Are Border Collies generally yappy?

[Sarah_42]

I am considering getting a Border Collie, and was wondering if they are yappy? Kind of like a Sheltie?

I am not getting a puppy, I am leaning toward a rescue. I have done alot of research, but if you would like to give some advice, feel free

[RaisingRiver]

In GENERAL, no. I don't think BCs are anything like a sheltie. However, there are BCs who bark while doing sports like Agility/Flyball. I also have a puppy who liked to bark at my other dogs to get them to do stuff, but he has learned what quiet means and that it's not ok to be obnoxious.

[Maralynn]

My two are not yappy! I don't think I'd do well with a yappy breed

 

My two tend to be quiet overall. But they will bark if they get over excited/stimulated - ie, if I'm playing/working with one in the front yard and the other is shut in the house.

 

And I think rescue is the best way to go for a first time BC owner!

[Tranquilis]

I see a LOT of BCs at the Rescue Farm. It depends, but mostly, no. In fact, when engaged in play, they're most often pretty quiet. The only real barkers typically are the ones that have social issues with the other dogs.

[1sheepdoggal]

I think they can be, matter of fact, I think most of the pastoral breeds tend to or can be, but it is easily squelched if you just dont allow it. I have 2 that havent gotten it through their heads yet, but were workin on it. The rest are pretty quiet, but they didnt come that way. There is a breed strain of BC called a Huntaway that is bred to bark, to allow the shepherds to know where the dog is at all times when working. Makes me wonder which came first.

[juliepoudrier]

^^I agree with what they said. I've never known a yappy border collie. Some do tend to bark more than others, but the breed in general is fairly quiet. Out of the 10 I have here, only one really barks very much (and he has issues), and it's not a yappy type of bark anyway. Even the relatively small amount of barking he does drives me nuts--I can't stand a barking dog!

 

J.

[bc4ever]

Scooter's not a yapper. Wouldn't have one. For years I put up with the neighbor's Rottie jumping and twirling in the air and barking all day while they were at work!! I agree that most BCs are relatively quiet--why waste energy barking at nothing? Actually, the ones I've known and seen are more into growling than barking. Sometimes Scooter sounds like an angry crocodile! LOL! That's what it sounds like to me--deep and low and long. Not menacing though. Just him. That's the way he vocalizes .

[1sheepdoggal]

I reckon I could rephrase that. ( those little tee pee's must be ment for me? ^^) I dont see them (BC"s) as random, alarmist, bark if some one farts loud, barkers . Not like a sheltie, or small poodle or some terrier type dogs, but to me they can be quite communicative/talkative when they feel they need to get their point across. Im not a fan of barking dogs either, as most days Im in the thick of them in the shop. Perhaps thats why a couple of my cronic barkers still bark, because Ive learned to tune it out. But to be fair, mine also do not just run around randomly barking. Their incessive barking usually involves being tied up or crated around sheep. I guess a better way of putting it would be to say that it depends on the situation.

[Errol]

I am considering getting a Border Collie, and was wondering if they are yappy? Kind of like a Sheltie?

I am not getting a puppy, I am leaning toward a rescue. I have done alot of research, but if you would like to give some advice, feel free

 

 

Generally not "yappy" unless you encourage them to be so.

[juliepoudrier]

I reckon I could rephrase that. ( those little tee pee's must be ment for me? ^^) I

Actually as we were posting at the same time, they were meant for the posts above you! (But please don't feel left out or anything! )

 

J.

[1sheepdoggal]

But please don't feel left out or anything! )

 

LOL

[sweet_ceana]

I wouldn't say yappy, but they can be vocal- especially in play time. Ceana is super vocal and thinks she can talk. She has different sounds for everything. LOL I assume that is what we sound like to her!

[WyoBC]

I don't think BC's are a very loud breed. I couldn't handle a yappy breed. Like my neighbour has. Ugh. Anyway, the only time mine is loud is when we are going to town, going to park, going well just about anywhere. But it's only a "ahhh woooo woooo woooo" type of talking. Not "yap yap yap" type of barking. I have only met one really barky BC before. But his owners wanted him to bark all of the time .

 

If you want to see a lot of wound up BC's, go to a flyball event. They'll bark your ears off.

[CarolAnn]

My two are not yappy! I don't think I'd do well with a yappy breed

 

My two tend to be quiet overall. But they will bark if they get over excited/stimulated - ie, if I'm playing/working with one in the front yard and the other is shut in the house.

 

And I think rescue is the best way to go for a first time BC owner!

 

 

Yes, that's another thing I know we have to address with Carson...He's 4 and barks a lot. I wonder about issues with other dogs, he barks at a neighbors dog behind us...and they both are like maniacs. Carson will come most times when I call him...I tell him to be quiet and he looks at me and runs back to the other dog! And, when we're walking...yes he barks at most dogs. Ideas anyone on this ?

 

CarolAnn

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I haven't met very many yappy bc's.

Daisy barks at other dogs walking past (if i don't catch her) but we are working on self control. She barks short and loud when we are doing tricks and learning new tricks when she's excited. I make her sit and wait so she can calm down. She will give you a ahhhh-roooo-rooooooo-rooo when you come home, along with other various wookie like noises that all mean different things to us, so no, not yappy, but she knows how to communicate to us what she wants most of the time. I'd say 80% of the time she is a very quiet dog.

[esox]

Alex barks when someone approaches the house and stops when I tell her good girl enough. In the morning she barks and howls to greet everyone. That's it for her. Now, Cameron, the half Siamese and Oskar the Maine Coone they love to talk.

 

Esox

[Dalesred]

Rhiw very rarely barks of his own volition. He will join in sometimes with Meg, but not often.

He's very vocal in other endearing ways though - he has a huge range of noises from snorting and grunting when he's settling down for a snooze, to a noise like Blackjack's 'aroo roo' in the morning when he stretches. Like he's saying his name.

 

The only time he's every done any frenzied barking was when he went to flyball classes, when everyone else was barking too.

[bexie]

Overall, Molly is quite quiet. She does alert to noises and needs helping learning which noises are important and which aren't. She more "talks" than barks and mostly when she is frustrated about something. She did have a very annoyign whine and bark for attention phase, but we just had to train her past that by ignoring her when she was noisy and giving her lots of positive attention when she's good.

 

Good luck finding the right dog for you. There are lots of great dogs in rescue needing people to love them. Researching the breed first is definitely a great way to start.

[mum24dog]

Compared to our other dogs our BC is quite quiet.

His main fault is a persistent piercing yap which means "I want" and I know others that make the same noise. And screaming when really frustrated - but getting better.

 

He's not yappy in the same way as our JRT is and he doesn't indulge in mindless barking like our BC x (I put that down to a touch of GSD in him) or bark warnings to the same extent as our hound X.

 

He's learnt all of their barking behaviours to some degree from them but left to himself he's not bad at all.

 

Pam

[mbc1963]

My dog's first 18 months to 2 years were spent as a street dog in Puerto Rico, mixing with lots of random strays, but many chihuahua types. He came home an absolute, tiny-dog-like yapper. Only his bark is deep, loud, and scary sounding. Think German Shepherd. It ain't cute when a big gruff dog is barking at strangers the way a chihuahua would. (Actually, watching enough training shows, it ain't cute when a chihuahua does it either, but their size lets them get away with a lot more than a big dog can get away with!)

 

He barks a lot less now, after lots of work. I'm guessing that in his case, it was a case of nurture over nature. I've met lots of BCs in my travels, and none of them have been yappy.

 

Mary

[theshine]

Mine is not yappy, he rarely barks, and only during play. I have shelties too and they bark much, much, much, more.

[Root Beer]

I wouldn't call them yappy, and in general I haven't seen Border Collies bark like some Shelties I've known! I know a few nice, quiet Shelties, but I do know what you mean.

 

Speedy rarely barks. He barks only when he is super-excited or to alarm bark. People who know him "out and about" have never heard him bark and of my dogs he is definitely the least "bark-y".

 

Dean is more of a barker, but it's not random barking. He is always trying to tell me something when he barks. He alarm barks some, he barks when we play and he gets really excited - sometimes, he barks when we are running Agility and I am not being clear enough directing him (quite comical!). If I am being clear with my cues, he is silent!

 

I've seen Border Collies who are chronic barkers when they are very clearly stressed out, and Border Collies who are reactive barkers, but that's definitely not a "yappy" thing.

[Shadows Mom]

Shadow barks; at people on the street, at cars on the street, at bikes on the street... I see a pattern! She is also a chicken in a BC suit... soooo. OMG a THING *woooof*! We figure she is protecting me, but she does hush when we tell her to! She also spent her puppy-hood with our 1/2 wolf / chow /shepard mix.. wh does nothing but bark, ao she had all the opportunity in the world to learn how LOL.

[bc4pack]

None of the dogs I've had through the years have really ever barked at anything they didn't need to. I've always thought of

BCs as very quiet compared to many breeds... and definitely quiet compared to the Shelties I've known.

 

Sounds like folks whose dogs compete in dog sports have barkier dogs because of the excitement/ competition/high arousal

type scenario.

[clara]

Sounds like folks whose dogs compete in dog sports have barkier dogs because of the excitement/ competition/high arousal type scenario.

 

Yes, I think that's it. Ling almost never barks at home or in normal situations, but barkscreams when she's doing weave poles. It's embarrassing, but luckily she's fast so it doesn't last long!