When you get your Labrador puppy home for the first time, they might find things a little strange and might need some time to get used to their new environment. One sign that your puppy is getting used to their new home is they start barking.
A Labrador puppy generally starts barking at about seven weeks old. While puppies might bark more than adults, Labradors are a typically gentle dog breed and don’t bark a lot. However, if your dog is barking too much, you could try distracting them with a treat or toy.
Other Questions Answered
- Why Is Your Labrador Barking?
- Do Labradors Bark at Strangers?
- Do Labrador Puppies Bark a Lot?
- What Age Do Labrador Puppies Calm Down?
- How Do I Get My Labrador Puppy To Stop Barking?
The rest of this article will tell you everything you need to know about Labradors, when they start barking, why they bark, and how to calm them.
Table of Contents
When Do Labradors Start Barking?
If your Labrador puppy is less than two weeks old, the chances are that they aren’t using their vocal cords to make sounds.
As they grow older to about two to three weeks, you might observe some grunting and whining as they start to use their vocal cords.
Your puppy might evolve from whines and grunts to yips and barks by the seventh to eighth week.
From then on, they tend to get more confident in making sounds. If your puppy hits the seventh-week mark without barking, don’t worry, it’s normal. Your puppy might need some time to begin barking.
By the sixteenth week, most dogs should already know how to bark.
Even at that age, your puppy might still not bark as much, depending on its personality.
Do Labrador Puppies Bark a Lot?
Labrador puppies don’t bark a lot. Labradors are a social and calm dog breed.
However, it’s not out of place for you to hear your Labrador barking. However, you might observe that your puppy barks more than an adult Labrador.
Usually, they get quieter as they age, but if you experience excessive barking from your puppy, you might want to address that early enough, so it doesn’t become a habit.
Why Is Your Labrador Barking?
Labradors are usually relatively calm, but like most dogs, they still bark. It could be their way of communicating with you or other dogs in the vicinity.
Your dog might not stress often, but they might get aggressive if something calls for their attention. Let’s see what your puppy might be trying to tell you by barking.
They Want Attention
Labs are attached to their owners, and you might find them need attention.
If your Labrador senses your watch is not on them, they might bark to draw your attention. They could also want to draw your focus towards something they found interesting.
Usually, they might pipe down when they have your focus again. If you find that your dog bags unnecessarily to grab your attention, consider ignoring it, or this becomes a difficult habit to break.
They Are Excited
Take your lab for a walk and watch them bark and run around in excitement as they take in new smells and sights.
The excited bark occurs with puppies, but your adult dog might also bark in excitement for many reasons.
Anything from a new toy or their favorite snack could trigger the excited bark.
They Are Bored
Dogs don’t have the same sleep schedule as humans. They typically fall asleep and wake up multiple times throughout the night.
That means they could wake up at night with nothing much to do. Labs are pretty active, and if they don’t have enough physical stimulation during the day, they could also start barking.
They Are Scared
Your Labrador can experience feelings like anxiety or fear too. If they encounter a distressing situation, they might respond by barking.
They use their bark as a defense mechanism to ward off the scary figure.
Sometimes, their bark might be in response to something unusual. Labradors could serve as guard dogs and would bark to alert you of anything unusual.
Do Labradors Bark at Strangers?
If you’re worried about how your Labrador will behave around strangers, don’t.
Labradors don’t generally bark at strangers and would get along with them well. However, they might get aggressive if they have reason to be.
Being a calm dog doesn’t stop your Labrador from serving as a guard dog. They might bark to alert you of unfamiliar figures.
Depending on your confidence, your dog might identify good people. You also won’t have to deal with passerby syndrome, where your dog barks at each person walking by.
You’re more likely to see your puppy smiling warmly at strangers than barking during walks.
How Do I Get My Labrador Puppy To Stop Barking?
If your Labrador puppy is barking excessively, you might want to nip it in the bud, so it doesn’t become a habit when he’s older.
Sometimes giving in to your puppy’s every whim might be encouraging him and rewarding such behavior. Here are a few ways to stop your puppy barking.
Reinforce Silence
Each time you respond to your barking puppy by giving in to their demands, you’re reinforcing that behavior.
The first step will be to ignore him if he’s barking excessively for no reason.
When he quiets down, reward his silence with a treat. Soon enough, he’ll see the connection between staying silent and earning treats, and he’ll try to be quieter.
This training period might be tough with all the noise, but it eventually pays off.
Exercise Them
Your Labrador puppy is bursting with energy and needs an outlet. That’s why taking them for regular walks or play dates might be vital to get him to bark less.
Consider engaging your puppy in fun games like fetch, which encourages your dog’s instinct. Remember to carry some water to keep your puppy cool on a warm day.
Give Them Dog Toys
If your dog typically barks because he’s bored, they might need something to capture their interest.
Consider investing in chew toys. They can divert their attention to their toys if they wake up bored at night.
Check out Benebone Real Bacon Durable Wishbone Dog Chew Toy from Amazon, which is excellent for aggressive chewers.
Visit the Vet
Suppose you’ve met all your puppy’s needs, and they still bark continuously.
Then, it could be time to visit the vet. Such excessive barking could be the result of illness. Your puppy might be trying to tell you that he’s hurt.
Dogs suffering from dementia might also bark excessively without reason.
Remove Triggers
You might want to check around for things that trigger your puppy into a barking fit. When you identify such triggers, you might want to try eliminating them.
For instance, if your puppy continually barks at the neighbors in the backyard, consider raising the fence, so your puppy doesn’t see your neighbors.
What Age Do Labrador Puppies Calm Down?
One thing that separates Labradors from other dogs is that they have a delayed puppyhood and adolescence.
They might stay puppies longer than others. While some puppies might be overly active as puppies, others are relatively calm.
Between the ages of two to four years, you might begin to observe signs of maturity as your puppy transitions into adolescence.
You might want to channel this excess energy towards exercises and daily walks. You might notice some improvement in your puppy’s behavior after being neutered or spayed.
Conclusion
Labradors are incredibly social animals and make great pets and guard dogs.
Having full knowledge of your dog’s barking patterns could save you the embarrassment of the passerby syndrome.
Therefore, before bringing your Labrador home, you might want to know about their behavior and bark.
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