ok i know you probably read the thread title and thought whats the big deal, dogs bark all the time, and that i am probably on something to even be posting such a ridiculous thing but .......

in the 5 years that i have had scout, she has NEVER barked ! well thats not entirely true, she did bark once when she was about 4 months old, but she hasn't uttered a single woof since that day 4 1/2 years ago ! as elated as i was to hear her bark i was a little annoyed that she picked the god awful time of 2am to utter her first words.

i was sound asleep and awoke to a bark. i thought i was dreaming but then i heard it again, just a series of single woofs roughly about every 5-8 seconds. before i opened my eyes i tried listening a little closer to determine whose bark it was as it was unfamiliar to me. plus if it had been thunder i would know he was just barking at the bear and i would just go back to sleep. if it were salty i would know something was really wrong and i should get up immediately. since the sound was so unfamiliar i thought it was one of our neighbors dogs i was hearing since all our windows were open that night. as the fog cleared from my head i realized the sound was coming from just a few feet away. i opened my eyes to see scout sitting up, staring towards our kitchen window and letting out the single woofs. i was amazed. i got up to see what she was barking at and though i could not see him, i knew she must have been barking at the bear as i could see a bunch of ripped up garbage strewn across my yard.

i went over to scout and praised her for barking and letting me know something was out in our yard and i asked her to please shut up so i could go back to sleep. she seemed to be mighty thrilled with herself, and maybe a little confused as this was all new to her, and refused to stop barking. of course telling her quiet, that's enough, etc. had no effect whatsoever because she had never had cause to learn what any of those commands mean.

i finally gave in and went back to sleep figuring she would just stop on her own at some point and hoped that point would be sooner rather than later.

i must admit i am a little disappointed. for such a big dog, she sure has a wussy bark. though maybe with some practice, it will get better. i am not sure though she believes the practice makes perfect saying as she has been silent since that night.

Well I'd think a bear was worth barking over! Too funny, her barking for the first time in 5 years and then you not beinga ble to shut her up lol

what a story! haha! go scout!

Good job Scout! Chase those bears out of the trash!! I hope this doesn't turn out like when my friend couldn't wait for her little girl to learn to talk. Now she never shuts up. LOL

I think this is probably the first time I've ever been excited because somebody said her dog barked. See, she's a guardian afterall!

lol ... its exactly like waiting for your child to finally start talking and being soo happy to hear their first words, and then wishing they would just shut up

I think this is probably the first time I've ever been excited because somebody said her dog barked. See, she's a guardian afterall!


took 5 years but finally my girl is growing up !

Its not a wussy bark, Scout was using her inside voice.....

, Irish!

Zoe never barked prior to having her pups. Now, she won't stop! Well, ok she does only bark when she is hearing things, but sometimes is things only she can hear, if you know what I mean! LOL! The only one I pay any attention to is Detour. If he's barking, it means I need to get up and look out the windows - He's my guardian!

@ Irish !

OMG! Too funny Irish! I just saw this! Way to go Scoutie!

I just saw this too! Go Scout (the dog LOL)!!!

That's crazy she has never ever barked to the extreme that you didn't recognize her voice! Maybe she just never had a good reason to say anything. Manson doesn't say much, but when he does, I listen because it means something is unusual or not right. He told me when the lizard was loose in the house, and when Grandaddy was having a heart attack. He also barks when he's ready to come inside from a potty break, but it's a different bark.