Quiet Small Dog

[indigirl]

small dogs tend to be noisy

so i guess if i lived in a townhouse id get an iggy

sighthounds dont make good watchdogs in general...i guess theyre independent nature kinda speaks to the world : take the jewels take the cash Mr Burglar but just dont take the sofa!

i have seen de-barked iggies so there must be the odd one who is a barker and their barking can be shrill but usually it is because theyre being picked on or theyre cold and want to come in

so go a sighthound...a small whippet or an italian

ROFL @ the couch comment soo true!

[corvus]

Corgis can definitely be vocal when excited.

[Gretel]

I have a boarding kennel so I get used to knowing which dogs I have to watch as far as barking as well as many other issues.

One smaller breed that never seems to be a problem - the little corgi - had quite a few stay with me over the years and they always seem to be quiet dogs who relax into the system and get on very well with other dogs.

Seems they have a bad name because of being at the Queens castle, but i love having them stay.

My parents have a corgi living nextdoor and he barks long and loud. When I was younger we had one nextdoor and he was a real barker too.

[t-time]

Good God! I can't believe that Google would even entertain the idea of a Kerry Blue being quiet! Really got to wonder about these searches sometimes!

Havanese are a generally quiet small breed extremely well-suited to apartment living.

That said - I have the noisiest Hav in the whole of Australia called Barki-Arki She doesn't like being crated when we are shows (particularly the Brisbane Royal) and barks like crazy when I arrive back home. She has a real big-dog bark so I don't find her bark to be as offensive as other small breeds which tend to yap. But she doesn't bark constantly and spends most of her time on the couch which is what you want in an apartment dog. She doesn't bark when I'm out.

I have around 10 dogs here atm and I can still manage to hold a half hour phone conversation without a single bark!

[Greytmate]

Maybe a pekingese would be a good choice. They can be quiet.

But honestly, if you need a quiet dog, why are you concentrating only on small breeds? You can tell where the small breeds are at a dog show, most of the noisiest dogs are the small dogs.

My dogs are extremely quiet, one barked once, yesterday morning for some reason, but aside from that, silent for the last week or so. All the little dogs I know tend to bark much more often than that.

[mita]

Tibetan Spaniel

All the tibbies (retired show dogs) we've owned have only barked when there's a reason. And thank god they did on several occasions....foiling a burglar entering the house, a thief trying to break into the car & drawing attention to a lost toddler on the road.

On the whole, tho', I'd never describe them as barkers. Very good at quickly summing up any person entering the yard. Giving a bark only to warn if it's a complete stranger. But quietening as soon as we speak to that person.

In fact, I picked the tibetan spaniel breed first, at the Brisbane Royal Show. Because among the small breeds, they sat calmly & quietly, despite all the squealing & yapping going on around them.

But I've also done the same with our tibs as I've done with all other dogs we've owned. Kept them from seeing the passing parade along the footpath.

Seems to vary with individual dogs, tho', as others have said. Because the tiny tibbie girl next door does bark more than ours....but she's allowed to see the busy passing parade on the footpaths around their corner house.

[Veanna]

My Havanese is very quiet. The only time she barks, is if someone is at the door, or there is something unusual going on (like when people were trying to break into our yard). She has never barked just for the sake of barking, a lovely change from our toy poodle who loved her voice

[jazawayaya]

Thanks so much for all your replies everyone very helpful.

I was already suspecting tibbie or iggie so will concentrate on them they are both adorable.

Regarding why am I only looking at small dogs.... I would love to get a big dog but space just doesnt permit unfortunitley

Also I am renting and feel it would be far easier to convice landlords with 2 tiny dogs then a big dog also more convenient in my small car. Amongst other reasons. I just have to loom at the long term.

Soooo what kind of cost do you think a breeder would charge for an older iggie or tibbie? (We were thinking of getting a retired breeding one or one that didnt go so good at showing) Just so I know what kind of money to gather up over the next couple of months.

[mita]

I was already suspecting tibbie or iggie so will concentrate on them they are both adorable.

Soooo what kind of cost do you think a breeder would charge for an older iggie or tibbie? (We were thinking of getting a retired breeding one or one that didnt go so good at showing) Just so I know what kind of money to gather up.

All our tibbies have been retired showdogs. All ex-Aus Chs (not that we cared if they hadn't got prizes in the ring!). The experienced & very honest breeder gave us a run-down on each tib's personality before we got them.

Each time, she was proven spot-on. So if you deal with a breeder like that, you'll already know what a dog is like, re barking etc. It'd be a good idea to stress to the breeders you speak to, that a strong inclination to barking is what you can't have in your circumstances.

And, as most of us have said, there will be differences among individual dogs.

As to price, it can vary. In our case, the breeder knew us well & wanted to retire her girls as pets here. We had to force her to take any money at all!

We've adopted our ex-show girls across a range of ages. Two were 8 years old....great, healthy but mellowed dogs. One was 3 yrs old & the other around 5 yrs of age. All settled in equally well. Tibs are a breed which age well. They can still look & act young well into their senior years. Like people (including vets) find it hard to believe our present 11 yr old girl is not years younger.

[MalteseLuna]

Now Maltese have a bad rap for being very noisy however I have found that mine is very quiet - she only barks (and very quietly) when there is something strange going on outside!

I made sure when I got her to discourage all barking/noisy behavior when she was young i.e. saying NO or ah ah ah or shhhhhht firmly - lots of praise for being quiet instead of barking.

I know that Shih's have a rep for being non-barkers also Pugs but my parents dogs do bark quite alot if allowed to be in the front yard (which is on a main road) otherwise they are generally quiet.

It depends on the dog and how they have been raised as much as the breed imo.

[mita]

Now Maltese have a bad rap for being very noisy however I have found that mine is very quiet - she only barks (and very quietly) when there is something strange going on outside!

I made sure when I got her to discourage all barking/noisy behavior when she was young i.e. saying NO or ah ah ah or shhhhhht firmly - lots of praise for being quiet instead of barking.

It depends on the dog and how they have been raised as much as the breed imo.

I agree with you, ML. There was a lovely, male p/b Maltese boy here, needing a new home because his elderly owner was going into care.

He was fostered with the experienced poodle rescue lady....who also loves tibbies. She said this Maltie boy was one of the most outstanding dogs she'd ever taken in. Not only was he gorgeous looking... but he was calm, quiet, sensible & loving.

A new home was found for him....with an experienced nurse who works in a nursing home & where this lovely Malt boy was welcome to come to work with her every day. His qualities made him perfect for a role like that....

[cm64]

Irish Terriers are quite but not really small.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Lhaso Apso cross will bark all day at the lizard or cat next door.

Bedlington Terrier only bark when guests arrive. Same with the Cav KCS

English Cocker Spaniel - bark a lot. I do think it depends on how they're socialised though. The one that comes to agility training doesn't bark much if at all. Unlike some of the other dogs.

I also know some Shih Tzu cross that bark at everything that walks by their house, but not when they're out for a walk.

I go past a house that has an Italian Greyhound and never heard it bark. Unlike the SBT and the SWF either side. Iggy won't even bark when the gate is open and an ACDx wants to play.

[ESCS]

Our Tibbie does bark when other dogs walk past the house but he is otherwise quiet unless the possums sit and tease him by being just out of reach. I need to do what Mita has suggested which is to block off his vision completely to the street. He doesn't bark at people so I am hoping that if we ever get burgled, the burglar will bring a dog with him/her!

[Skitch]

I second the fact that iggies are generally quiet . I have a young iggy boy who doesn't make much noise at all and when he does it's only imitating our older bigger dog lol. They have a pretty pathetic bark.. I guess they're not too proud of it . They're great little dogs in general.. I'd love to have a whole tribe of them! The only thing I can fault them on is toilet training.. they can be a bit stubborn about it.. not to say they are impossible to train, just notoriously difficult! Mine is almost there.. he's slowly getting better lol.

[CBL]

My iggy barks if there is something to bark at - he won't usually bark at people walking past the front of the house but he will bark at the possum visiting in the backyard or at the neighbours if he sees them hanging their clothes on the line (that overlooks our yard). Still, it isn't a yap - I think he has quite a deep bark for a small dog. He is quite 'talkative' though. He will whinge if he wants something, wants to play with the greyhounds or is cold and wants to get covered up of a night.

re toilet training - I actually didn't find Oscar particularly difficult - yes he had accidents but all puppies do. When it was raining was when it was most challenging, he doesn't like getting wet and still looks at me pathetically if it is raining and he needs to go.

[Skitch]

Wish I had your luck with toilet training, CBL.. . Boomer is pretty good now.. although he still wont ask to go out.. if the door isn't open he'll just find a quiet corner and go . We'll have to keep trying!

[julesluvscavs]

Our Cav only barks when excited, she never barks any other time . This could be because the GSD barks enough for both of them

Mine are certainly no angels (but I do put most of the blame on us spoiling them too much) :D

They mostly yap when we get visitors, or there's certain birds in the sky, or when they get over excited eg when I come home from being out..

Some Cavs I have known are fairly quiet, others are very yappy. I guess a lot of it depends on if you nip it in the bud early on !

I do my best to correct them at the time.

All the best with your search jazawayaya

Edited June 28, 2010 by Jules♥Cavs

[CBL]

Wish I had your luck with toilet training, CBL.. . Boomer is pretty good now.. although he still wont ask to go out.. if the door isn't open he'll just find a quiet corner and go . We'll have to keep trying!

dogmad wrote a great piece on toilet training. Its on the iggy rescue website :D

Oscar now taps the door when he wants to go out He just learned that by himself.

[mita]

Our Tibbie does bark when other dogs walk past the house but he is otherwise quiet unless the possums sit and tease him by being just out of reach. I need to do what Mita has suggested which is to block off his vision completely to the street. He doesn't bark at people so I am hoping that if we ever get burgled, the burglar will bring a dog with him/her!

ESCS, at least burglars accompanied by dogs, will now know to avoid your house.

When our 2 Tibbies alerted me there was a burglar coming in the back deck, they didn't so much bark as give that loud, deep growl which shows when a dog scents real danger. And means business. They were right!

They're tolerant of the possums.....they just seem to think they're another version of Sarah the cat. But Tibbie, Lily next door (who we think is a Kissing Cousin of your boy) tells them to 'Go!'.