Everyone has heard the horror stories of small yappy dogs.
And for some people who live in a townhouse or apartment, the fear of having a dog that barks constantly or that barks every time a bird lands on the balcony or someone walks past the door may be enough to put them off the delights of dog ownership completely.
But we are here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. Yes Virginia, small dogs that aren’t yappy do exist.
We have researched all the small dog breeds and come up with a list of the best small dogs that don’t make much noise.
Obviously, we can’t promise that dogs in these breeds will never bark. Barking is a way that dogs communicate with you and with each other.
A dog’s bark can be a way of saying hello, sounding a warning, expressing their excitement and happiness or annoyance and fear. So, even the quietest and most well-behaved apartment dog will bark at some point.
But there is a difference between the occasional, purposeful bark to let you know someone is at the door, and the constant high, pitched barking that makes your stress levels go through the roof, your head hurt, and your neighbors complain!
Some breeds of dog, and even some individuals in typically calm and quiet dog breeds can’t help themselves. They get so excited or stimulated by everything they hear or see that they bark and bark… and bark. They don’t seem to have an off switch.
But for all the breeds on our list, this type of barking behavior would be very unusual.
You might hear an occasional bark to let you know something out of the ordinary is happening, but once they have alerted you, they know their job is done and leave it up to you.
And we have included one dog on our list, the Basenji, that doesn’t bark at all.
Known as the barkless dogs of Africa, these playful pups are not the tiniest dogs on our list, but you won’t hear them bark. They might growl or even do a doggy yodel, but they won’t bark so they might be worth considering.
You can reduce any residual barking tendencies in your best friend by making sure they have lots of exercise to tire them out, lots of stimulation to keep them from getting bored, lots of training with positive reinforcement for non-barking behaviors and loads of love and attention!
But one of the easiest ways to give yourself a head start in enjoying a quiet and calm life with your pup, is to choose one of the small and quiet dog breeds on our list.