Some dogs are famous for noisy or frequent vocalisations – these are the loudest dog breeds – while others, like the basenji, almost never bark. A vocal breed is handy if you’re looking for one of the best farm dogs to round up and guard livestock, maybe not if you’re on the hunt for one of the best dogs for apartments.
The loudest dog breeds come in two categories: those that love the sound of their own voice and yap almost incessantly; and those that have a booming bark with an impressive decibel level. And it’s not always the large breeds making all the noise – it can be the smallest dogs who shout loudest.
A big bark doesn’t necessarily tally with an aggressive dog – for instance, the Japanese Tosa, which is banned in many countries due to its origins as a fighting breed, fights in silence. It’s typically the watchful pastoral types, the busy-body terrier breeds, and the hound breeds that hunt in packs that tend to be the most vocal.
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Let’s take a look at some of the biggest barkers of the canine world. We’ve compiled our list by hunting down some stats to back up our stance, such as decibel recordings or studies logging how frequently a dog barks.
Top 10 loudest dog breeds
1. Golden retriever
As a gundog breed, the golden retriever has been developed never to bark in the shooting field, where it can be a distraction. However, it can be useful in their role as search and rescue dogs.
And when they do bark, it’s powerful. The Guinness World Records note a golden retriever named Charlie as recording the loudest of all breeds at 113 decibels.
2. German Shepherd
This versatile working breed has a deep, resonant bark that is very effective in their roles as the best service dogs for the police, military, and security. In fact, the German Shepherd previously held the record for the loudest bark. In 2009, a dog called Daz from Essex, UK, set a new record with an earsplitting 108 decibels.
As a pastoral breed, German Shepherds were bred as guardians of the flock and expected to use this intimidating bark to raise the alarm and scare away intruders or predators.
3. Doberman Pinscher
Doberman Pinschers have long been bred as one of the best guard dogs, and as such they are blessed with a loud and intimidating bark that can be heard from far away. In fact, a YouTuber called Joey Ferris unofficially recorded his Doberman’s bark at an incredible 128.7 decibels, which is almost on par with a fighter jet takeoff!
They are impressively powerful protection dogs, using their bark to warn intruders, and having the imposing presence to back it up.
4. Siberian Husky
One reason to love Siberian Huskies is that they don’t so much bark as vocalize, but they do plenty of the latter. As a working pack animal, they use their full vocal range to up to around 90 decibels to express themselves and to communicate, often over long distances.
Huskies tend to prefer howling or whining over barking, but they can make an impressive amount of noise in their efforts to ensure they are heard and understood.
5. Beagle
Beagles are known to be noisy dogs, like many natural pack animals. It’s their method of communication, and in common with other hounds, they often make more of a baying sound that can reach up to 100 decibels. Even though you may not need your beagle to track or hunt, it’s part of his instinctual ancestral training to emit howls and barks as he tries to convey something to you.
6. Australian Shepherd
Like most herding dogs, the Australian Shepherd is prone to barking. They are easily visually stimulated, natural watchdogs, and can resort to testing out the range of their vocal cords when they are either bored or lonely (and they need plenty of activity to tire them out). Give them abundant exercise, though, and you may keep that bark at bay.
A study by Yin and McCowan (2004) showed that Aussies are frequent barkers. An Aussie called Farley represented 11% of the total barks recorded from 10 dogs. That said, another Aussie in the study called Luke only represented 5%, which shows how influential personality is!
7. German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is another gundog breed that must be quiet when working, but they certainly love to let loose in their downtime! We couldn’t find a precise amplitude recording for a GSP bark, but according to Yin & McCowan, a GSP called Mac vocalised the second most frequently. His barks made up 16% of all barks recorded over the 10 canine participants!
8. Dachshund
These little hunting dogs are bred to be chasers, diggers, and barkers, and this tenacious spirit has not left them despite the lack of badger to pursue in your home. The dachshund has a unique bark, which is somehow both high-pitched and exceptionally loud, and they are notorious for using it all the time. In Yin & McCowan, a Dachshund called Friedrich’s barks represented 11% of the total recorded across 10 dogs.
9. Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute might not be strictly categorized as a big barker, but they are vocal and will express themselves through howling, and a sort of singing sound said to reach up to 110 decibels. They have a tendency to reactive barking, especially at strangers, but typically their vocalizing is a form of expression.
10. English Springer Spaniel
Another representative from the gundog world, English Springer Spaniels might not strike you as one of the loudest dog breeds. However, as a high energy dog, all that excitement has to go somewhere and, though they are trained to be quiet on the hunting field, they let it all out in other areas of life such as when at play or alerting their families to a disturbance.
In fact, a Springer called Louie was the most frequently vocal dog in Yin & McCowan. He represented 17% of the total barks recorded from 10 dogs!
Read next: How to stop excessive barking
Edited by Georgia Guerin.
