Nobody wants their dog to be that dog in the neighborhood or apartment building. You know, the dog that’s barking all day, or the dog that barks late at night… Naturally, we don’t want our neighbors coming and knocking on our door to complain about our dog’s noise. Everyone deserves a decent night’s sleep and also a day without non-stop barking.
So, if you’re someone who’s looking for a list of quiet dog breeds, then you should read this post from start to finish! We’ll point you in the right direction and give you a rundown of what we think are the five best of the quieter dog breeds.
List of 5 Best Quiet Dog Breeds
Pug
Temperament: Affectionate, Clever, Sociable, Stubborn, Calm, Mischievous, Playful
Shedding Level: Moderate to High
Grooming Frequency: Bi-weekly or monthly
Drooling Level: Quite Low
Life Expectancy: 13 to 15 years average
Height: 10 to 13 inches usually
Weight: 14 to 18+ pounds- don’t let your little guy get too heavy!
Due to their popularity, most people who know dogs are more than familiar with Pugs. Pugs are now being bred all across the world and they’re widely known for their expressive faces and excellent companionship. They are quite adaptable, and they do understand commands to keep quiet. For this reason, they make an excellent dog breed when living in an apartment or neighborhood. Pugs are rarely barky, loud dogs, so you can expect there won’t be a lot of noise from them. Just get ready for a couch companion, since this breed is a certified lap dog. Perhaps the only time you will hear them barking out loud is when they feel extremely threatened or when they’re super, super hungry.
Great Dane
Temperament: Reserved, Gentle, Devoted, Friendly, Patient, Dependable
Shedding Level: Moderate
Grooming Frequency: Monthly
Drooling Level: Moderate to Slobber-fest
Life Expectancy: 7 to 10 years on average
Height: 28 to 32+ inches tall
Weight: 110 to 175+ pounds, these are big dogs!
As mentioned elsewhere on this site, Great Danes are also known as “Gentle Giants” in the dog world. Despite being known as the world’s largest dog breed, this breed really lives up to their nickname. By nature they’re calm and quiet, and they aren’t aggressive toward people. It’s pretty rare for Great Danes to bark, but when they do the pictures might shake off the walls! Aside from the rare bark, you’ll likely hear your Great Dane knocking things over since they’re such a big dog- especially if your living situation has restricted space. This breed can be a bit clumsy and can end up bumping into kitchen tables or nearly any furniture. For the same reason, don’t leave them unsupervised when they’re playing with small children as they can easily knock kids down by accident. In the overall, they’re kind-natured and that’s one of the most important parts of having a dog around!
Bernese Mountain Dog
Temperament: Faithful, Loyal, Intelligent, Affectionate, Good-natured, Calm, Strong
Shedding Level: High
Grooming Frequency: Bi-weekly, aka pretty often!
Drooling Level: Moderate, not bad.
Life Expectancy: 7 to 10 years usually
Height: 23 to 27+ inches
Weight: 70 to 115+ pounds
Bernese Mountain Dogs first made an appearance on the farmlands of Switzerland where they’re mostly known as “Berner Sennenhund.” Despite being grouped in the large-sized dog breeds, they make excellent family dogs, owing to their calm and friendly dispositions. They’re also widely known for being one of the breeds that doesn’t bark very much. Even with strangers in front of them, instead of barking at them, they’d rather remain distant and keep quiet. In any case, Bernese Mountain Dogs are very eager to please and would love to play most of the time. They have high energy levels and if you can’t match their energy, you’re going to be in trouble since they can be a handful. They’re relatively easy to train with their level of intelligence and eagerness to please their owner. However, keep in mind that this breed sometimes tends to play favorites, so as a family dog they might only get attached to a single member of your family.
Greyhound
Temperament: Even-tempered, Quiet, Gentle, Intelligent, Athletic, Independent
Shedding Level: Low to Moderate
Grooming Frequency: Monthly, they don’t shed much
Drooling Level: Low
Life Expectancy: 10 to 13+ years
Height: 27 to 30 inches usually
Weight: 60 to 70+ pounds
Greyhounds are famously known for dog racing. They’re also known for being great silent hunters of small game animals. This being the case, they’re definitely one of the quieter dog breeds out there. While they don’t bark too much at people and animals outdoors, Greyhounds can be a quiet dog indoors as well. That being said, they also make excellent apartment dwellers and don’t need too much training at all to keep quiet behind closed doors. In any case, Greyhounds can sometimes be independent, but they have a gentle nature and sweet temperament. It’s also worth mentioning that they tend to get shy around strangers, so early socialization is a must for this breed’s development.
Chinese Shar-Pei
Temperament: Independent, Reserved, Devoted, Affectionate, Calm
Shedding Level: Moderate
Grooming Frequency: Monthly
Drooling Level: Moderate
Life Expectancy: 8 to 12+ years
Height: 18 to 20 inches on average
Weight: 45 to 60 pounds usually
Chinese Shar-Peis are best known for their wrinkly appearance. They deserve a spot in this list since they’re among the dog breeds that don’t bark too often by nature. It is a rare case for Chinese Shar-Peis to bark. They usually only bark if there’s a commotion or something feels wrong. They’re usually composed and docile around their family, but being around strangers is a different story. They’re likely to act suspicious initially and will keep a distance away from new people. That being said, Chinese Shar-Peis can be very devoted and protective of their loved ones. Even so, you can expect a peaceful, harmonious life alongside them at home, even if you’re living in an apartment. They can have be a bit stubborn here and there due to their strong spirit and independent nature. Their parental heritage is being a natural guardian, so early socialization is recommended for this breed to keep them well-balanced.
A Piece of Advice
There’s no such thing as a “bark-free” dog. Dogs are going to bark, and that’s just a fact of life. But these breeds are some of the quietest around.
For your dog, there are actually a number of effective ways that you can get your dog to stop barking. For a start, check their surroundings if there’s anything in particular that stimulates their barking. You can also teach your dog some ‘silence’ commands; however it doesn’t come easy to be taught since you’ll need your dog barking to successfully instill it in them. Moreover, since barking is perhaps the easiest way for them to communicate, try to understand why they should have the need to do it. Chances are you will be able to find out the reason your dog starts barking. Lastly, do not react to their barking every time, as it may only encourage them to bark even more.
