Do puppies learn how to bark from other dogs?

[Rachael x]

I always thought barking came naturally to dogs but Poppy has made me think different.
Some people seem to think that yorkies are 'yappy' dogs.. when I mention I have a yorkie people will ask if she has the common high pitched yappy bark which most yorkies seem to have.
The answer is... no.
Poppy's parents bark A LOT, it is quite a high pitched "yap yap yap!" sound but Poppy does not have this.
She came to me at 6 weeks old and I have a 13 year old shnauzer cross called Jess.
Poppy barks exactly like like Jess, it sort of goes like this:
"mmmmmmmm BUFF!" LMAO
Honestly it the exact same bark which Jess does, both or them go
"mmmmmmmm BUFF!" over and over, but neither of them bark often.
They will only bark when the postman comes or if they see a naughty cat walk past the house so not often at all.
But I just find it so funny because the bark is quite deep and you would never think it was coming from such a small dog, its nothing like her parents bark at all.
Has anyone experienced this?

[yorkieusa]

Good question. A lone puppy will learn to bark all by itself though. Perhaps she's copying. They are very good at copying one another or even you!

[Britster]

Dogs definitely copy!

I was at the dog park about 2 months ago and there was a Pug/Beagle cross doing the typical Beagle howling. Jackson was staring at him, turning his head, trying to figure it out. And all the sudden... Jackson lifted his head back and let out a big HOWWWLLL! It was ssoooo funny and it sounded identical to the Puggle's. He hasn't done it since, after MY many tries of howling at my dog.

[Cherie6446]

Zoey can certainly do the yap, yap but mostly she makes a low pitched wooof sound.

[QuickSilver]

Britster, do you want Jackson to howl?? I so want to figure out how to get Thor to do this.

I read that most dogs respond to a harmonica. I haven't tried that though.

[Lou]

I think they do both.
They bark because they are dogs and it comes naturally. They also pick up cues from other dogs.

Our little shih tzu and Adie didn't bark a lot until Skeeter joined the household and he is an alarmist. The others start barking when he does.

I was just thinking about my childhood pet, a Boston terrier. We went to pick him out before his eyes were even open. The breeder told us that he was feisty and started messing with his face. In response he actually started growling and pawing at her finger. She said he was playing already. (Is that possible?)

He did turn out to be a tireless (and often grumpy) playful family pet!

[Rachael x]

Jess will howl if you ask her if she wants to go "walkies".
Poppy has done it a few times when she was younger, but she hasnt done it since she was around 10 weeks old or something like that.

[deonk1]

For a long time the only noise Harley would make is a growl and a whimper he didn't bark until he started hanging around other dogs.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by Britster

Dogs definitely copy!

I was at the dog park about 2 months ago and there was a Pug/Beagle cross doing the typical Beagle howling. Jackson was staring at him, turning his head, trying to figure it out. And all the sudden... Jackson lifted his head back and let out a big HOWWWLLL! It was ssoooo funny and it sounded identical to the Puggle's. He hasn't done it since, after MY many tries of howling at my dog.

My Chachi did that too. The first time he howled he did it after hearing Presley the dog accross the street doing it. It was so cute

[YorkieZoo]

Our little boy Houston was raised with two cats and didn't bark for months.

Then New Year's came along and I blew one of the horns on NYD. He started a gurgled sounding howl.

Been barking ever since.

[Sammy Mommy]

I think they copy from other dogs. My dog didn't bark alot when he was a baby so I would say to him Sammy bark - and I would say Woof - then he would start to bark. My friend had a malamute that would sing with everyone whenever we would sing Happy Birthday!!

[AMD]

Mine sure did.
Before Shimmer we had our lab and she barks at the doorbell, etc. Shimmer NEVER barked for several months...I sometimes wondered if she knew how LOL but now she knows to bark along with the lab but does quit when told.

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Britster, do you want Jackson to howl?? I so want to figure out how to get Thor to do this.

I read that most dogs respond to a harmonica. I haven't tried that though.

When I was in school, I "played" a clarinet and my poor lil one howled up a storm with every squeak! Poor lil doggie! So, get a clarinet! Every siren that goes by causes Kacee to howl.

[Tabbysmother]

Tabby yaps. ALthough I'd call it a more aggressive yap than others I've heard. There's a bite to it. (no pun... I've heard other yorkies do the yap and it's not as sharp as hers. She did it day one. Well, OK, day two or three maybe.

The sis' doxie didn't bark much at all until the neighbors got a great dane. He definitely learned to bark based on what other dogs did. Tabby actually taught him to be a watchdog - he could have cared less if someone came to the door, but after one visit with her "cousin," he was barking at any noises around the house.

[Saeka]

I agree with them doing it naturally and picking up different types of barks from other doggies.

Rhia only barks at people walking past the apartment if I have my window open, which isn't often. That type of bark is a "mmmmruff! mmmruff!" and then she'll howl. Her howling is short, but cute. >_> I know, I know I shouldn't approve of it. :P However, if she sees one of my parents cats she yips and yaps and wants to play. That's her playtime bark. Her other playtime bark is the sneezewoof. It's a cross between her sneezing and ruffing at me. It's cute.