Nala (Aussie shephard) wasn't a barker, except at other dogs. She was an stray that wound up in a shelter, then her first owner had a little girl (age 4), so Nala wasn't allowed to play with toys in the house. She would play some outside, but never in the house. She didn't grasp the concept of tug-of-war or catch. Branwen (Spaniel mutt) was a stray, and had been beaten before my neighbor found her and brought her home. She never learned to play, learning to trust people was a big advance, she didn't bark much either.