Are you thinking about getting a Boston Terrier, or are you looking to learn more to take better care of the one you already have? Great! You have come to the right place. If you don’t have a Boston Terrier already then, you might have asked yourself this: Do Boston Terriers bark a lot?
Barking can be an issue if you live in an apartment, for example. and it is one of the things you should know about a dog breed before you decide to bring one into your home. Are Boston Terriers barkers? Let’s find out!
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Do Boston Terriers Bark A Lot?
Boston Terriers are, in fact, one of the dog breeds that are known for barking less than most dog breeds. They do bark, and they can bark but are rarely the kind of dogs to bark excessively.
When you hear the word “terrier,” it is easy to associate it with avid barkers. Many terrier breeds bark almost all the time; they bark when they play, they bark when they’re happy, when they want something, when a stranger approaches the house, or when they are left alone. Boston Terriers tend to be the exception.
How Much Do Boston Terriers Bark?
It is important to remember that each and every Boston Terrier is an individual, and we can only speak for the breed in general. Some Boston Terriers may bark more, but most tend to bark only when they feel threatened, if they suffer from separation anxiety or when playing.
Another great thing about the Boston Terrier is that their bark is rarely the kind that hurts your ears, and it tends to be lower and more muffled than the bark of many other dog breeds. They certainly do not have that shrill and high-pitch bark of many other terrier breeds.
How Come Boston Terriers Bark Less than Other Terriers?
Before we go any further into Boston Terriers and their barking habits – let’s look at why Boston Terriers don’t usually bark as much as other terriers. Terriers are generally known for their barking, but for some reason, Boston Terriers are not.
Boston Terriers bark when it is needed or justified, but not excessively like many of the terrier breeds we are used to hearing about.
The simple explanation is in the Boston Terrier’s background. Unlike other breeds, the Boston Terrier was not bred to be a working dog. Working dogs tend to be high energy and require plenty of physical and mental exercise, and many terriers don’t receive the exercise they need.
Lack of exercise and mental stimulation can lead to a terrier that looks for other outlets, such as barking. Now, for a breed like the Boston Terrier that wasn’t bred to be a working dog, the need for exercise tends to be lower.
The Boston Terrier, being a non-working breed, has a temperament that is almost entirely different from that of other terriers. Did you know, for example, that this actually caused the AKC to classify the breed differently and not in the terrier group?
You probably won’t find a Boston Terrier that doesn’t bark at all, but you have the odds in your favor if you are looking for a dog that barks less.
Why Does Your Boston Terrier Bark So Much?
So what if you are reading this, and yet your Boston Terrier barks uninterruptedly all day long? Just because the breed doesn’t tend to be a barker, it doesn’t mean that some individual dogs can’t be excessive barkers. Some dogs are just born a little different, but there could also be a reason for your Boston Terrier’s barking.
If you have a barker on your hands, the following are a few of the reasons why your Boston Terrier could be barking. It is recommended that you reach out to a dog trainer or a canine behaviorist if you feel unable to control the barking yourself, so they can help you determine the cause of the behavior.
Once you determine why your Boston Terrier barks so much, and especially since it is not a typical trait for the breed, you can start working with it.
Stress
Stress is something very complex in dogs, and it can present itself in many different ways. One of the reasons is the dog’s inability to process difficult emotions, and they will then look for an outlet for their discomfort.
If stress is the culprit behind your Boston Terrier’s non-stop barking, then you should be able to notice an increase in barking whenever they find themselves in a stressful situation.
Stress in dogs can be triggered by a big change, like moving to a new house, or by small things like watching you pack a suitcase, having kids running around in the house, or being in an unfamiliar situation.
The best way to deal with stress is to identify the cause and to try to eliminate the factor that stresses your dog out. If this isn’t possible, you can try to change the Boston Terrier’s mindset by giving them something else to focus on.
Separation Anxiety
One of the most common explanations for excessive barking is separation anxiety. As a Boston Terrier owner, you might not even have realized your dog suffers from separation anxiety, as it doesn’t always present itself the way one expects.
Separation anxiety is essentially anxiety and panic brought on by being left alone or sometimes by being separated from a specific person in the household. If you have a Boston Terrier that only barks whenever you leave the room or the house – separation anxiety is most likely the explanation you’ve been looking for.
A Boston Terrier with separation anxiety isn’t happy, and it is a condition that can be extremely stressful for both dog and owner. If your Boston Terrier is affected, you are going to have to go back to the basics and start over with training the dog to be alone.
All dogs need to be trained to be alone, which can be done by leaving the dog alone for only a few seconds at first, and then slowly increase the time you are away. It is a slow process that can take weeks and even months.
Try making it easier for your pup by leaving a delicious treat or an enrichment toy (like a Kong) whenever you leave to give your Boston Terrier something other than your departure to focus on.
Excitement
Excitement barking is common in many dog breeds, and while less common in Boston Terriers – it exists. Pay attention to when your Boston Terrier barks. Is it when you come home from work? Whenever you bring out treats or the food bowl? If yes, then you could be dealing with an exciting barker.
Surprisingly, this type of barking can be very difficult to get rid of because you can’t exactly teach the dog not to be excited. What many dog trainers recommend is to teach a bark command. Wait, what? Teach the dog to bark on command when you want it to bark less? Yes, you heard it right!
The reason is that once your dog knows how to bark on command, you can go on to teaching him or her a queue to stop barking. The stop queue can then be used to control excitement barking and help the dog understand that you are asking for the barking to stop and not for the dog to stop being excited.
Fear
A nervous or fearful Boston Terrier could certainly be a barker, and this is more related to a state of mind than to the breed, which explains why such a generally quiet breed could be an extreme barker at times.
When a Boston Terrier resorts to fear-barking, it can mean your dog is suffering from severe fear, which is something you should start working with as soon as possible.
Dogs that live in fear aren’t able to fully enjoy life, and it might be holding them back from taking part in activities and having fun with their human family members.
The best strategy to work with a fearful Boston Terrier is to focus on their self-confidence.
It can be hard to pinpoint a specific fear and even harder to get rid of it, but if you instead focus on strengthening your Boston Terrier’s confidence, then you will hopefully end up with a dog that can handle his or her own emotions in a better (and quieter) way.
Aggression
Aggressive barking is a very different type of bark in the ears of an experienced dog owner, but for someone with less experience, it is easy to mistake any of the other barking types for aggression. Real aggression, however, looks and sounds different.
When a Boston Terrier is barking aggressively, it is usually accompanied by growling and snarling, which are two other signs of aggression in dogs. Boston Terriers aren’t known for being an aggressive breed, but what many people are unaware of is that the Boston Terrier was originally bred for dogfighting.
Looking at the Boston Terrier the way it is today may make this claim sound ridiculous, but Boston Terriers used to be a lot bigger than they currently are. With this in mind, it no longer sounds as far-fetched that a cute little Boston Terrier could become a dog- or people aggressive.
If you think your Boston Terrier might be barking as a direct result of aggression – this is an urgent matter that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, both for the safety of your dog and others.
Attention
Every Boston Terrier owner knows this – Boston terriers love attention. If it was up to them, they would be the center of everybody’s attention all the time, and they are funny little dogs that like to take on a clown role in the household to get your attention.
They will make you laugh, and your attention is their preferred payment method.
Whenever a Boston Terrier gets bored or if you are not giving the dog as much attention as he or she prefers – that little dog is going to find a way to get you to look up from your computer screen. Barking is a common way for a dog to call for attention.
This type of barking tends to be low and slow. One calculated bark at the time, rather than uninterrupted hysterical barking, and it is often accompanied by panting.
The problem with attention barking is that it could quickly turn into a problem. When a dog barks, you are likely to react by telling the dog to be quiet, but even if this is negative attention – it is still attention to a Boston Terrier.
This incredibly intelligent dog breed will quickly learn that if they bark, you turn around to give them the attention they crave.
Just for Fun
There are few dogs that appear so happy and joyful as the Boston Terrier, and there is a possibility that your fur baby barks just because he or she wants to. Barking can be fun for a dog, and especially if there is a little bit of excitement involved.
Boston Terrier puppies can also be prone to barking, but it tends to sound more like yapping than actual barking. In most cases, this is not a sign that your Boston Terrier will become a barker as he gets older; and instead, it’s simply puppy excitement. Keep in mind that for a puppy, everything is new.
With that said, if you have a Boston Terrier puppy that constantly barks, just make sure you don’t encourage it. It can sound cute and funny while the dog is little, but you could end up aiding in the formation of a very annoying habit.
How To Stop Your Boston Terrier Barking
We have already covered a few of the things you can do if your Boston Terrier won’t stop barking, but there are three key things to keep in mind when you are dealing with a barker and when you want it to stop.
Determine The Cause
How can you stop something that you don’t understand? Your dog barks, and you want it to stop, but to successfully reduce your Boston Terrier’s barking, you need to determine what the underlying causes are.
Pay attention to the dog’s behavior and when it tends to bark and see if you can analyze the behavior to pinpoint the cause. If you are unsuccessful, a dog trainer or behaviorist can assist you in this essential part of the process.
Provide Suitable Distraction
If the barking is getting out of control, see if your Boston Terrier can be distracted. Depending on the situation, you can try distracting with a toy, or why not prepare some canine enrichment toys and dog puzzles ahead of time? Bring them out when the barking starts to occupy your dog both mentally and physically.
They say that a tired dog is a good dog, and there is actually some truth to this! If you can successfully tire your dog out in a healthy manner, you are a lot less likely to have to deal with your Boston Terrier’s non-stop barking.
Be Patient, Consistent and Calm
When you get stressed and worked up, your Boston Terrier is also likely to get increasingly stressed. This, in turn, could lead to an increase in barking rather than a decrease. Rule number one when dealing with a barker is to stay calm and to project a calm and reassuring energy.
Consistency is rule number two. You can’t allow barking sometimes, such as when you feel like playing a certain way, only to forbid it later when you are trying to have an undisturbed phone call. Your Boston Terrier likely won’t understand if you allow barking only sometimes.
Barking can be incredibly frustrating; there is no doubt about it, but make sure you have realistic expectations. Once you start working with your Boston Terrier, the barking won’t lessen within a day or two, and the process requires plenty of patience.
Also, it would be unrealistic to expect your Boston Terrier never to bark again. Dogs bark, it’s how they communicate, and you can set yourself and your dog up for success by making sure that your expectations are realistic.
Want To Train Your Boston Terrier With Peace Of Mind?
If you haven’t trained your Boston Terrier properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.
With Brain Training For Dogs, you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact, you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!
And in most cases, it’s still going to be:
- Cheaper than hiring a professional.
- Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
- And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your Boston Terrier completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT.
And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!
So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!
(You can also check out a full review here to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)
Recap
Boston Terriers are not known for being barkers, and they rarely bark the way other terrier breeds tend to do. The main reason is that they were bred for something different, and it is not a working breed, unlike many of its terrier “cousins,” something that gives them a very different temperament.
In a case where you have a Boston Terrier that does bark – don’t worry, they are not unheard of, and there are many different things you can do. The first step is to determine why your Boston Terrier is barking and to take it from there. You can’t find a solution without knowing the cause.
Overall, Boston Terriers are known for being unusually quiet dogs, but they may bark when they play or when they get excited.
Sources
- https://www.bostonterriersociety.com/boston-terrier-attention-barking/
- https://theonlinedogtrainer.com/how-to-stop-a-boston-terrier-dog-barking/
