Does Your Goldendoodle Bark A Lot? [Triggers + Training Guide]


A Goldendoodle Barking at owner

Does your Goldendoodle bark a lot? Are you having a hard time sleeping while your dog barks? Well, there are a variety of reasons why your Goldendoodle is barking uncontrollably. These are valid or a bad habit your Goldendoodle has developed. 

Your Goldendoodle may be barking as a form of communication, an expression of fear, anxiety, boredom, or excitement. Whatever the case, there is a way to help your Goldendoodle control the barking. 

This article will explain why your Goldendoodle barks a lot and ways to minimize or stop excessive barking. You will also find answers to some of the questions you may have about this topic. 

Do Goldendoodles Bark A Lot?

Goldendoodles are crossbreed designer dogs between two of the most intelligent breeds; the Golden Retriever and the Poodle. Naturally, they are predisposed to trainability and high intelligence. That said, they are prominent communicators that tend to bark excessively in different situations. 

Most Goldendoodle parents have expressed that their furry friends have barking problems. This can be attributed to the high-intelligence nature of the dog, which brings about constant communication as a reaction to triggers. 

Therefore, most Goldendoodles bark; however, the extent of it varies from one to the other. That depends on how much exercise the dog gets, how well it is trained, its overall interaction skills, and its reactions to triggers. 

Why Do Mini-Goldendoodles Bark So Much?

Mini-Goldendoodles are super active, loud dogs. They react to everything with a loud bark, whether excitement, boredom, fear, or noise from the neighborhood. The loud barks make them challenging to keep in an area with people that do not like barking dogs. 

That said, they are easy to train, especially from a tender age. But, it is essential to note that dogs communicate by barking; therefore, your mini-Goldendoodle will not stop barking altogether.  

Why Do Goldendoodles Bark So Much?

The main reasons Goldendoodles bark are:

  • Communication- hunger, warning alerts
  • Expressing Excitement- playtime, mealtimes
  • Boredom
  • Fear or Anxiety
  • Territory barking

Communication

Dogs bark to communicate needs. Your Goldendoodle may be barking to let you know they are hungry or need to go outside. This kind of barking is usually short and stops immediately you tend to your dog’s needs.

Expressing Excitement

Goldendoodles are high-energy social dogs that enjoy playtime. They tend to bark when overly excited and having a good time. If your dog barks during a highly engaging play session, or once you enter the room or call the name, that is pure excitement. 

Boredom

As mentioned, Goldendoodles enjoy interacting and socializing. When bored, they may express the feeling by barking. It is often a sign of seeking attention or trying to engage with you to kill the boredom

Fear or Anxiety

If your Goldendoodle gets anxious or fearful in a situation, it will most likely bark. Goldendoodles are intelligent, highly communicative dogs and will relay any emotion with a bark. You can tell your dog is anxious or fearful if the eyes get teary or overly alert. 

In such a situation, your dog will bark until you come to its rescue. By affirming its safety and giving it attention, your dog will stop barking or minimize it.

Territory Barking

Like most intelligent dogs, Goldendoodles naturally protect their territory. That could be their house, the crate, the backyard, or any area your dog spends the most time in. If an intruder accesses these areas, your dog will probably bark to scare them away while informing you. 

Territory barking is one of the positive barks as it is a benefit to your family. If animals or strangers access your property, your Goldendoodle will always alert you and only stop barking once the intruder leaves or once you show up. 

How to Minimize Or Stop Barking

There are few things you can implement to help your Goldendoodle minimize barking. If your Goldendoodle keeps barking uncontrollably, a few changes and addition to your dog’s routine may be necessary. Below are ways to control your Goldendoodle’s barking behavior. 

Regular Exercise

One of the reasons your Goldendoodle barks uncontrollably is to expend the built-up energy and ease the emotions that come with boredom and routine. You want to ensure your dog exercises every day. 

Take your dog out for a walk, or play around the backyard with interactive toys, or take it out to the park for a run. These will cater to the dog’s physical activity needs and contribute to socializing with the dog. 

If your dog gets adequate exercise each day, it will have less energy to bark. 

Training 

Training in dogs is essential as it contributes to how dogs relate to humans and other pets and how they react to different situations. 

The first thing you need to do as far as training is to teach your dog the speak command. Once your dog understands and responds to the speak command, they will most likely respond positively to the quiet command. 

The best way to do this is using a situation that sets the dog off barking. For example, your dog may bark at a knock at the door. In this situation, use the speak command just before the dog starts to bark. 

Once it responds positively to the command, teach the reverse, which is quiet. Every time your Goldendoodle gets it right, reward with treats and praise to reinforce the positive response. 

Crate Training

Generally, crate training has proven to help eliminate bad behavior, including excessive and unnecessary barking. While some people see the use of crates as a form of punishment, there is so much benefit in having a crate-trained dog. 

When you introduce a crate to your dog while young, it becomes a haven for your dog to retreat to for rest, sleep, recharging, etc. and, your dog will hardly bark when it feels safe and happy.

If your Goldendoodle has a crate that they are used to, it can help minimize barking. When your dog barks uncontrollably, you can use the crate to silence it and stop the barking. Remember, your dog already associates the crate with quiet time, safety and rest. 

While in the crate, it will dissociate itself from the situation that caused the barking and calm down. To reinforce this behavior, you can offer treats and toys as a way of rewarding your dog for reacting positively. 

Using Distractions

Goldendoodles are easily distracted, and you can use this to your advantage. You can leave your dog’s favorite toy by the front door so that when someone shows up and the door opens, your dog runs to grab the toy instead of barking. 

You can train your dog to minimize barking by distracting with treats too. Have a few goodies at the door and give them to your dog as soon as it starts barking. Your dog will quickly shift the focus to the treats instead of reacting to guests by barking. 

Create a Comfortable, Quiet Space

Like humans, dogs need a comfortable and quiet space where they can relax and rest. Ensure your Goldendoodle has a designated place to chill and recharge, as rest is as important as activity. 

You can set a dog bed in the corner of a room or use a crate in a place your dog is most familiar with. Let your dog associate being in that space with quiet time. With time, your dog will start using the room more. Do not forget to reward your dog for relaxing in the area. 

FAQs

Are Goldendoodles Aggressive?

How aggressive your dog turns out depends on many factors, including training, breed, interaction, etc. This varies from one Goldendoodle to the other; therefore, aggression may be high in some dogs and minimal or absent in some. 

Goldendoodles are not aggressive naturally, and with training and active socialization, they hardly show aggression. However, some situations may result in aggression, for example, strangers, hunger, other pets, etc. 

Are Goldendoodles Challenging to Train?

Goldendoodles are not hard to train. They are naturally intelligent and intelligent; therefore pick up on words and commands pretty quickly. When training starts earlier, Goldendoodles master commands speedily and remember them always. 

Additionally, Goldendoodles are people pleasers and strive to get a command to impress you. This makes it easy to reinforce positive responses and behavior, which typically takes a short time. 

The Bottom Line

Goldendoodles are fantastic companions, not forgetting how well they balance their protective nature and their playful personality. They are vocal dogs and often communicate their needs which can be confused with aggression. 

If your Goldendoodle barks a lot, the tips discussed above can help you manage that. Ultimately, creating a safe and comfortable environment, meeting their exercise needs, and training as early as possible will help your dog control barking or reduce it to a minimum.

Maureen G.

Maureen has been a Content Writer in the pet niche for over 5 years. She has vast knowledge on dog-related topics including dog breeds, dog health, dog care, and nutrition. With keen interest on the evolving world of dogs, Maureen stays on top of developments, specifically designer dogs. She is a part-time volunteer in dog shelters and rescue centers, therefore conversant with the day-to-day lives of dogs.

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