If you have one of those neighbors with a dog that never seems to take some time off from barking, you should probably check your local noise ordinances or go have a friendly chat with your neighbor. 

Notice we said “friendly.” There’s no reason to make yourself the latest Tik Tok trend. While that situation is working itself out, you might be thinking that some noise-canceling headphones are worth a try.

Will Noise-Canceling Headphones Block Out A Dog Barking?

A woman listening to noise-cancelling headphones

If the dog bark is close and loud, good noise-canceling headphones will be able to dull the sound but won’t be able to block it out completely. If the dog is not too close and the bark is faint and distant, noise-canceling headphones may be able to block it out completely.

How effective they will be will depend on the premium (or lack thereof) level of noise-canceling features in the headphones.

Cheap headphones mightn’t work well but a quality pair, like the Sony XM4/XM5 should go a long way toward drowning out the barking.

Even the best ANC headphones are not going to completely block out loud barking. ANC is better at blocking out continuous, droning noises, like engine sounds or a loud refrigerator. Not sporadic, high-pitched noises, like loud barks.

What might work better: If the barking is loud and ANC headphones aren’t cutting it, you might be better off trying a pair of ER2-XR in-ear, noise-isolating earphones as they can be more effective at blocking higher-pitched noise. You’ll just have to make sure they are securely sealed deep in your ear canals.

What Level Of Decibels Can Noise Canceling ANC Block?

A good, rowdy dog can emit a bark that’s up to 90 decibels, never mind if he or she decides to start howling. The distance you are from the dog matters a lot. As we mentioned above, if it’s standing right next to you, you’re going to catch some of it. 

A very good pair of high-quality headphones or earbuds, that include active and passive noise-canceling technology, will effectively block (or reverse, depending on how you look at it) 45 decibels. 

If the dog is standing right next to you, chances are, it’s your dog and you can appease it enough to quiet down. So the dog barking in question is probably more distant, perhaps in the neighboring yard and traveling through brick, sheetrock, vinyl, and wood to reach your ears inside.

Related Article: Can Headphones Break If Too Loud? (Explained)

That’s going to seriously diminish the number of decibels reaching your ears. A low-end pair of headphones, or headphones that focus less on ANC and more on something else, can block around 30 decibels. 

That’s usually going to be enough to block the annoying sound of incessant barking coming from that new, weird neighbor’s house.

While your headphones do the trick and knock down the barking noise, try solving things diplomatically. And, if it’s your own dog doing the barking, try a canine obedience course.

Final Thoughts

A good pair of earbuds or headphones should come with active noise-canceling technology that will help to make barking more tolerable. If they don’t, they might not be the best headphones for your money.

If you purchase one of those unpronounceable brands from big e-commerce stores for $19.99, just remember—just because it says noise-canceling, doesn’t mean it’s ANC.