Do French Bulldogs Bark A Lot? What To Do When Your Frenchie Likes To Talk!

Plenty of people like to talk, and some dogs love to bark. Could Frenchies be the same way?

So, do French Bulldogs bark a lot?

Frenchies seldom bark! They often do when something’s up but prefer other ways to communicate. However, this breed is smart and will quickly pick up when they get something out of barking: owners may reinforce the wrong behavior without knowing. 

Luckily for me, my Frenchies rarely bark. I may hear Luzy barking when his brother runs away with her favorite toy (though they often prefer to share).

Learn about all French Bulldogs barking below!

Why Is My Frenchie Barking So Much?

Frenchies often bark when something’s up. That could mean they are overly excited, scared, anxious, or don’t have the training to recognize when it’s okay to be loud.

More often than not, Frenchies who bark too much are untrained. They don’t know how to behave because their owners haven’t trained them. Don’t worry if that sounds like you. It happens to a lot of people!

I’ll explain how to start training your Frenchie below.

Don’t disregard every bark as unnecessary, though. Your Frenchie will bark to communicate with you.

Unfortunately, one bark can mean countless things. You’ll find the most common reasons below.

Common Reasons for French Bulldog Barking

• Boredom. Did you know Frenchies are an intelligent breed? They need physical and mental stimulation every day! A French Bulldog who barks too much at random may be bored or full of energy.

• Excitement. Have you brought a new toy to the house? Is your dog barking because of that? That means they’re barking out of excitement! That can also happen when they see someone they miss.

• Fear. Dogs usually bark when they sense danger. That’s why your Frenchie barks when someone is behind your front door! Removing your dog from the apparent source of trouble usually solves the issue.

• Genes. Are the parents of your Frenchie talkative? That means your dog will be the same for one of two reasons: genetics or upbringing. Your dog may bark a lot because it’s in their genes to do so. They may also bark a lot because they understood barking was normal by watching their parents.

• Hunger. Is your pup barking and pawing at their plate? I’m pretty sure the explanation behind that behavior is straightforward.

• Pain. Dogs will let you know they’re in pain in one way or the other. Sometimes, they will grab your attention by barking at you. Or will bark when their pain flares up. That’s why paying attention to every bark is essential, just in case.

• Territory. Frenchies are dogs at the end of the day – and they can act territorial because of that. The best way to deal with this type of behavior is to socialize your dog from an early age (so they learn how to behave with other animals and people).

How To Manage (And Reduce) Barking

1. Figure Out What’s Wrong

Is your dog anxious, excited, or hungry? You have to figure out why they’re barking! Maybe they’re just thirsty. Or perhaps they feel territorial about the new pet you just brought home.

Take my two Frenchies as an example. Manny doesn’t bark that much – but Luzy will bark from time to time to grab his big brother’s attention. 

When that happens, I go straight to number four on this list!

It could also mean other things, such as hunger or pain. Check the list above to learn more!

2. Train Your French Bulldog

Is your Frenchie barking too much? You can start training them with the quiet command. It’s easy!

Teach your Frenchie the quiet command this way:

1. Wait Until Your Dog Barks. Your dog could bark because someone’s at the door, out of excitement, or for fun. That’s when the class starts!

2. Tell Them To “Quiet.” Do so with a firm voice – without shouting. You should say so only once. Your Frenchie will look at you without barking. That means it’s time to reinforce that good behavior.

3. Give Them A Treat (When Successful). Pick their favorite one! Give out one treat every time they follow your command. Don’t overindulge. If you have more than one dog, things can get tricky: only give treats to dogs following your order (otherwise, you’ll reinforce random behavior). 

4. Reset Or Repeat. Has your dog listened to you? Great! Keep going! Has your dog continued to bark? Wait for a while and try again. 

3. Socialize Your Frenchie

French Bulldogs can become overly territorial and borderline jealous when seeing you with another person or pet. That means your Frenchie is under-socialized. 

Puppies tend to develop anxiety or aggressiveness if separated from their mothers early on. They also won’t know how to act if they don’t share much time with humans or other animals early in life.

Fortunately, you can efficiently deal with a lack of socialization in a fun way, like going to the park to have fun with other furballs!

4. Redirect Their Attention

Sometimes, dogs bark because they’re too excited. The same thing happens with children and yelling! The best way to deal with that is to redirect their energy and keep them busy.

Remember, you can’t let your dog think you’re positively reinforcing excessive barking. Therefore, you have to look for a way to reset their behavior.

If your dog starts barking and zooming, go to another room, grab a toy, and call them. When they come speeding in, start playing with them to burn that excess energy (which will also fix any excessive barking). 

5. Talk To The Vet

If you can’t figure out what’s going on or feel like training is not helping your dog stop barking, something’s up! That means you have to talk to your vet right away. 

Remember, barking is how dogs communicate with their owners. If a dog barks, they want to grab your attention. 

It could be because they want to play with you or feeling jealous. After all, you’re spending time with someone else – but it can also mean they’re in pain. That’s when the vet saves the day!

What NOT To Do When Your Frenchie Barks

• Ignore Them. Never ignore your Frenchie when they bark! You need to figure out why they’re barking. If it’s bad behavior, you should train them to reframe that. If it’s an issue (e.g., pain), you need to talk to the vet. 

• Play Along. The worst thing you can do is give in to the barking. Let’s say your Frenchie loves treats and will bark and bark until you give them one. That’s the worst thing you can do! By doing that, you’re reinforcing that behavior – which is the last thing you want.

• Get Upset. Hearing your dog bark could prove annoying, especially after a long day at the office. However, getting upset won’t help. You need to focus on what you have to do (see the list above to create the perfect strategy to deal with this issue).

• Shout At Them. Your dog will follow your lead most of the time, meaning they will bark if they hear you shout. Studies show aggressive dogs tend to be that way because of aggressive owners. Therefore, you must keep calm if you want to live with a calm dog!

Barking Behaviors Across Different Ages

When Do French Bulldogs Bark The Most?

Frenchies don’t bark the most at any specific time. If they do, it concerns their circumstances rather than the time itself. 

For example, your French Bulldog may bark the most when you leave for work or halfway through the day (if they’re alone during your work shift).

Puppies, however, may bark the most early in the day. Pups sleep a lot and tend to wake up full of energy. They quickly burn that energy by playing and running around, barking a little bit here and there in between all that fun.

Adult dogs don’t have a barking schedule, but they indeed have a napping schedule (they nap whenever possible).

Are Frenchies Known To Bark When Left Alone?

French Bulldogs often bark when something’s wrong. Unfortunately, Frenchies hate to be left alone, which could trigger their anxiety.

Every dog behaves differently when alone. 

My Brindle Frenchie, Manny, views alone time as a chance to nap. In contrast, Luzy, her sister, will rest for a while, then wake up and take it out on the trash can if she feels left behind (it took me longer than it should to figure out why the trash can fell to the ground when I left home).

However, none of them bark when alone. They probably would if they weren’t keeping company (because of separation anxiety). Fortunately, they have each other!

Will My French Bulldog Bark At Strangers?

That depends! A well-trained Frenchie (adequately socialized early in life) will not bark at other animals or people for no reason.

In contrast, an untrained puppy or poorly socialized Frenchie may feel like barking when they spot a stranger. They may also get overly territorial if they don’t know how to behave with other people or pets.

That’s nothing that training can’t fix! The best time to train your dog was early on, and the second best time is right now. Talk to your vet to see how to train your Frenchie and help him socialize.

I highly recommend going to the dog park to let your Frenchie make new friends: they’ll all have a blast!

Do Frenchies Bark As Much As Other Breeds?

Frenchies are nowhere near the top 10 list of loudest dogs. If you’re looking for a quiet companion to watch movies with you, this type of couch potato is picture-perfect for that.

There’s a reason for that!

Those who know their Frenchie history know they were bred to be companion dogs, not guard dogs.

Guard dogs tend to bark the most because they’re always on high alert to protect their territory. Companion dogs prefer to hang around and eat with you while someone else takes care of trouble – just like Frenchies do!

I can tell from personal experience Frenchies seldom bark. They do have plenty of other noises in their arsenal, though. 

Do French Bulldogs Make A Lot Of Noise?

French Bulldogs may bark very little but tend to make different noises. For example, every Frenchie owner knows these tiny furballs are big on snoring.

At the same time, French Bulldogs (and other brachycephalic breeds) often vocalize their wants and needs by doing something different than barking. They prefer to whimper, yell, and cry (rather than bark) when they want something. It’s like listening to a one-dog weird sound orchestra.

Luzy, my Piebald Frenchie, loves to do all sorts of sounds when she wants to play!

So, sure, Frenchies are noisy – but not necessarily loud. The way they choose to express themselves is a few decibels lower than dogs, who like to bark all the time.

Are French Bulldogs High-maintenance In Terms Of Barking?

Not at all! A well-trained French Bulldog rarely barks. However, that doesn’t mean you can throw caution in the wind and be careless regarding training.

The best bet to stop excessive barking is to prevent it from the start. Training and socializing your pup correctly will prevent hiccups when they become adult dogs.

Frenchies are not high maintenance. They only require a little attention and lots of love. Barking is an example of that! A little training goes a long way for them.

What You Should Know

Frenchies seldom bark – so something’s up when they do. It could be a range of things, from over-excitement to lack of training. Understanding why your French Bulldog barks is the key to teaching them how to be quiet and happy. Age matters: puppies and senior dogs tend to bark more than adult Frenchies.