Do Schnoodles Bark A Lot? A Must Read Before You Spend $$$

The Schnoodle is an exciting breed of dog for anyone that wants a toy-sized breed with a hypoallergenic coat and a big personality. However, there is the risk that the nature of the Miniature Schnauzer could override that of the Miniature Poodle in some puppies. This then leads to some concerns over the potential for Schnoodles to exhibit excessive tendencies when it comes to barking. So…

Do Schnoodles bark a lot? The short answer is that it depends on the parentage of the dog. Typically, a smaller Schnoodle will bark a lot because of a range of triggers and a desire to exert dominance. However, the likelihood of excessive barking comes down to the breed of Schnauzer and the amount of work put into training them.

What Type of Schnoodle Do You Have?

There are many different types of Schnoodles out there because of the different kinds of Schnauzers and Poodles. In many cases, owners will have the smaller Schnoodle where the parents were Miniature Schnauzers and Miniature or Toy Poodles. These dogs are popular because of their size and cuter appearance. However, they are also more likely to bark excessively because of the traits of the Miniature Schnauzer.

Then there are the larger dogs created with Standard or Giant Schnauzers and the Standard Poodle. These dogs shouldn’t have as many problems when it comes to barking. However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be some issues with these dogs barking through boredom, fear, or due to some other triggers that they come across.

Do Poodles Bark A Lot?

On one side, you have the Poodle, which is classed as a moderate barker. What this essentially means is that you have an animal that will bark when triggered. This could become an annoyance if they are loud, and you cannot calm them quickly.

However, Poodles are also unlikely to bark for no reason at all. That is why it is essential to limit and remove potential triggers as much as possible. The Poodle side of the Schnoodle could have an impact on the behavior and trainability of these animals.

Poodles may bark as a reaction to things that alarm or excite them, such as people’s arrival – either those they know or strangers. There is also the risk of Poodles barking from boredom. Therefore, dogs left alone during the day can develop a tendency to express their frustrations verbally.

Do Schnauzers Bark A Lot?

The problem here comes from the Schnauzer side. Schnauzers are excessive barkers by comparison. They will bark a lot more often and for many more reasons. Besides barking out of a response to triggers or through boredom, Miniature Schnauzers will also bark to get attention and exert their dominance.

With so many causes to consider, there is the potential here that these animals could end up barking quite excessively without strict commands and training from an early age.

The problem isn’t such a cause for concern when you have a Standard Schnauzer mixed with a Standard Poodle. These animals don’t have the same reason to exert that dominance and get their way because of their size. They aren’t the smallest animal in the pack.

Instead, Standard Schnauzers should react more in line with the behavior of the Standard Poodle. They will bark at people or situations, and potentially out of boredom, but they shouldn’t become as yappy as smaller dogs.

Why Do Schnoodles Bark So Much?

The issues of Schnoodle barking fall into a few different categories. Anyone that wants to get one of these little dogs needs to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. This means that some Schnoodles will seem to bark incessantly at nothing until they receive adequate training to stop.

Many Schnoodles will appear to bark purely for attention. Others will bark because they have concerns about strangers or other animals. Also, this can happen at any time of day.

Night Barking

Night barking is one of the most annoying habits because it disrupts the household and the sleep habits of neighbors. Schnoodles can have issues with separation anxiety. Those who are yet to get over this issue may choose to bark during the night because they hate being alone.

Then some learn that barking gets them attention. If they bark in the middle of the night and you come to soothe them, they get what they wanted.

In turn, they are far more likely to try this behavior again the next night.

Aggressive Barking

The Schnauzer side of the Schnoodle can lead to some aggressive traits. The extent of this can vary from dog to dog, as some animals become a lot more fearful and reactionary than others.

For example, there will be some Schnauzers that act aggressively to strangers that they see as intruders. This is an understandable trait that develops from their role as a guard dog. This means a little aggressive barking at visitors that is easily controlled with the right training for many owners.

However, some Schnauzers become a lot more aggressive and harder to control in a broader range of situations. There are reports of some animals developing territorial aggression when they dislike other people getting too close to their owner. This could be a family member that they are otherwise familiar with.

There is the chance that a Schnoodle puppy will pick up similar traits and show a little more aggression in their barking than other Poodle-cross puppies. The Poodle genes may take over and allow for a calmer temperament, but there is no guarantee. That is why it is so important to remember that every puppy is different.

There is no basic blueprint for all Schnoodles to follow.

Training Your Schnoodle Not to Bark

The excellent news with Poodles is that they are also brilliant animals – one of the most intelligent breeds. This intelligence should come through into the Schnoodle and allow you to implement an effective training regime from an early age. They should quickly understand that their behavior is inappropriate.

It also helps to show these dogs that they get what they want when they stop barking. Once you teach them that there is no reward or attention from this attention-seeking behavior, you have a better chance.

Consistent, positive effort yields the best rewards.

One of the best ways to do this is to start early and use a consistent approach with positive reinforcement. This is true, no matter what the issue is. You can work on separation anxiety training, night barking training, and aggressive barking training at the same time. The trick is to use the same commands, responses, and tone of voice in all situations.

Make it clear that the barking is unacceptable by saying no to the dog to correct them. Use a firm tone of voice but don’t engage in any other sort of negative behavior. Never use force or raise your voice.

Instead, offer praise and rewards when they stop to show that they get more from you when they don’t bark. With time, they should learn that barking isn’t beneficial in those situations.

Test your dog’s progress with controlled situations.

The only way you can be sure that your pet has a full understanding of what is required of them is to test them out. For example, perhaps your Schnoodle tends to bark at visitors and has struggled to restrain themselves in the past. It is crucial to test their progress and invite someone around to meet them.

See how they respond.

If they bark incessantly, correct them and put them in another room. If they bark once or twice but stop at your command, you can reward them with praise and playtime.

Your guest must be aware of the rules and the best way to interact with the dogs.

Similarly, at some point, you will have to leave your puppy on their own at night, so they can get used to sleeping in their bed without company. Keep trying and reinforcing the desired behavior so that they eventually learn to settle at night.

Give them lots of praise the following morning for a quiet, uninterrupted night.

Final Thoughts

There is the potential for a Schnoodle to bark excessively if owners don’t take the time to engage with training methods from an early age. The worst-case scenario is that you have an animal that takes after its Miniature Schnauzer parents and wants to be a dominating guard dog with no tolerance for other people in their home.

This isn’t a guarantee, but it is worthwhile planning a training regime from an early age to keep Schnoodle excessive barking under control.

Schnoodles won’t bark excessively forever.

Sources:

https://animals.mom.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-schnoodles-12542090.html

https://theschnauzercollective.com/are-schnauzers-mean-6-keys-to-curb-territorial-aggression