Some dogs are bred to bark (hello chihuahua) and some do not (did you say Basenji?) Yet all dogs bark at some point, and here’s what they are saying (quoted from K9 magazine):
(1). Continuous rapid barking, midrange pitch: “Call the pack! There is a potential problem!
(2). Barking in rapid strings of three or four with pauses in between, midrange pitch: “I suspect there may be a problem or an intruder nearby.
(3). Prolonged or incessant barking, with moderate to long intervals between each “Is anybody there? I’m lonely and need companionship.” This is most often the response to confinement or being left alone for long periods of time.
(4). One or two sharp short barks, midrange pitch: “Hello there!”
(5). Single sharp, short bark, lower midrange pitch: “Stop that!” This is often given by a mother dog when disciplining her puppies but may also indicate annoyance in any dog.
(6). Single sharp short bark, higher midrange: “What’s this?” or “Huh?” This is a startled or surprised sound. If it is repeated two or three times its meaning changes to “Come look at this!” alerting the pack to a novel event.
(7). Single yelp or very short high-pitched bark: “Ouch!” This is in response to a sudden, unexpected pain.
(8). Series of yelps: “I’m hurting!” “I’m really scared” This is in response to severe fear and pain.
(9). Stutter-bark, midrange pitch: If a dog’s bark were spelled “ruff,” the stutter-bark would be spelled “ar-ruff.” It means “Let’s play!” and is used to initiate playing behavior.
(10). Rising bark: This is a bit hard to describe, although once you’ve heard it, it is unmistakable. It is usually a series of barks, each of which starts in the
middle range but rises sharply in pitch – almost a bark-yelp, though not quite
that high. It is a play bark, used during rough-and- tumble games, that shows
excitement and translates as “This is fun!”
And that’s what we have to say about THAT!
Hugs from Doolittle’s Doghouse!