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The breeds below are not ranked scientifically. They combine breed tendencies described by the American Kennel Club with practical considerations such as size, exercise needs, temperament, and common household noise. An individual dog’s personality and environment can matter more than its breed.
25 dog breeds that tend to bark less
Some of these dogs are genuinely quiet indoors, while others are simply less likely to bark continuously. Several still howl, yodel, whine, snort, or give a powerful alert bark.
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Basenji
The Basenji is often called Africa’s “barkless dog,” but it is not mute. Instead of a conventional bark, it may yodel, whine, growl, or make other unusual sounds. Basenjis are intelligent, energetic, independent hunting dogs, and their quiet reputation does not make them an easy choice for a first-time owner.
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Whippet
Whippets are among the strongest choices for a noise-sensitive household. They are typically quiet indoors, rarely bark, and generally do not bark without a reason. They still need regular exercise and secure places to run, but many are calm and settled at home after their activity needs are met.
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Greyhound
Greyhounds are usually gentle and quiet in the house. Their calm indoor behavior can be misleading: they are built for sprinting and need daily activity, safe opportunities to stretch their legs, and secure fencing because of their chase instinct.
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Borzoi
The Borzoi is a large, graceful sighthound with a quiet, sometimes catlike manner. It may bark only occasionally, but its speed, prey drive, size, and independent nature require patient training and secure running space.
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Afghan Hound
Afghan Hounds are often reserved and quiet rather than constantly vocal. They are sensitive, independent dogs that need thoughtful handling. Their long, flowing coat also requires substantially more grooming than their quietness might suggest.
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Saluki
Dignified and reserved, Salukis are not usually persistent barkers. They are nevertheless high-speed hunting dogs with considerable exercise needs. Off-leash freedom is risky unless the area is securely enclosed, since a Saluki may chase moving animals far beyond its owner’s reach.
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Sloughi
The Sloughi is known for being very quiet in the home despite its athletic ability. It may be cautious or shy with unfamiliar people and needs plenty of exercise, careful socialization, and secure containment.
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Scottish Deerhound
This giant coursing hound is generally gentle, dignified, and relatively quiet. Prospective owners should focus at least as much on its enormous size, prey drive, exercise needs, and shorter expected lifespan as on its low tendency to bark.
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Irish Wolfhound
Irish Wolfhounds are often calm, serene, kindly, and agreeable. They are also exceptionally large. Food costs, veterinary care, joint health, space, transport, and the possibility of accidental injury all deserve serious consideration before choosing one.
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Akita
Akitas are often quiet and fastidious, but they are also independent, territorial, and protective. A quiet Akita is not automatically an easy family dog. Early socialization, responsible management, and an owner comfortable with a powerful breed are important.
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Great Dane
Great Danes are commonly calm and easygoing at home. An alert Dane may still bark at a perceived threat, and its enormous size makes good manners essential. Training, suitable housing, orthopedic care, and preventing accidental knocks or falls are all part of ownership.
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Mastiff
Mastiffs are more likely to deliver a deep warning bark than to yap continuously. Their quietness should not obscure the practical demands of owning a giant, powerful dog: early training, socialization, adequate space, drool management, and safe handling are essential.
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Saint Bernard
Saint Bernards are known for a relatively quiet demeanor, although their watchful nature can lead to alert barking. They shed heavily and may drool substantially. Their size also means training and household management should begin early.
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Newfoundland
Newfoundlands are generally calm and steady, often alerting rather than barking repeatedly. They are very large, heavy-shedding water dogs that need grooming, controlled exercise, training, and enough room to live comfortably.
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Bulldog
Bulldogs are often relaxed and quieter than many small watchdog breeds. However, their short faces can contribute to breathing problems, poor heat tolerance, obesity, and limited exercise capacity. A Bulldog should never be selected solely because it seems quiet.
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French Bulldog
French Bulldogs generally do not bark much, although they can be alert watchdogs. They may make prominent snorts, grunts, wheezes, and other breathing sounds, so “less barking” does not necessarily mean less noise. Their brachycephalic build also increases the risk of overheating and breathing difficulties.
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Shih Tzu
Shih Tzus can suit people looking for a small companion that is not constantly vocal. They still need positive-reinforcement training and regular grooming, and their short-faced structure can make heat and strenuous exercise more challenging.
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Japanese Chin
The Japanese Chin is a small companion dog whose barking tendency sits toward the quiet end of the AKC’s breed-profile scale. It may be sensitive or reserved with strangers, so calm socialization and gentle training are important.
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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavaliers are often relatively quiet in both demeanor and barking. They are affectionate companion dogs that still need daily activity, training, and careful attention to health screening when choosing a puppy or adult dog.
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Pug
Pugs may be less bark-focused than many small watchdog breeds, but they can still be vocal. Snorting, grunting, and other breathing sounds are common, and their short faces make hot weather and strenuous exercise significant concerns.
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Clumber Spaniel
The Clumber Spaniel is a laid-back sporting breed that is often quieter indoors than more excitable spaniels. It is large for a spaniel and can shed, drool, and gain weight without appropriate exercise and food portions.
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English Setter
English Setters may be energetic outside but can settle into quiet household companions after their daily exercise. Without enough activity and mental stimulation, they may become restless and develop unwanted behaviors, including vocalizing.
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Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are often reserved and relatively quiet at home. They are also strong, athletic hunting dogs with a substantial prey drive. Early training, reliable boundaries, and secure containment are especially important.
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Chow Chow
Chow Chows are not usually constant barkers, but their reserved and watchful nature can produce alert barking. They need early socialization and owners who understand that independence and quietness are not the same as easy sociability.
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Chinese Shar-Pei
Chinese Shar-Peis are often quiet in ordinary household situations but may bark when acting as watchdogs. They are independent and protective, so their lower everyday vocalization should not be mistaken for an automatically outgoing or easygoing temperament.
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The best quiet breeds for a noise-sensitive home
If barking is your main concern, these are among the most promising choices:
| Breed | Why it may work | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Whippet | Rarely barks and is usually quiet indoors | Needs exercise and safe running space |
| Greyhound | Typically calm and quiet at home | Strong chase instinct; requires secure fencing |
| Basenji | Usually does not bark conventionally | May yodel, whine, and make other sounds |
| Borzoi | Quiet, calm, and often catlike indoors | Large, independent, fast, and prey-driven |
| Sloughi | Very quiet in the home | Needs substantial exercise and careful socialization |
| Shih Tzu | Small companion with a relatively low tendency to bark | Requires grooming and heat management |
| Japanese Chin | Generally sits at the quiet end of breed barking profiles | Can be sensitive or reserved |
| French Bulldog | Usually does not bark much | Breathing and overheating risks need serious attention |
The Whippet is the clearest choice if conventional barking is the specific problem: the AKC describes Whippets as quiet, says they rarely bark, and notes that they do not bark unnecessarily. The Basenji is different. It may be quiet in terms of barking but not in terms of total vocalization.
Why a quiet breed may still become noisy
Breed tendencies are only part of the picture. A normally quiet dog may bark excessively because of:
- Boredom: too little exercise, play, training, or problem-solving activity.
- Separation anxiety: distress when left alone, often accompanied by pacing or destructive behavior.
- Fear: reactions to unfamiliar people, noises, dogs, traffic, or new environments.
- Territorial behavior: repeated barking at people, animals, or vehicles outside the home.
- Attention-seeking: barking that has repeatedly resulted in food, play, access, or owner interaction.
- Pain or illness: a sudden change in vocal behavior should be discussed with a veterinarian.
- Frustration: for example, seeing another dog through a window but being unable to reach it.
Apartment living can make these problems more noticeable. A dog may bark infrequently yet still be a poor apartment match because it has extreme exercise needs, struggles when alone, has a strong prey drive, or becomes destructive when bored.
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Low barking is not the same as low maintenance
Many of the quietest breeds come with substantial commitments:
- Sighthounds: Whippets, Greyhounds, Borzois, Salukis, Sloughis, Afghan Hounds, Deerhounds, and Ridgebacks may be quiet but need exercise and secure fencing.
- Giant breeds: Great Danes, Mastiffs, Saint Bernards, Newfoundlands, and Irish Wolfhounds require space, careful training, larger food budgets, and costly veterinary care.
- Long-coated breeds: Afghan Hounds and Shih Tzus need regular, sometimes daily, coat care.
- Protective breeds: Akitas, Chow Chows, and Shar-Peis may be quiet until they perceive a threat. Their socialization and handling needs are not minor.
- Flat-faced breeds: Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, and some Shih Tzus can have breathing, overheating, exercise, and anesthesia concerns.
How to reduce barking without making it worse
- Identify the trigger. Note whether barking happens at the window, during departures, around other dogs, at night, or when the dog is under-exercised.
- Manage the environment. Close blinds, use white noise, move the dog away from busy windows, or prevent access to a fence line while you work on training.
- Meet exercise and enrichment needs. Walks, sniffing, food puzzles, short training sessions, and appropriate play can reduce boredom-driven vocalizing.
- Reward quiet moments. When the dog stops barking, wait for a brief pause and calmly reinforce it with a treat, praise, or another reward.
- Teach a quiet cue gradually. Avoid repeating “Quiet!” while shouting over the dog. Dogs may interpret yelling as joining the commotion.
- Address anxiety and sudden changes. A veterinarian or qualified, reward-based behavior professional can help when barking is linked to pain, fear, or separation anxiety.
What to ask before choosing a dog
When possible, meet the adult dog in the environment where it will live. Ask a breeder, foster carer, or rescue organization specific questions rather than relying on the breed label:
- How often does this individual bark, howl, whine, or make other noises?
- What happens when it is left alone?
- Does it react to hallway sounds, visitors, traffic, or other dogs?
- How much exercise does it need before settling indoors?
- Has its vocal behavior changed recently?
An adult dog’s observed behavior may tell you more than a general breed description. There is no reliable breed-level guarantee that a particular dog will be quiet.
Health warning for flat-faced quiet breeds
French Bulldogs, Bulldogs, Pugs, and some Shih Tzus may seem quiet partly because they are less physically active—not because they are especially easy to care for. Brachycephalic airway problems can cause noisy breathing, exercise intolerance, overheating, collapse, and increased anesthesia risk. Hot or humid weather can make these problems worse. Ask a veterinarian about breathing and heat tolerance before choosing one of these breeds, and never treat severe snoring, labored breathing, or collapse as harmless breed traits.
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FAQ
What is the quietest dog breed?
The Whippet is one of the clearest choices because it is generally quiet indoors, rarely barks, and does not typically bark unnecessarily. Greyhounds, Borzois, and Sloughis are also often quiet, but each has significant exercise or containment needs.
Is the Basenji completely silent?
No. Basenjis are often called barkless because they do not usually bark in the conventional way, but they can yodel, whine, growl, and make other distinctive sounds.
Can a quiet dog breed still bark a lot?
Yes. Fear, boredom, separation anxiety, territorial behavior, frustration, pain, and accidental reinforcement can make an individual dog bark frequently despite its breed tendency.
Which quiet dog breeds are suitable for apartments?
Whippets, Greyhounds, Shih Tzus, Japanese Chins, Cavaliers, and some French Bulldogs may work in apartments, but quietness alone is not enough. Exercise requirements, separation tolerance, size, health, and access to safe outdoor activity must also match the home.
The Bottom Line
Whippets, Greyhounds, Borzois, Sloughis, Japanese Chins, Shih Tzus, and Cavaliers are among the more promising choices for people who need a dog that tends to bark less. Basenjis are quieter in conventional barking but can be surprisingly vocal in other ways. Whatever the breed, choose the individual dog carefully, provide enough exercise and enrichment, and investigate any sudden or excessive barking rather than assuming it is simply a personality quirk.
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