Basenji. — Photos: 123rf
Dogs are clever animals who use barks to share information about themselves, like how they're feeling and who they're barking at. Here are three breeds noted for their messages.
One of the loudest barkers is the Anatolian Shepherd Dog. These handsome dogs originally from Turkey are huge, with a shoulder height of 80cm and weighing up to 60kg.
These dogs were bred to guard livestock, so their big bark is designed to scare away predator wolves and to alert their humans of trouble.
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are so good at their job that they are used in Namibia and Kenya to help protect livestock from cheetah attacks.
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
The Basenji that originate in central Africa, in the Congo region, are the opposite, being nicknamed Africa's Barkless Dog because they communicate through yips, yodels, chortles and howls.
Basenji can’t bark because they have unusually shaped larynxes.
This unusual breed is also different from most dogs because they clean their fur by licking themselves all over, just like cats.
Just like whales are famous for having calls that travel hundreds of miles across the ocean, the Tibetan Mastiff has a bark that can carry for miles.
This tough breed has protected Tibetan monasteries and villages, as well as farmer’s livestock from bears, wolves and snow leopards, for centuries.
The Tibetan Mastiff bark is low and deep, perfect for alerting people across snow-filled hills and valleys that they are dealing with threats.
Tibetan Mastiff
