Dutch Shepherd Forum

My GSD was a very vocal dog...as most of them are. She had tons of different vocalizations and it was easy to read them, once I got to know her and vice versa. It also made it very easy to teach speak/quiet.

My DS isn't vocal at all. Part of this, I'm sure, is her specific nature as an individual, but it makes me wonder, how vocal are DS in general, when compared to, let's say, GSDs?

It may make a difference that she's an only dog, too. There are no other dogs in the house to spark barking.

She does bark, when she has something to say..."The neighbor dogs are behind our property RIGHT NOW!" "Mac (the cat) is waking across the yard, RIGHT NOW!" "There is a motorcycle behind our vehicle!" (She rides sitting and looking behind us, where we have been, rather than looking in the direction of travel, which cracks me up a lot )

When I ask her a yes/no question, her answer is mostly something physical...she'll move her body in some way, where my GSD would always answer vocally. I'll be curious to see how this changes over time, if at all.

So, how do your dogs communicate with you? And, are DS less vocal in general than GSDs?

leih merigian wrote:So, how do your dogs communicate with you? And, are DS less vocal in general than GSDs?

My personal opinion is that almost every breed is less vocal than a GSD......and thank goodness!!! OK, Rotts tend to talk a whole lot to, but still not nearly as whiny and screamy as GSDs.

My dogs tend to be vocal when they need to be. They ask each other to back off, alert when there is something wrong and they have all been taught to speak - but usually in the context of work. But I can honestly say that having had about 50 of them come through my home..... they still don't have as much to say as a GSD.

Christie M wrote: My dogs tend to be vocal when they need to be. They ask each other to back off, alert when there is something wrong and they have all been taught to speak - but usually in the context of work. But I can honestly say that having had about 50 of them come through my home..... they still don't have as much to say as a GSD.

Wait - let me amend that. ONE dog is extremely vocal - and I think her whole litter was. Salix screams incessantly. She screams when she is happy, frustrated, ready to work, in the car...... but all of her vocalizations sounded the same, frantic. So she would be the exception to my rule - she is WAY more vocal than a GSD, or any other dog (except maybe Madix ).

Christie M wrote:

Christie M wrote:Wait - let me amend that. ONE dog is extremely vocal - and I think her whole litter was. Salix screams incessantly. She screams when she is happy, frustrated, ready to work, in the car...... but all of her vocalizations sounded the same, frantic. So she would be the exception to my rule - she is WAY more vocal than a GSD, or any other dog (except maybe Madix ).

YES! Madix is also EXTREMELY loud. I've warned people/trainers when we start a new sport and almost always hear back (after being told it's fine, they know Shepherds/dogs) "I've NEVER heard any dog make that noise! We call it his shrieking. However, I've been working on this since we got him - which barely decreased it but instead we've added other noises...he "huffs" when he's not sure about someone. He moans/groans/squeaks when we're in bed and I'm teasing him/playing with him, groans and mumbles and grumbles when I'm making him doing something he doesn't like - I think he likes to talk back. BUT if we're working in a simple sport - aka frisbee, fetch, heeling etc he does not do it, even if I ask him. Something more complex, like agility he shrieks like a banshee - particularly when going through the tunnel "don't go on without me Mom!!! I'm coming, I'm coming, I'M COMING!!! He DOES NOT talk in his crate, in the car or on lead - unless it's a short questioning woof - "are you still out there?"

Ok, just cant keep outta this one. With 180+ rescue GSDs thru here over all those years, plus my own, I would have to say that the GSDs are more vocal. Some will just incessantly bark and for no good reason. Heck they have nearly an acre to run and play with lots to do so it is not like they are confined and yearning to get out. Plus they have a lot of activities at my farm to keep them busy when they go out with me. I have one male who has extreme OCD and will get obsessed about one thing or another and just bark at it over and over and over with that nonstop monotonous bark. It could be a bug in his bowl or a bird in the sky or even a cloud. Now, he will work all day long, never stop if you have him on a search, and he is very very possessive particularly over PVC items. He is probably the best of any so far as working ability that I have had here. Yeh, needless to say he is at my farm most of the time and my in-town neighbors really appreciate that. My DS and DS/Mal X are not very vocal, unnecessarily. That I like. What I dont like about these two as opposed to the GSDs is the pacing, the nonstop canter over and over and over in their section of the yard (remember 1 acre with loads of fun stuff to do). But no, these two have worn paths down over one foot deep in the area they so designated as their own. Needless to say, to keep weight on these two, they must be crated or in the house for long periods of time because they just literally burn too many calories. So, yes the GSD, IMHO, seems to be the most vocal.


Denise Gatlin

The GSD I had in the past was Czech/DDR and she was the most quiet GSD I ever known. But all the others I've known and been around have been very vocal. I tend to be kinda weird about noise inside the house, so some of that may have been me too. Will never know. The Malinois in my life were quiet, so were my Beauces, unless there was actually something to bark at. My very first dog was a Shar-pei and she too was quiet. Ziva is the most vocal so far. She whines, moans for what appears to be no reason (she could sometimes just be laying down by me at the computer and whine). She barks, moans and grumbles when playing with my husband, etc.

Well, I'm glad I got one of the quiet ones. She's always been so good in her crates...quiet, unless she really has to go out. I just love that!

In general, I think a GSD can whine louder than a DS or mal could bark.
I would almost say that national background plays a role here. You guessed it: the Dutch are not crazy about the Germans
Within the brindle population, some talk more than others. I have a few that never speak and some that talk 'wowwowwow' when addressed, or have a very excited squeek. Some growlers and back talkers too (the sound that you will hear is the one you will have to worry about) One of the current young ones is a trouble maker who tries to rile everyone up with a high piched voice and the steady pacing that Denise describes. The darn beast must have some GSD back there somewhere, the way she acts.

vneerland wrote: You guessed it: the Dutch are not crazy about the Germans

OK, then, it's about what I was thinking...it's going to be interesting to see how she develops in this area...

Our 2 adults can bark alot and make some weird noises. Vada's newest trick is that she has taught my husband to get her chews. She barks at Letty's crate - or in the direction of Letty's crate - wither she's in it or not as there are always chews in there - then my husband goes and gets Vada her own chew. Then she's happy and quits barking. She's got him trained so well that he will come from anywhere in the house. I warned him the first time that he did it. We have lots of barking in our house. Letty barks here and there. She barks little woofs at me when she's in her crate in the van and I come up to let one of them out. I expect that she will bark more as she gets older. However, I will NOT teach her to bark (for the bark and hold) for a Chuck It. Learned that lesson the hard way. But none of our DS bark for no reason (unlike the Border Collies).

My guy is very talky.... I asked on another board I'm on if anyone had experience with talking DS's like talking GSD's. I didn't get much of a response. (It's primarily a GSD/Mal forum)
Koenig does not make any excess noise on the training field, unless he gets SUPER worked up... but in the house, every 3d command is liable to get some back-talk from him. He'll comply happily, but he's gotta grumble while doing so. (...jerk...) lol.

k9katet wrote: Vada's newest trick is that she has taught my husband to get her chews. ... I warned him the first time that he did it.

In a way, I'm kind of glad that my spousal unit isn't into dogs. He'll love Geyser when he gets the chance as she matures (she's way too rowdy for him right now and he can't really manage her, so they just greet a few times a day, that's about it for now...). But, he doesn't do anything as far as training or management, etc.

They are so smart, tho, and Vada is right up there with the rest of the Einsteins .

turnnburn52984 wrote:My guy is very talky.... He'll comply happily, but he's gotta grumble while doing so. (...jerk...) lol.

That's how my GSD was...very sassy. Interesting that he's so talky...

Once I got Letty's biting under control then Karl was ok with helping care for her. He feeds the dogs too which helps.

So we've been talking about vocal DS's.... here is a video of my other half and Koenig screwing around last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OsU-VP_DKU

I know some people may have a negative view on playing with a dog like this (rolling around on the floor, etc)- I'm only posting it because of the 'talking' that happens.

lol!

Oh my !!!!
Apparently I got one of the super noisey Dutchies.
The 'banshee scream' is what met me at the airport and the sound adventure has continued from there.
Howls, barks, growls, whines in various octaves.
Thankgoodness he is quiet in a crate ( until I go to get him out then we have ' woo woo woo' singing ).

We are in the same boat then, Brindle! (Except mine screams in the crate as well.)

I realize this conversation was a over a bit ago, but I had to throw my two cents in. Gwen squeaks moans, grumbles barks snickers, woofs and screeches like a banshee. I am so happy that as she has gotten older she has developed a teeny tiny bit of bass to her voice because otherwise it is ear plugging drag your fingernails across a chalk board high pitched arf! The only thing I have not heard her do is howl.. ... I love her though, she definitely has my husband trained to the bark.

Funny thread!

Thalie is the silent type. Not a peep out of her unless we are looking at a decoy. At home if she were to bark I would call 911. She will growl if we play tug though ,but still not alot. Now Sadie.... on the other had is a real talker. She has a whole language already. She barks at Thalie when she wants to play, or at me or the kids when Thalie dosnt want to play, I have heard her howl in her crate at night, its very cute, but she usually knows to go in and go to sleep. She has many moans and groans when she stretches, and sleeps. If you go cuddle with her she will moan and groan and make all sorts of cute sleepy dog noises.