Hush to Boom home

How loud is a dog barking?

104–118.9dBA max1.2 to 2.4 m from the dog; kennel peaks at the dosimeter

A single dog barking a couple of metres away can peak at around 104 to 108 dB(A), and a kennel full of barking dogs is louder still. A shelter study found peaks regularly exceeded the dosimeter's 118.9 dBA limit and that sound levels in animal shelters regularly exceed 100 dB.

Level
104–118.9 dBA maxA-weighted maximum sound level
Daily limit
11 s a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
Versus conversation
78,524× energyabout 29.8× as loud

What the numbers mean

How it was measured. Peak bark levels of 104 dB(A) (Shetland sheepdog) and 108 dB(A) (beagle) measured 1.2 to 2.4 m from the dog (Senn & Lewin 1975, as tabulated in a 2026 Occupational Medicine review). In an animal shelter, peak levels regularly exceeded the dosimeter's 118.9 dBA ceiling (Coppola et al. 2006).

Barks are short and sharp, so peak levels are high. Measurements by Senn and Lewin, summarised in a 2026 Occupational Medicine review, found 108 dB(A) for a beagle and 104 dB(A) for a Shetland sheepdog at 1.2 to 2.4 m, 106 dB(A) in a corridor where dogs were confined, and 70 to 85 dB(A) in adjoining areas.

Kennels add reverberation and many dogs. Coppola and colleagues reported that sound levels in animal shelters regularly exceed 100 dB, and in their study peak levels regularly exceeded the 118.9 dBA measuring limit of the dosimeter. CDC lists shouting or barking in the ear at 110 dB.

That noise adds up for staff. NIOSH health hazard evaluations at animal shelters found full-shift averages of 82.2 to 91.0 dBA for workers at one Louisiana shelter, and kennel workers at a veterinary hospital were exposed at 91 to 95 dB(A).

How long is safe?

NIOSH recommends no more than 11 s a day at 118.9 dBA (5 min 57 s at 104). OSHA's legal limit is 8 min 44 s. This is a maximum, so a time limit based on it is a worst case.

LevelNIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule)OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule)UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached afterUK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after
104 dBA5 min 57 s1 h 9 min1 min 55 s6 min 3 s
118.9 dBA11 s8 min 44 s4 s12 s

Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.

Pets

Dogs are sensitive to kennel noise too. A 2022 study of kenneled dogs, summarising earlier work by Scheifele and colleagues, reports that over half of the dogs evaluated showed a hearing reduction of more than 20 dB after six months in a kennel environment.

Protecting your hearing

Kennel and shelter staff should wear earplugs or earmuffs in dog areas; NIOSH found full-shift exposures above recommended limits. At home, a dog barking right beside your ear can reach 110 dB, so step back or cover the near ear.

Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.

Compared with sounds nearby

Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).

  • Piccolo (96–118 dBA): this has about 2.8× its sound energy and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
  • MRI scanner (102–115.8 dBA): this has about 1.8× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
  • Police siren (115–120 dBA): it has about 4× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.5× as loud.
  • Earbuds at full volume (115.5–120 dBA): it has about 4.3× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.5× as loud.
  • Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 78,524× its energy and sounds about 29.8× as loud.

Questions

How many decibels is a dog bark?

A beagle peaked at 108 dB(A) and a Shetland sheepdog at 104 dB(A) measured 1.2 to 2.4 m away. CDC lists barking in the ear at 110 dB.

How loud is a dog kennel?

Sound levels in animal shelters regularly exceed 100 dB, and one study found peaks regularly exceeded its dosimeter's 118.9 dBA limit.

Can barking damage hearing?

Repeated exposure can. NIOSH found shelter workers' full-shift averages of 82.2 to 91.0 dBA, and studies of kenneled dogs have found measurable hearing loss in the dogs themselves.

Sources

  1. A silent hazard-noise in the veterinary sector: a scoping review, Occupational Medicine (2026), via PMC. Supports: dB_low: 104 dB(A) peak.Shetland Sheepdog: 104 dB(A)Checked 2026-11-02.
  2. A silent hazard-noise in the veterinary sector: a scoping review, Occupational Medicine (2026), via PMC. Supports: body: 108 dB(A) peak.Beagle: 108 dB(A)Checked 2026-11-02.
  3. A silent hazard-noise in the veterinary sector: a scoping review, Occupational Medicine (2026), via PMC. Supports: distance: 1.2 to 2.4 m.Measured at 1.2–2.4 m from the dog.Checked 2026-11-02.
  4. A silent hazard-noise in the veterinary sector: a scoping review, Occupational Medicine (2026), via PMC. Supports: body: kennel worker exposure.Kennel workers: 91–95 dB(A)Checked 2026-11-02.
  5. Noise in the animal shelter environment: building design and the effects of daily noise exposure, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science (Coppola et al., 2006), via PubMed. Supports: dB_high: peaks exceeded 118.9 dBA.Peak noise levels regularly exceeded the measuring capability of the dosimeter (118.9 dBA).Checked 2026-11-02.
  6. Noise in the animal shelter environment: building design and the effects of daily noise exposure, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science (Coppola et al., 2006), via PubMed. Supports: body: shelters exceed 100 dB.Sound levels in animal shelters regularly exceed 100 dB.Checked 2026-11-02.
  7. Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2007-0068-3042: Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, NIOSH / CDC. Supports: body: shelter worker full-shift averages.from 82.2 dBA to 91.0 dBAChecked 2026-11-02.
  8. What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? (archived copy, 31 Dec 2022), CDC National Center for Environmental Health. Supports: body/faq: barking in the ear 110 dB.Shouting or barking in the ear 110Checked 2026-11-02.
  9. Impact of Classical Counterconditioning (Quiet Kennel Exercise) on Barking in Kenneled Dogs: A Pilot Study, Animals (2022), via PMC. Supports: pets: kennel hearing loss in dogs.Over half of the dogs evaluated experienced a greater than a 20 dB reduction in their hearing after being exposed to the kennel environment for those six months.Checked 2026-11-02.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.