Is Dog Barking Natural Or Is It A Learned Communication For Humans?

[RATTER15]

I was watching a documentary about wild dogs in Africa and it was noted that none of the wild dogs actually bark and neither do wolves, it was suggested that a dogs bark is a skill learned over many centuries, a behavior to communicate with humans.

What do you reckon?

[woofgang]

Well wolves do communicate over distance vocally and domestic dogs do bark at each other but it might be right that dogs started to use barking because it works with humans and incorporated it into their communication skills basket...like yodellers and those tribes who communicate over distance by whistling.

[pixie373]

It may have been encouraged by humans to protect the territory?

[wildwood]

Coyotes bark, but that may be a learned behaviour from domesticated and/or feral dogs.

[Brinjal]

Painted dogs don't actually bark but they are very vocal and hip and squeal amongst themselves.

[Chipchopper]

It makes good sense, what you suspect Ratter.
I believe some dog breeds have been selectively bread over many generations, to warn their owners of intruders or predators prowling around livestock.
I guess non barkers didn't have good prospects of a long career.

[woofgang]

Its interesting, my dogs bark to tell me there is someone at the door (they watch out the window) but they hunt in total silence.

[tamborine]

Maybe wild dogs are free to investgate whereas pet dogs bark an alarm they cant investgate

[ladybirder]

I heard recently that cats only meow when they are trying to communicate with humans. Aren't they clever!

[woofgang]

tambo, if my boys think there is an intruder in the garden, then they bark as they rush out, if its prey they run out silently.

[FredPuli43]

If so , it doesn't work very well because few of us understand 'dog'. We all understand that a dog barks if there's someone at the door, but beyond that there is ignorance. Dogs have a range of barks, for different purposes. There is the "I am lonely" bark, the "I am curious" bark, the "I feel threatened' bark, and lots more. But other dogs know what the various barks mean

[RATTER15]

Fred, I think most dedicated experienced dog owners know the differences in their own dogs bark, we know most of our dogs barks, as you will know, Wolfhounds (thankfully) rarely bark, but when they do we usually know immediately what the problem is.

[murraymints]

Woof !

[RATTER15]

MM, I dont believe you!! dreadful thing to say!

:-)

[FredPuli43]

Yes, Ratter, we do get to know a range of barks but for the dog to have intended them all for humans means that it knew that the human would know the different meanings of each. All dogs, the world over, speak the same language of barks. Humans, however, the world over, make different sounds, different language, for every one of those messages. That's why I think that the barks are instinctive and intended to tell other dogs in the pack what the individual has seen or sensed, to the benefit of the pack, have evolved for that purpose, and that we humans, or some of us , have merely learned what the dogs are saying. The rarest sound that my little dogs make is the 'baying' noise, when one comes upon a deer and gives chase, and the others join in. That is telling the others, not me; the one needs the help of the others and they need as much help from other dogs around as possible

[Old_Geezer]

Species evolve. Culturally (if that is the word) as well as physically. I guess the domestic variety just opted for bark rather than howl or something, somewhere along the line.