Golden retrievers are one of the best dog breeds to keep as pets. They are calm and rarely show aggression, making them great animal companions to have in your home, even if you live in an apartment. They are easygoing dogs that get along with everyone. But do Golden Retrievers bark a lot? Let’s find out.
Do Golden Retrievers bark a lot? No, golden retrievers are moderately barking dogs and rarely bark a lot. Barking is a dog’s way of communicating, and if a golden retriever barks a lot, then there’s a good reason for it.
When a dog as docile and calm as a golden retriever starts barking, it should be a call for you to investigate. You need to find out why your dog is barking excessively and get rid of the cause so your pooch can calm down.
Let’s look at the reasons why your golden retriever might bark a lot and what you can do about it.
Why Golden Retrievers Bark
When you get a dog as a pet, you should expect your four-legged friend to bark. After all, it’s their way of communicating.
But you should not expect a lot of barking with a golden retriever as your pet. A golden retriever will not wake you up in the middle of the night. Even if you live in an apartment or you have neighbors close to your house, your pooch will never be so loud that they’ll start complaining.
Golden retrievers are excellent watchdogs and make awesome companions for children. In most cases, a golden retriever’s bark is a friendly one, like when you arrive home or when playing. If they start barking a lot, then there’s a good reason for doing so, and you should investigate.
So, a golden retriever might bark more frequently when excited, threatened, anxious, distressed, or to scare off a stranger.
Reasons Why Golden Retrievers Bark a Lot
The following is a breakdown of why your golden retriever might bark frequently.
Golden Retrievers Bark to Get Attention
Dogs use various ways of communication, especially when they want attention. Some dogs use their paws, politely bite, or nudge you to get you to notice them, while others use noises.
Golden retrievers use noise to get attention. The good thing about golden retrievers is that they are extremely smart and only bark when there’s a good reason for it.
Golden retriever puppies are quite good at barking to get attention. When interacting or playing, a golden retriever will bark when you look away, when you turn your head, or when you start doing something else when it wants your attention.
Adult golden retrievers also bark to get attention. The bark starts as a low bark but will get louder if you keep ignoring your pooch.
What to Do When a Golden Retrievers Keeps Barking to Get Attention
You need to step in and stop this barking before it becomes a nuisance for you, your family members, and your neighbors.
Don’t ignore your dog or wait for him to start barking to give him his daily attention. Juvenile and adult Golden Retrievers need attention on a daily basis. Give your dog enough attention, and you’ll not have a problem.
However, don’t interact with your dog immediately after it barks. Your golden retriever will think that the barking worked and will keep doing it to get your attention.
Wait for a few minutes after your dog stops barking before you give him attention. This way, you’ll not be reinforcing the behavior, and with time, your furry friend will know that barking doesn’t work.
Golden Retrievers Bark When Excited
Golden retrievers are quite excitable dogs and bark when excited. For example, a golden retriever will start barking when you’re about to embark on a walk, when playing, when it meets a new friendly dog, or when you return home.
A golden retriever’s excited bark is high-pitched and repetitive. Your pooch will also jump, run around, and wag his tail.
What to Do When a Goldie Barks a Lot When Excited
If your dog keeps barking and you see it as bad behavior, then you can get him to stop by ordering him to sit or to keep quiet. However, there’s no need to dull your dog’s sparkle when he’s excited because that’s their way of showing love.
Why would you order your furry friend to keep quiet or sit when he’s excited to see you? Let him have his moment, and you’ll have a good relationship with your pooch for many years.
Goldies Bark a Lot When Playing
Golden retrievers are energetic dogs that love playing. These dogs love playing with humans, other dogs, and even other house pets.
When the game becomes too intense, your dog will make high-pitched barks and then bow to you to continue playing.
What to Do When a Goldie Barks a Lot When Playing
Barking while playing shows that you’re not spending enough time with your furry friend. Just keep playing and dedicate more time to your dog, and the barking will subside.
Golden Retrievers Bark a Lot When Imitating Other Dogs
A golden retriever that spends time with other dogs that bark a lot will copy that behavior. The dog will bark at the sight or smell of another dog and will bark to let you know that another dog is close. A golden retriever might also start barking when it hears other dogs barking.
What You Need to Do
You’ll need to separate your pooch from dogs that bark a lot and reinforce the “quiet” command or any other command that gets him to stop barking.
Use the same tactic if it’s a reply to another dog’s bark.
Golden Retriever Barking Because of Separation Anxiety
Golden retrievers are not needy dogs, but if they are away from their owner for a long time, they will get separation anxiety. When a golden retriever has separation anxiety, it gets worried, panics, and eventually gets stressed.
Your dog will bark, whine, howl, and yelp when going through separation anxiety. It will also drool a lot, and develop destructive behaviors like chewing, digging, scratching, etc.
What to Do to Stop This Kind of Bark
Separation anxiety in dogs is not easy to control, and you’ll need to hire a professional dog behaviorist or trainer to fix it. Depending on the severity of the condition, your pooch might have to take medication.
Goldies Bark When Bored
A golden retriever is a social dog that needs constant human interaction. Therefore, you should never leave your golden retriever to its own devices all day. If you do this, your dog will bark a lot as a signal to you or anyone else to come and interact with him.
The Solution
Spend more time with your furry friend and get ideas for mentally stimulating games to play with your golden retriever.
If there’s no one at home during the day, consider enrolling your dog in a doggy daycare class or leaving him at your neighbor’s if the owners are fine with it.
Golden Retriever Barking Because of Pain
Dogs bark when in pain, but they also show other signs of pain like crying and limping.
What You Need to Do
You need to find out the cause of the pain. For example, if your golden retriever is drooling a lot, something might be lodged in his mouth, or it could be a dental issue.
If your dog is barking and limping, then something might have pricked his delicate paw, and you should get it out.
If you can’t find out the reason your dog is in pain, take it to the vet.
Golden Retrievers Bark Because of Hunger
Hunger might be the reason why your Golden Retriever is barking a lot. If your dog is used to a feeding routine, he will bark if you fail to feed him on time.
What You Can Do
Establish a feeding routine if your golden retriever starts barking a lot due to hunger and adhere to it to keep your dog happy and calm.
Golden Retrievers Bark a Lot When Frustrated
A frustrated golden retriever barks repeatedly and also growls to signal their frustration to their owner.
For example, when playing a game like hide and seek and your dog can’t find you, he will get frustrated. You’ll hear your dog barking and growling as a sign of frustration.
What You Need to Do
You need to intervene if your dog keeps barking and growling every time he’s frustrated. If you don’t control this type of barking, your dog can develop other destructive behaviors to signal his frustration, like chewing.
Use the ‘quiet’ command and find out why your dog is frustrated. This is not an issue when playing, but dogs can get frustrated for a number of reasons. Therefore, investigate to unearth the exact reason.
A Golden Retriever Barks a Lot When Scared
Sudden loud noises can make your golden retriever start barking a lot. This kind of bark is loud and repetitive, and it frequently follows an aggressive posture. A dog will either run away or become aggressive when scared, and being large dogs, golden retrievers rarely run scared.
The Solution
You’ll need to reassure your dog that everything is okay when he hears a loud noise or bang. Do this by holding your dog and giving him a few rubs. You can also divert his attention from the noise by initiating play.
Golden Retrievers Bark When Raising an Alarm
Golden retrievers are alert pet dogs and will bark when startled, excited, or when there’s a stranger approaching. This type of bark is sharp and sequential and should get you to act.
What You Should Do
You need to show your furry friend that you’re aware of the situation and then find out the cause. When you get to your dog, say something like “good boy” and give him a few rubs. Wait for the dog to calm down before giving him a treat.
If your pooch is barking while standing next to the door or the window, then there might be someone who’s about to knock on your door.
Don’t downplay this type of bark because it can turn into aggressive barking. This occurs when your golden retriever realizes that you don’t show up and he has to handle the situation. Your dog will become aggressive to scare off the intruder.
A Golden Retriever Barks as a Sign of Aggression
As you already know, Goldies are large dogs, and an aggressive bark from a dog this size is loud and scary. When barking because of aggression, a golden retriever stands on all fours, wags his tail, and stays focused on the thing it’s barking at. This bark is a warning to stay away.
What You Should Do
You need to investigate to find out why your dog is barking aggressively. If it’s not something serious, you need to get to your dog and reassure him by telling him “it’s okay.” You can also use any other command you’ve used in training to get the dog to stand down.
How to Train Your Golden Retriever to Stop Barking a Lot?
There are a few training methods that you can use to stop your golden retriever from barking a lot. They include:
- Introducing people or things that your dog has barked at before
- Teach your golden retriever commands to stop barking
- Teach your dog that there are times to bark, like when excited or playing. Remember, you don’t want to eliminate barking; just bring it under control.
- Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior. For instance, if your dog is barking to raise an alarm, get to your dog, investigate, give the ‘quiet’ command, and then a treat if he follows it.
- Socialize your dog to be comfortable around people and other dogs. This lets your Goldie know that he’s safe and there’s no need to bark.
Last Words
Dogs, including golden retrievers, bark for various reasons, as highlighted in this article. However, golden retrievers are relatively calm and don’t bark a lot, and there must be a good reason if they do.
You need to find out the reason your dog is barking before you act. Use the information in this article, and you’ll never have to complain that your golden retriever barks a lot.
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