When it comes to living in an apartment with a dog, one of the most important things is teaching your dog to be quiet. Since you’re living so close to your neighbors, they aren’t going to appreciate it if your dog is barking or howling all day.
While you can train any breed to be quiet, some breeds tend to be quieter than others. Choosing a quieter breed right off the bat will make your training that much easier. This is especially true if you don’t think you’ll have the time it takes to train noisier breeds to be quiet.
Luckily, there are plenty of naturally quiet breeds that will require minimal training when it comes to teaching them to bark or howl less.
Basenji
The Basenji is a small dog originating from Africa. These are energetic little pups, so you’ll have to make sure you’re able to take them for a few walks or jogs a day. They are also very independent, which can sometimes make training a challenge as you have to work around their stubborn streak.
What makes these dogs unique, however, is that they are very quiet dogs. In fact, their name translates to “barkless dog.” Instead of barking, these pups will “yodel,” but this isn’t something they’ll do frequently. They’re also very adaptable dogs, which makes them great for apartments.
Bulldog
These short, stocky dogs might seem intimidating because of their history. Bulldogs were bred originally for bullbaiting, an aggressive sport. In truth, however, bulldogs are kind, gentle dogs who would much rather spend the day relaxing next to you on the couch than going for a run.
Bulldogs are also very quiet dogs, and their generally easy-going natures make them hard to rile up. This means they are fantastic dogs for apartment life, although you’ll need to be careful of your apartment’s temperature. Bulldogs tend not to do well in extreme temperatures.
Whippet
Whippets are friendly little dogs commonly and lovingly referred to as “the Poor Man’s Racehorse.” You’ll find Whippets to be charming dogs that are intelligent and easy to train. While you’ll need to make sure you can give your Whippet enough exercise, they can adapt easily to apartment living.
Whippets are generally very quiet dogs. You won’t have to worry about any yappiness with this breed!
French Bulldog
These dogs are the epitome of cute. Your heart will melt just looking at one of these little guys!
French Bulldogs are also ideal apartment dogs. Their small size means that most complexes that allow dogs will be perfectly fine with your Frenchie. They’re also super friendly, and eager to please which makes them simple to train.
French Bulldogs also don’t tend to bark much. They will, however, chat in their own ways. Frenchies are known for their little grunts and sniffles, so while your neighbors will have a hard time hearing them, they’ll still make sure you know they’re there.
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzus are a breed beloved by apartment-dwellers everywhere. These dogs originate from China and were bred specifically as companion dogs. The Shih Tzu loves nothing more than to be close to his human and they make for delightful, intelligent family members.
They are also a breed not prone to barking. While they might bark when people enter your home, they’re just letting you know someone’s arrived and will be quick to quiet down again. As very friendly dogs, they are fantastic for apartment complexes where you’ll be running into all sorts of people and animals.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
These quiet little dogs make for great apartment companions. They don’t tend to bark or howl much, and while they won’t be afraid to greet any visitors, they are generally very quiet.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is also an extremely personable breed. They love to play and make friends easily. They’re easy to train, which makes their already quiet natures even easier to manage. The Cavalier loves nothing more than pleasing their humans and will pick up on concepts easily during training sessions.
Borzoi
These unique-looking dogs are truly one-of-a-kind. Their long, sleek bodies and silky fur give them an almost ethereal appearance. Although they are a large, breed, they are extremely calm dogs which makes them great for apartment life.
They are also relatively quiet dogs, and won’t bark or howl often. Borzois also have fairly low exercise needs. They’ll still be able to join you for a walk or a jog, but don’t worry if you’re not a super active person. Borzois will be perfectly content to lounge quietly beside you on the couch.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is one of the quieter breeds in the Terrier dog breed group. They’ll still bark when people enter your home, but they’re not generally yappy. They’re also super easy to train, which makes it easier to teach them not to bark even when visitors show up!
They also take very well to apartment life. This is an extremely adaptable breed that will make a wonderful addition to your home.
Greyhound
You might look at the Greyhound and their history as racing dogs and think, “There’s no way they can be comfortable in an apartment.” That, however, couldn’t be further from the truth!
Greyhounds are known in their circles for having two speeds: 100mph and total couch potato. While you’ll need to take your Greyhound out for at least a couple of brisk walks every day, they are also perfectly happy to laze around your home which makes them great apartment dogs.
They are relatively quiet dogs, too, and aren’t known to bark much. Since they’re super smart, it’s easy to train your dog to not even bark at visitors when they come by!
Afghan Hound
These dogs are the face of elegance. Their long, silky fur and intelligent expressions give these dogs their unique look.
The Afghan Hound is no beginner dog, however. They are very intelligent, and that leads to a certain amount of stubbornness. Afghan Hounds are also very independent dogs, and that can make training hard too.
On the other hand, they’re also very quiet dogs. Like most other breeds, they’ll probably bark once or twice if someone comes into your home. In general, however, they are very quiet, so don’t expect a lot of noise with these dogs.
