When Ares was a puppy he didn’t bark at all. He would make all kinds of other noises, some standard dog noises, others more like alien noises, but he never barked. Chaos followed the same pattern. Barring the first time he saw himself in the mirror, he also didn’t bark. But then one day Ares barked. And then he kept barking.
Okay, let me clarify. First of all, although Ares is small dog, he doesn’t have the standard yap that is mostly associated with small dogs. If you heard but couldn’t see him you probably would picture a large dog because his bark is pretty deep and solid. And it’s not like he just walks around barking constantly, he just barks a lot now compared to his younger days.
There are different kinds of barks too. He barks if wants something like food, water, a toy or needs to go outside. That one is closer to a whine. We call it his chirp. He has a play bark which is loud, happy and usually comes in short bursts. Then there is the sassy bark, always accompanied by snorting, to say he doesn’t like something. And of course the alert bark. This one is sharp, very deep and longer than the rest but will continue until he gets someone’s attention. He does this if he is looking out the back door and someone or something walks by. It’s his way of saying, “Hey guys, someone is out there.”
We should have expected at least the alert bark because Boston Terriers are known for this. They may not look intimidating or how the capacity to protect like a larger more powerful breed but they are still guard dogs in their own right. And to be honest, while sometimes the rest of the barking irritates me, I don’t mind at all that he always lets us know when something is going on outside.
I think it’s safe to say that a lot of Ares’s barking developed as part of his loving to be the center of attention. It’s hard to ignore a barking dog, But although you all know by now that Chaos certainly is not afraid to seek out head pats and belly rubs, he is always the follower and never the leader.
Chaos does bark now but not regularly like his older brother. If Ares darts to the back door and starts barking Chaos may follow suit, but he doesn’t bark to be let out, during play or to “talk back”. Instead he gives a pathetic cry by the door if he has to potty.
Sure, a lot of people would consider a Pit Bull a good guard dog. And yes, Chaos is strong, powerful and would certainly be protective if need be. But he doesn’t feel the need to bark alerts for every passing neighbor or visiting squirrel. Chaos only warns us when he senses actual danger. Like when our buddy Wiley walks the tree line at dusk.
Instead of a big, deep bark like Ares uses to give us a head’s up, Chaos has a very low, throaty growl. The first time I heard him do it I got nervous because he was standing by the back door staring out and I couldn’t see anything. I soon caught a glimpse of the grey and brown furry tail of a coyote and knew that’s why Chaos meant business.
Many people don’t want their dogs to bark or growl. They may feel it is inappropriate behavior for a house pet or simply something they cannot tolerate. I would agree that obsessive barking should be addressed. And growling other than for protection or to signal danger requires training. But Chris and I will never train Ares to stop barking or Chaos to stop growling when Wiley is around. I guarantee if someone was snooping around or broke into our home, it wouldn’t take long for them to hit the road fast after hearing Ares barking and Chaos growling.
We don’t have our dogs for protection. Clearly Ares and Chaos are adored members of the family. But we believe the fact that they warn us of things we may otherwise not be aware of is mostly a good thing. How do you feel about barking dogs?
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