German Shepherd is an active, energetic and playful dog. The breed is not among those who tend not to bark much. However, there are owners who complain about their shepherd not barking. This indicates that something is wrong with the dog and you need to find it out.
Why is your Shepherd not barking?
Below mentioned are some reasons that can lead to your dog not barking. Try avoiding these as much as possible.
- Laryngitis
It might be the situation that your dog has been barking for a while and has used his vocal cords a lot. This can cause inflammation in the vocal cords of the dog and can cause laryngitis. In such situations, dogs prefer to give their voice a rest. After some time, when his vocal cord will be good, his bark will be back.
- Personality
Although shepherds have an energetic and playful personality yet there are exceptions. Each dog carries his own personality and chances are that your dog doesn't love the barking sound. So, they choose to make whimpering sounds or whine instead of barking. Also, if your dog is laid back or easy-going, he won't bark.
- Laryngeal paralysis
When laryngeal paralysis occurs in a dog, it creates an alteration of the voice box or larynx of the dog. The function might also be impaired. Laryngeal paralysis makes the laryngeal muscles weak, and this leads to the collapse of the cartilage which is supported by these muscles. This can discourage your dog to bark because of the pain.
- Tumor
If there's a growing tumor in the trachea or larynx of the dog, this can also lead to a situation of your dog not barking. Such tumor is a slow-growing malignant cancer and is called Chondrosarcoma. It affects the dog in many ways, including its ability to eat, breathe and impacting his voice.
Prevention of not barking
- Try to know what's bothering your dog when he barks excessively. Help him calm down and reduce his barking. You don't want him to suffer later.
- Avoid health conditions that can lead to losing his voice.
- Take him to the veterinarian on regular intervals so that any issue can be diagnosed before it becomes severe.
- Take care of your dog's diet and make sure it's meeting all his nutrient needs.
- Keep your shepherd overall healthy by indulging him in regular exercises.
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Image courtesy:Â https://pixabay.com/photos/german-shepherd-dogs-canine-pet-4068034/
