already found a state of zen

Nirvana for dogs

[Throckmorton]

41. My dog has got no nose.

No Nose, but how does he smell?

Awful when he is wet.