Barking is one of the largest deciding factors for many people when discussing which dog they should get. Having a barking dog isn’t something that most families would want as a pet. So, in order to avoid this, I will take a look at Doodles and their barking habits.
How often do Labradoodles bark? Labradoodles are considered to be moderate barkers. They normally don’t bark without reason. But with different triggers, a Labradoodle may bark fairly often. Thankfully, Labradoodles are extremely intelligent and can easily be trained not to bark.
Although Labradoodles aren’t always perfect, there are some ways to fix any barking habits. To help you and your Doodle with the barking, I’ve made this guide on how to train your Labradoodle not to bark.
Labradoodles’ Barking Habits
There are numerous things that are fantastic about Labradoodles. They are just great dogs to have in your family and in your home.
But one of the bigger issues that people can have with Doodles is their tendency to bark. Labradoodles can bark quite often. If there hasn’t been done any training to prevent barking, you will most likely hear your Doodle speaking rather often.
A Labradoodle is just a quite vocal breed of dog.
“If there hasn’t been done any training to prevent barking, you will most likely hear your Doodle speaking rather often.”
But while it might seem like your Labradoodle is barking for no reason at all, you should know that there is almost always something that has triggered a Labradoodle into barking.
And, luckily, Labradoodles are very intelligent dogs. What this means is that although Labradoodles bark quite often, you can easily train them not to bark at in pretty much any situation.
When talking about Labradoodles, there are several different types but the ones that are the most frequently mentioned are:
- Standard
- Australian Labradoodle
- Miniature Labradoodle
These types of Labradoodles are all based on their size, with the standard Labradoodle being the largest and roughly the same size as the Australian Labradoodle, and as the name implies, the miniature Labradoodle being the smallest.
| Height | Weight | |
| Miniature Labradoodle | 10-15 in. | 15-20 lbs. |
| Standard Labradoodle | Over 20 in. | 40-65 lbs. |
| Australian Labradoodle | Over 15 in. | 30-60 lbs. |
And most people would typically expect that the smaller dogs would be the ones with the largest issues of barking, given smaller dogs’ reputation of being the loudest, but when it comes to Labradoodles, they have the same tendency to bark, no matter what size they are.
If you have spent some time with each of these types of Labradoodles, you will know that they all have the same desire to bark at certain situations and objects. Size apparently isn’t a factor in Labradoodle barking.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that size isn’t a factor when it comes to barking, because the reputation that smaller dogs have of being a lot louder than larger dogs, is for the most, correct.
But because each type of Doodle is from the same breed of dog, the size doesn’t really change anything. So, if you are looking to buy a Labradoodle, and can’t really decide which one, and you will base your decision making on the dogs’ barking habits that’s too bad. Each Labradoodle is the same in this matter.
Why Labradoodles Bark and What You Can do About it
As I have mentioned just above, there is usually always a reason for a Labradoodles barking.
Labradoodles won’t just bark because they feel like having a conversation. There are many direct sights, sounds, and actions that can trigger a Doodles’ barking skill.
Some of the most typical reasons for Labradoodles barking are:
- Being left alone
- Boredom
- Excitement
- Guests coming over
- People walking by
- Thunderstorms (loud noises)
- To protect themselves
- To protect you
And these reasons all seem like very reasonable reasons to start barking. Labradoodles are highly emotional and sensitive dogs’. Each bark is most likely a reaction to one of these things. But most people still aren’t interested in a dog that barks constantly.
So what options are there?
There are some easy fixes that will work for each of these reasons to bark.
| Reason | Description | Solution |
| Being left alone | Labradoodles have high separation anxiety. So, when left alone, it is common for a Doodle to begin barking. | – Leave some calming sounds on – Place Labradoodle by a window to look around – Leave a light on |
| Boredom | If Labradoodles are not given anything to get their energy out, they will become bored. They will bark simply because they have nothing else to do. | – The solution to this is simple. Give your Labradoodle a toy, or many toys. Or, you can always play fetch, etc. |
| Excitement | Labradoodles are easily excited. Especially when they see their loved owner, Labradoodle will begin to bark from excitement. | – The best solution is to ignore your Doodle barking. When you come in, do not give your Labradoodle attention until he/ she has settled down. |
| Guests coming over | They are unfamiliar with the people and not used to other people in their space. | – Socialization is the key solution here. – Make sure you praise when they do something right like not barking. |
| People walking by | Often, Labradoodles will bark at people passing by simply as a warning. The Labradoodle wants to announce he/she hears possible danger. | – Socialization is important for this. Slowly get the Labradoodle used to this situation. |
| Thunderstorms | Labradoodles have high sensitivity to loud noises and flashes. Because of this sensitivity, Labradoodles often have trouble in thunderstorms. | – Slowly expose your Labradoodle to loud noises. – Play thunderstorm recording softly at first and then slowly turn the volume up. |
| To protect themselves | Barking for protection often occurs when a Labradoodles territory is being invaded. This especially relates to the food and water dish. | – Make sure your Labradoodle has its own area away from others to eat, etc. – Don’t approach him/ her while eating. |
| To protect you | Labradoodles are extremely attached and protective. This means that Labradoodles are very likely to bark in order to protect you. | – Simply show your Labradoodle there is no danger. – Talk to your Labradoodle and give lots of pets of assurance. |
These are all very understandable reasons for your Labradoodle to start barking, and the solutions are mostly quite simple. So typically it won’t take that much work to stop your Labradoodle from barking.
But you have to know precisely what is causing your Labradoodle to bark.
To figure that out, you simply have to look out for what is happening around you and listen. More often than not it won’t be too difficult to find out what is making your Labradoodle bark. When you’ve discovered why your Labradoodle is barking, you can then fix the behavior with a bit of training.
- RELATED ARTICLE: CAN LABRADOODLES BE LEFT ALONE
Training a Labradoodle Not to Bark
As a Labradoodle owner or any dog for that matter, it is always a good idea to focus on training your Labradoodle not to bark. As with most training, this will require a consistent effort, but it will be completely worth it when ending up with a well behaved and non-barking Labradoodle.
There are many different methods you could choose when training a Labradoodle not to bark.
One method you can use is to train your Labradoodle to follow the “speak” command. How this works is that whenever your Doodle barks, you give him/her the “speak” command and a treat as a reward. And with a bit of practice, you will be able to use the command, and your Labradoodle will start to bark.
“As with most training, this will require a consistent effort, but it will be completely worth it when ending up with a well behaved and non-barking Labradoodle.”
After you’ve mastered the “speak” command, you can start teaching your Doodle the “quiet” command. Immediately after giving the speak command, you then give the “quiet” command. Again, once your Labradoodle has stopped barking, praise and give him/her a rewarding treat.
This following method is probably my own personal favorite, and one I have been using with a lot of success:
Step 1 – Ignore the Barking
Whenever your Labradoodle starts barking, try and just ignore him/her.
Don’t even as much as look their way while they are barking. Continue ignoring him/her for the entirety of their barking, no matter how long he/ she barks for.
Step 2 – Reward Your Labradoodle for Being Quiet
Eventually, your Labradoodle will cool down and stop barking, when this happens then you can stop ignoring him/her and give your Labradoodle all the attention in the world.
When he/she isn’t barking anymore, this is the time for you to give out some treats and lots of praise.
3. Repeat From Step 1
Simply continue using this method.
As you continue to ignore your Labradoodle every single time he/she is barking and then give him/ her your full and complete attention for being quiet, a highly intelligent dog like a Labradoodle will quickly notice a pattern.
This reason why this method works so well is that Labradoodles just loves your attention. And seeing as barking is usually a sign that they want to be heard, when they find out that they can get a lot more attention when they’re quiet, the barking for attention will quickly stop.
As with everything you train with a dog, it’s important that you don’t physically punish the barking. While there are still “dog-experts” out there that are advocates of physical punishment training, there hasn’t been a single study proving that it works, but a lot of studies that say the opposite.
Something as simple as ignoring your Labradoodles’ barking will be a lot more effective than punishing your Labradoodle for barking. The reason for this is they really love getting attention from their owners.
Final Words
In the end, Labradoodles have a natural tendency to bark.
Without proper training, Labradoodles will bark. But, Labradoodles are also highly intelligent and can quickly learn when training something new. So, barking is very much preventable and you will be able to have a Labradoodle with great barking manners.
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