Living close to others demands a considerate canine companion. Excessive barking can strain neighborly relations, but peace and quiet doesn’t mean sacrificing the joy of dog ownership. Discover the 19 best quiet dog breeds perfect for apartment living or noise-sensitive environments. From cuddly lap dogs to dignified gentle giants, these breeds offer affection and companionship without the disruptive barking, ensuring harmony both within your home and with your neighbors. This list will help you find the perfect quiet canine to complete your life.
One thing that a dog is known for is its bark. They can be very noisy animals at times, which can lead to trouble if the habit isn’t curbed, including noise ordinance violations.
If you live in an apartment, you might want to opt for one of the more quiet dog breeds, and you’re in luck, there are many to choose from!
The quiet dog breeds are ones that either don’t bark or do so very rarely, more as a protective measure than anything else. Don’t mistake this for lack of confidence, though, they are very secure in their skin.
Quiet Dog Breeds
If you’re looking for a list of the quietest dog breeds and don’t know where to start, we’ve done the legwork for you. Let’s take a look at our top recommendations.
1. Basenji
| Group | Hound |
| Dog’s Size | 16″ to 17″ |
| Weight | 22 to 24 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Fine, short coat; red, black, brindle, tricolor, with white markings on chest, feet, and tail |
| Lifespan | 13 to 14 years |
If you’re looking for a dog that doesn’t bark but has a unique sound instead, look no further than the Basenji. When they get excited, they tend to whine or, more interestingly, produce a yodeling sound.
Sometimes, Basenjis even squeal. They aren’t especially noisy, which makes them suitable for apartment living. They were originally bred as hunting dogs.
2. Italian Greyhound
| Group | Toy |
| Dog’s Size | 13″ to 15″ |
| Weight | 7 to 14 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Smooth, short coat; comes in a variety of colors, including red, blue, black, sable, seal, fawn, red, white and black, and any combination thereof. |
| Lifespan | 14 to 15 years |
The Italian Greyhound was originally bred as hunting dogs and this quiet dog breed tends to be active.
Italian Greyhounds thrive in quiet environments and, as such, do better in homes with older children who aren’t prone to chaos and will reward you by being quiet themselves. This pup falls into the Italian dog breeds list.
3. Great Dane
| Group | Working |
| Dog’s Size | 28″ to 32″ |
| Weight | 110 to 175 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Short, smooth coat; brindle, black, harlequin, mantle, fawn, blue |
| Lifespan | 7 to 10 years |
The Great Dane is a notorious gentle giant that awes everyone with its large size, but did you know they’re also one of the top quiet dog breeds?
The Great Dane does bark, and when it does, it packs a wallop. However, when Great Danes do bark, it’s to warn you that something isn’t quite right or they’re bored.
4. Borzoi
| Group | Hound |
| Dog’s Size | 26″ and up |
| Weight | 60 to 105 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Silky, curly, medium-length coat; black and cream, black and brindle, silver sable, silver brindle, gold sable, gold brindle, and others |
| Lifespan | 9 to 14 years |
The Borzoi is an elegant-looking dog that hails from Russian breeds. A very quiet dog breed, the Borzoi is more than capable of sneaking up on you.However, if you’re looking for a guard dog to alert you when there’s an intruder nearby, you’re out of luck because it will rarely bark.
5. Bernese Mountain Dog
| Group | Working |
| Dog’s Size | 23″ to 27.5″ |
| Weight | 70 to 115 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Double, medium-length coat; black rust and white, or black tan and white |
| Lifespan | 7 to 10 years |
The Bernese Mountain Dog is well-known for its penchant for guarding and protecting its family and is generally quiet. It’s also a softie when it’s around the people it loves and rarely barks.
However, unlike the Borzoi, the Bernese Mountain Dog will let you know when someone they don’t know is around — it sounds scary when it growls!
6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
| Group | Toy |
| Dog’s Size | 12″ to 13″ |
| Weight | 13 to 18 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Silky, wavy, medium-length coat; white with chestnut or ruby, or black and white |
| Lifespan | 9 to 14 years |
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of the sweetest dogs you’ll ever encounter, and its soulful eyes speak to you.
One of the quiet dog breeds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, doesn’t make a lot of noise, but it’s also capable of changing the tone of their bark in an effort to communicate better with you. This pup gets along with everyone, including other dogs.
7. French Bulldog
| Group | Non-Sporting |
| Dog’s Size | 11″ to 13″ |
| Weight | under 28 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Smooth short coat; brindle, fawn, cream, white, or a combination thereof. |
| Lifespan | 10 to 12 years |
If you’re looking for one of the top quiet dog breeds that are also one of the cutest on our list, the French Bulldog is a good choice.
These quiet dogs are so cute you’ll want to smile along with them. Despite its little stature, the French Bulldog isn’t prone to barking unless it picks up the habit out of boredom or loneliness.
8. Japanese Chin
| Group | Toy |
| Dog’s Size | 8″ to 11″ |
| Weight | 4 to 9 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Long, silky coats; lemon and white, black and white, sable and white, and other combinations. |
| Lifespan | 10 to 14 years |
The Japanese Chin is another super sweet breed that kind of resembles the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but with a few noticeable differences.
Its even-keeled nature has landed this pup on our quiet dog breeds list, though you should know if it becomes anxious, it will regale you with its tales. The breed originally came from China, but like the Akita, it is a popular choice in Japan, too.
9. Pug
| Group | Toy |
| Dog’s Size | 10″ to 13″ |
| Weight | 14 to 18 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Short, smooth coats; fawn or black |
| Lifespan | 13 to 15 years |
Pugs are cute little pups that earned a place on our quiet dog breeds list because they simply like to remain quiet. This is one small dog breed that will not bark your ear off and is happy to just follow you around all day.
However, just because it’s quiet, don’t expect your pug to be boring — these little guys can be quite mischievous! Oh, and also … they have the cutest snore.
10. Shar Pei
| Group | Non-Sporting |
| Dog’s Size | 18″ to 20″ |
| Weight | 45 to 60 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Short, smooth coat; a variety of colors, including apricot dilute, cream, blue, black, red, fawn, sable, or combinations thereof. |
| Lifespan | 8 to 12 years |
Looking for a pup that you could just eat up? The Shar Pei never fails to draw looks with its cute wrinkles. And, as a win, it makes our list of quiet dog breeds because it is known for hardly ever making noise.
One exception the Shar Pei will make is to alert its humans to an intruder or bad actor.
11. Scottish Deerhound
| Group | Hound |
| Dog’s Size | 28″ to 32″ |
| Weight | 75 to 110 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Double, wiry, medium-length coat; blue gray, gray, brindle, gray brindle |
| Lifespan | 8 to 11 years |
he Scottish Deerhound is one of the quiet dog breeds that you don’t hear about often. Calm and sensitive, the Scottish Deerhound is a one-family dog, and it’s notably quiet.
They’re also useless guard dogs. If you like the idea of a Scottish Deerhound but want a breed that’s better suited to first-time or inexperienced owners, the Afghan Hound is your best bet.
12. Great Pyrenees
| Group | Working |
| Dog’s Size | 25″ to 32″ |
| Weight | 85 to 100 pounds and up |
| Fur and Color | Double, medium-length coat; white, with some colored markings sometimes |
| Lifespan | 10 to 12 years |
Giant and fluffy, the Great Pyrenees is a gorgeous mountain dog breed, and despite its size, like the Great Dane, it’s one of the quiet dog breeds out there.
It’s also very intelligent and stubborn and as such, it makes its presence known in other ways than barking and being noisy. The Great Pyrenees is one pup that needs consistent training.
13. Newfoundland
| Group | Working |
| Dog’s Size | 26″ to 28″ |
| Weight | 100 to 150 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Double, medium-length coat; black, gray, brown, black and white |
| Lifespan | 9 to 10 years |
The Newfoundland is another one of the gentle giants on our list, and like the Great Dane and Great Pyrenees, it’s a working breed that’s also very quiet, letting its stature speak for it.
This one of our quiet dog breeds is a sweetheart, intensely devoted to its family, and it has a big bark when it does speak. However, that’s often reserved for danger or people it doesn’t know.
14. Whippet
| Group | Hound |
| Dog’s Size | 18″ to 22″ |
| Weight | 25 to 40 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Short, smooth coats; brindle, black, white, gray, fawn, sable, red, blue, or combinations thereof. |
| Lifespan | 12 to 15 years |
The Whippet dog breed is the Greyhound’s cousin, and it looks like it, just in a smaller size. Whippets are quiet but active dogs and, thus, need a lot of exercise to maintain their calm.
However, the Whippet can and will bark around strangers, as it tends to be wary of them. If you own a Whippet, you’ll love how playful it is.
15. Irish Setter
| Group | Sporting |
| Dog’s Size | 25″ to 27″ |
| Weight | 60 to 70 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Silky, medium-length coat; red, chestnut, or mahogany |
| Lifespan | 12 to 15 years |
Irish Setters are fun, playful dogs with a goofy side. When you exercise an Irish Setter, you’ll notice it remains calm and therefore, quiet afterward.
The Irish Setter dog breed is a sweet pup, too, one that loves its family. It’s a breed that is eager to please and very social. The Irish Setter gets along very well with other dogs and pets.
16. Shiba Inu
| Group | Non-Sporting |
| Dog’s Size | 13.5″ to 16.5″ |
| Weight | 17 to 23 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Short, double coat; cream, sesame, red, or black and tan |
| Lifespan | 13 to 16 years |
The Shiba Inu is a fun-loving Japanese dog breed wrapped up in a furry package that resembles an overgrown fox. It’s one of the most stubborn of our quiet dog breeds, but that can be corrected with consistent training.
The Shiba Inu often seems standoffish to strangers and those it doesn’t know well but is completely devoted to its family.
17. Glen of Imaal Terrier
| Group | Terrier |
| Dog’s Size | 12.5″ to 14″ |
| Weight | 32 to 40 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Medium-length, wiry coat; wheaten or blue brindle |
| Lifespan | 10 to 15 years |
The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a cute, spirited pup that doesn’t make much noise at all, which is unique given the fact that it’s a terrier. This pup is a hard-working dog named after a remote area in Ireland.
Glen of Imaal Terriers are small dogs that are happy to be your companion and play, or you can put them to work with tasks.
18. Saluki
| Group | Hound |
| Dog’s Size | 23″ to 28″ |
| Weight | 40 to 65 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Smooth, short coats; available in multiple colors, including white, silver, red, chocolate, cream, fawn, tan, and many others. |
| Lifespan | 10 to 17 years |
Salukis are elegant-looking pups with feathering on their tails and furry ears that add a regal touch. The Saluki is dignified but also loves to let loose and give chase.
In addition to being one of the quiet dog breeds, the Saluki is a very adaptable dog that can live or work anywhere.
19. Rhodesian Ridgeback
| Group | Hound |
| Dog’s Size | 24″ to 27″ |
| Weight | 70 to 85 pounds |
| Fur and Color | Smooth, short coat; red wheaten, light wheaten, wheaten, or combinations thereof. |
| Lifespan | 10 to 12 years |
Last but certainly not least is the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a quiet breed unless it has something to warn you about or, in the very rare event, it gets bored.
If you own a Rhodesian Ridgeback, you’ll appreciate how watchful it is, having been bred as hunting dogs and guard dogs.
FAQs
Which Breed of Dog Is the Quietest?
The Basenji, known as the barkless dog, is the quietest dog breed, though it does like to make funny sounds that are likely to entertain you.
What Is a Suitable, Quiet Family Dog?
From this list, there are many pups that are suitable and quiet. For example, I would recommend the Pug and French Bulldog for homes with older children and the gentle giant breeds for homes with small children.
What Dog Breed Barks the Most?
The Samoyed is the noisiest breed, barking around 50 times a day — definitely not a canine for apartment dwellers!
Wrap up
There are many quiet dog breeds that you can adopt, but it’s always a good idea to research the pup’s characteristics, as well. These pups are great because you can bring them anywhere — even to a hotel when you travel — and not worry about them causing too much noise.
Finding a quiet canine companion doesn’t mean sacrificing personality. Many breeds, from the cuddly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to the dignified Basenji, offer a peaceful presence without excessive barking. While training and individual temperament play a role, opting for a breed known for its quiet nature is a great first step towards harmonious apartment living and neighborly bliss. Remember that even quiet breeds need proper exercise and mental stimulation to thrive and minimize any potential vocalizations due to boredom or frustration.