Hi I got a 7 year old dog from a rescue centre i have had her a week now and she has never barked or so much as whined. she truly is silent and im a bit concerned, she enjoys a walk and is very friendly with us and strangers do you think she is depressed and what can i do to help here

valinors_sorrow

Some breeds bark more than others. If there is no other indication of a problem, I would not call this cause to be concerned. And it may be that she is very trained too - have you tried offering a treat? I had a Chinese Shar Pei who barked less than a dozen times in his life - he just was all about body language ha ha! Congrats on rescuing a precious life and enjoy getting to know your new dog.

J_9

I would not think this to be a concern. I have a lab/doberman mix, she is 3 years old, and she has rarely barked, and on those occassions it wa because we were trying to get her to bark. She is wonderful with the kids and very playful. The vet told me, just as Val said, some breeds bark more than others. Also, she is just a non-verbal dog, just like we have some non-verbal people.

Thanks for rescuing a pup, you did a great thing.

bluejeansmama

My mother-in-law adopted a dog today from a local animal welfare society shelter. As of this moment the very happy dog has not barked. Rumor has it that spraying water at it for barking was an obedience technique used. Could this be the same in your case? Does anyone know if a dog will desensitize itself from this technique?