Do Great Danes Bark A Lot?

Well, Great Danes aren’t known to bark a lot unless something is wrong. They aren’t the quietest dogs, but a Great Dane isn’t known to be noisy. To be clear, they can bark louder than most dogs, and given their size; you already know what to expect.

However, they indulge only when there is a genuine reason to bark.

Every Great Dane is unique, and each has its tendencies toward barking. Some Great Danes are more prone to barking than others and are possibly louder.

However, one thing that remains constant is that they reserve barking as a form of communication. There isn’t much that can cause a Great Dane trouble, so you should take it seriously when they bark.

Fun Fact: With the right training, your Great Dane will be as quiet as possible until there is a cause to bark. They may still bark a little, but nothing excessive, certainly not enough to draw the attention of others.

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What Makes Great Danes Bark Excessively?

A Great Dane will only bark excessively to get its owner’s attention. Where all of its needs are met, especially immediate needs, you can expect the dog to remain quiet.

Any noise from your dog won’t be too loud and will usually be joyful. If, however, your dog wants something, then it is sure to be rather vocal. Here are some common reasons why a Great Dane might bark excessively:

Boredom

It’s easy to see a great Dane as strong and independent because of their size, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Despite being strong and independent, Great Danes are emotional and require companionship to thrive. When they are left alone with nothing to do, then they get anxious and tend to bark.

The longer they are left alone, the more they bark.

In some cases, the dog will get used to the loneliness and bark less but will likely still bark. It is less about boredom and more about its anxiety, especially when the dog suffers from separation anxiety.

Only when its owner returns will it finally quit and move on to other things.

Hunger

Being the largest dogs out there, it’s only logical to expect them to have a large stomach.

With a large stomach comes a large appetite, and while each great Dane is unique, their appetites are usually large. It also puts them amongst the dogs who can eat once a day and function perfectly.

Unfortunately, it is also easy to mess up their diet and have a hungry Great Dane for most of the day.

One of the ways in which your great Dane will communicate its hunger is through excessive barking. It may also have clawed at its plate in frustration, narrowing down the possible causes for its barking.

You don’t necessarily have to increase the number of times you feed the Great Dane, just the portion of food.

Threat

A Great Dane is still a dog at the end of the day and has protective instincts to match. In the face of any threat, it will seek to communicate the predicament with its owners.

However, it just happens to be that the only way a dog will communicate is by barking. The more potent any potential threats, the more seriously it will bark.

Not all the things a Great Dane perceives as threats will be that. The presence of another dog in the vicinity may prove threatening for one, while humans may view it as something else. It is best to check out the threat and chase it off if any is present, and your Great Dane will calm down.

Notification

The most prevalent cause of Great Danes barking is to get their owner’s attention. Whenever your Great Dane wants something, it will notify you by barking.

This still applies when obvious needs like food have been ruled out. Your Great Dane may be seeking other things, like companionship or a walk.

In either case, a walk will solve the problem, providing the dog with companionship and exercise. Great Danes require constant exercise due to their massive sizes and are sure to get uncomfortable when they don’t get it.

However, a trained Great Dane will know better than to communicate such wants by barking. Instead, it will likely gesture or grab its leash and come over to its owner.

Preventing Excessive Barking In Great Danes

Excessive barking can be a pain, especially when you have neighbors who are bothered by it. You need to keep your Great Dane quiet or risk having to clip its chord.

A few possible solutions are sure to keep one quiet unless the situation is dire. Some of the best practices to avoid excessive barking in Great Danes includes:

Training

Training solves most problems you may have with a dog, including barking. As is evident from the fact that untrained dogs tend to bark louder than trained ones, this may be the answer you seek.

Training a Great Dane is easier than training other dogs, as they are intelligent and intuitive.

Training should start soon after you acquire the dog to prevent them from picking up any bad habits. Most owners train Great Danes instead of seeking a professional, but either option is fine.

Once your Great Dane is trained, it will significantly improve the relationship between owner and pet.

Anti Bark Devices

Anti-bark devices are effective, but largely unpopular and sometimes considered cruel. These devices work by hurting the dog each time they bark, intending to condition them and stop them from barking.

While it can sometimes be effective, some dogs are more stubborn than others and will persist, causing further pain than necessary.

Most people use these devices only for a short time, especially when they are out of the house. It will impede some of the dog’s functions and may leave lasting psychological trauma.

Trauma is unpredictable, and the results may be unpleasant; anti-bark devices are usually one last resort.

Be Present

In the end, there is no substitute for your presence, and all other methods may simply be comfort food. Your presence already eliminates some needs for a Great Dane to bark, while still putting you in the vicinity to solve others.

You can respond promptly when the dog is drawing your attention to a threat or alerting you that it is hungry.

Your presence may also have a calming effect on the dog, causing it to bark less aggressively. When the person it is trying to communicate to is close by, there won’t be a need to bark loudly.

It may not always be feasible to be home, but you can always make provisions for when you aren’t.

Privacy Fence

Privacy fences help eliminate the need for a dog to bark at threats. Many dogs consider passersby and other dogs to be threats, and they usually aren’t. Instead, they bark until the perceived threat is no longer in the vicinity.

This can go on for a while, and as training isn’t an instant process, it will cause a lengthy disturbance.

Setting up a privacy fence will give your dog some peace, allowing you to train it before taking the fence down.

Great Danes are social creatures, and a privacy fence comes with isolation, something they don’t take too well. If you are putting up one, you will need to provide other forms of social interaction.

Are Great Danes Good Inside Dogs?

Yes, Great Danes love being indoors, with many of them spending most of their lives indoors. Great Danes need a lot of room to stretch their legs and accommodate their large size, but it doesn’t have to be indoors.

So long as all its space needs can be met outdoors, there may not be a need for a lot of room indoors.

Most Great Danes are comfortable curling up by the couch with their owner instead of stretching their legs outside. Great Danes are social creatures, and while space is important, they prefer the company of others and will sacrifice space for it.

So long as their companionship needs are met, a Great Dane can stay indoors without barking.

Interestingly, the Great Danes aren’t built to handle the extremes of the outdoors for long. Many of them won’t survive for long in the outdoors, especially when they don’t have constant interactions with humans.

Are Great Danes High Or Low Maintenance?

Great Danes are relatively low maintenance, especially with other notable high-maintenance dog breeds. While they may require companionship and care, their demands are considerably low.

The health problems commonly associated with the Great Danes can be avoided easily and, when they are present, aren’t too demanding to cater to.

Great Danes are also relatively quiet breeds, keeping to themselves and not barking unnecessarily. To be clear, they can bark and may even be louder than most other breeds, but they don’t usually do it.

Should a Great Dane opt to bark incessantly, it will usually be for a genuine cause, something that warrants its owner’s attention. You also don’t have to worry about their safety, as few things can scare these giants.

Great Danes also require moderate grooming, which is usually one of the most deterring tasks for dog owners. With short fur, the biggest task you’ll likely face is trimming your nails, which doesn’t happen too frequently.

Do Great Danes Bark A Lot Summary

Great Danes aren’t known to bark a lot without cause, but when they do, they are loud and can be annoying. Pay attention when your dog barks because it will always do so for a reason. Training your Great Dane will help ensure the things it considers reasons to bark will be worthwhile to you.

Do Great Danes Bark A Lot? (What You Need to Know)