I have "owned" two animal companions: first, Stray Dog, and then Vigilance (purchased for 500 gold.)

Stray Dog fought well but barked constantly. This was a particularly annoying habit (especially when trying to get some peace and quiet at Breezehome,
my residence in Whiterun).

I don't know if Stray Dog picked up on my resentment, but one day he just up and disappeared.
I got an onscreen notice that my dog had gone home.
(How does a "stray dog" go "home"? I met him in a "random world encounter".

So I bought Vigilance, hoping that he would be less neurotic about barking.
No such luck; Bethesda had programmed him to be a yapper, just like the free dog.

Please Bethesda: is there any way to dial down the volume of dog barking, or better still, turn it off altogether?
(I play the 360 version so don't have the option of developing a Mod).

It is an aggravating oversight to have all dog companions bark the same way and so excessively...
they bark all the time, not simply at enemies.

By the way, Vigilance disappeared as well; none of these dogs seem inclined to be loyal to their master.

Those dogs are so ugly. I got rid of mine cause it was just annoying.

For the record, if you could arrange this IRL as well, I'd be delighted. Thanks, Bethesda!

(I absolutely understand the complaint, though. YIP YIP YIP BARK YIP BARK YIP!)

This is one annoyance that I absolutely agree with. The quest in falkreath where u have to find the missing dog was painstakingly annoying because when the dog wasn't obnoxiously barking, his nose was up my butt slightly pushing me forward. When youre a stealth archer, trying to pick off a baddy, it gets annoying real quick. If I could have punched/ stabbed/ shot the dog and not end the quest, I would have

I also think they should change the "go home option. When I told my dog to go home I thought he was going back to my house not the house of the guy I bought it from. I payed for the dog why the hell would I tell it to go back to that other guy?