Not any dog barks as much as domestic dog does. Wolf, jackal, fox, coyote rarely bark, while raccoon dog does not bark at all. A bark is a signal for danger, it notifies a pack of something unfamiliar... simply, it is a way a dog is telling something. Different barks have different meanings, but they must be grasped together with other symbols of communication, such as body, eyes, ears...
Some breeds of domestic dogs bark more than other because they were bred and mixed in such ways. Yorkshire Terrier will bark much more energetic at smaller stimulant than a Great Dane. The most distinct characteristic of Basenji is that it rarely barks. However, too much barking in most cases is a sign of behavioral problems.
Most common feelings and intensions that a bark is showcasing:
1. Someone's presence – for instance, when someone is buzzing the intercom.
2. Excitement about someone unfamiliar who is very close – for instance, arrival of a stranger into the house, stepping over the threshold or just before the knock on the door.
3. A dog feels a problem but is in dominant posture – for instance, you have entered into a yard where a dog sees you, but does not know you.
4. A dog is lonely or in closed space – for instance, common occurrence with dogs that guard some warehouse.
5. Greeting as a dog realized that it knows you – for instance, street dogs very often bark if there is someone unfamiliar present, and then if they recognize that person, they switch the bark to a greeting bark.
6. A dog does not wish you to come any closer – for instance, if it is holding a bone while you are approaching.
7. Surprise – for instance, if someone approaches it without any aggressive intent.
8. A call to play – for instance, it lowers its front part of the body, raises its back and calls you to play with a bark.