Do Cockapoos Bark? + The 5 Reasons Why

How much a dog breed barks can be a key consideration when selecting the ideal canine companion for you.

There are many situations where the amount of barking your dog does can make a big difference. This could be your living situation if you live in an apartment and have a lot of neighbours who may be upset by a prolific barker, or even a new baby at home who needs to sleep.

The amount a breed barks can vary by a considerable amount with some rarely making any noise all the way up to some who seem to bark excessively just for the love of their own voice.

But where do Cockapoos sit in all of this? And what can you do to reduce the chances of excessive barking? These are all things we will be covering in this article.

If you want to learn more about Cockapoos barking and what you can do about it this actionable guide is the resource for you.

How Much do Cockapoos Bark?

Well, Cockapoos do not actually bark very much once well-trained. The breed is not considered to be an incredible vocal dog.

Looking at the parent breeds that make a Cockapoo, we have the Poodle which is fairly quiet, and the Cocker Spaniel which does have a reputation for barking.

Luckily, Cockapoos take more after the Poodle side, though can be more vocal in certain situations. It wouldn't be very fair to expect a dog to never bark.

What Can Trigger a Cockapoo to Bark?

There are quite a few situations that can trigger your Cockapoo to bark. This could be excitement, fear, looking for attention, boredom, or even while they sleep.

Let's take a look at each of these in more detail.

Excitement

This will be the most common reason for Cockapoo barking. This breed has a reputation for being quite lively, especially before two years old.

Sometimes when playing with your Cockapoo you'll notice that they begin to get a little amped up and can begin to bark and out excitement. This is one of the most common reasons for your dog barking.

Your Cockapoo may also bark excessively when you get home from work, or back after they have been alone for a little while. Cockapoos don't like to be alone!

Lastly, barking from excitement may be caused when you have a high-value treat around. This could be something like chicken, sausage, or something fancy from the pet shop like a pig's ear.

This type of barking is super common as Cockapoos are very excitable dogs, this could be the Spaniel part shining through a bit!

Fear

Another reason for excessive barking is fear. Again, there are many causes for dogs barking from fear.

The most common reason is territorial barking. This can happen if a stranger approaches your house and knocks on the door, or even if a cat is in the back garden.

Since the cat will run away and the delivery guy leaves seconds later your Cockapoo will feel like barking worked and guess what they will do next time? Bark again.

The other type of fear-related barking you will hear at home is strange noises such as fireworks, lightning, or just about any other odd sound that your dog is unfamiliar with. If you want more advice about loud noises and your dog see this article from the Humane Society.

Dogs may also bark out of fear relating to negative experiences they have had with other dogs in the past. This will mostly happen out on walks rather than at home.

Typically dogs barking from fear is just caused by being in any situation that makes your Cockapoo uncomfortable or that they don't understand and are scared of.

Attention Seeking

Another common reason for that barking is your Cockapoo is looking for your attention.

In my experience, the most common reason for my dog barking to get my attention is if I am making food. She just wants something from the counter and knows if she persists there is a better than decent chance that I crack.

Another reason can be related to boredom. A bored Cockapoo will often bark to grab our attention to play. This can be caused by your Cockapoo's exercise needs not being met (physically and mentally) or your dog may have just been alone for a while and needs a little love.

Boredom barking is often an early sign that you should heed. If left unchecked it can lead to more destructive behaviours which you definitely won't enjoy!

Barking While Sleeping

Okay, so this one is just plain cute. It's not a loud bark that you will see for the other reasons outlined above but a lot quieter.

Your Cockapoo will dream when sleeping. While asleep they can bark, just softly though. Sometimes I've even seen my dog try to paw something or eat while asleep!

This one definitely won't disturb the neighbours.

How Can I Make a Cockapoo Bark Less?

Okay, that was quite a long list of reasons for your Cockapoo barking. Luckily there are also ways you can make your dog bark less.

Find Out What is Causing your Dog to Bark

A dog barking can't just be treated the same way as the reason for it will determine the course of action that is required to remedy it.

Using the list of reasons above spend time trying to work out why your Cockapoo is barking. Think of what happened immediately before it or how their environment is. What barking triggers could have led to this response?

From there it's time to take steps to correct this behaviour. You will be able to deal with this yourself at home with ease.

Here is a top-level idea of how you would deal with it:

• Excitement: Stop playtime until your dog calms down a little
• Fear: Desensitise your Cockapoo to the stimuli
• Attention Seeking: Don't encourage the behaviour or reward barking with attention or treats

There are many more in-depth resources on each of these topics, which is beyond the scope of this article. But what I will say is you need to make sure that no matter what problem barking you are trying to solve you use positive reinforcement. Cockapoos are gentle souls and will respond best to this.

Training

A well-trained dog is far less likely to be very vocal, and at the very least should listen more to you when you ask them to behave. You can even train your dog not to bark if you want to. Chewy has a guide on that if you are interested.

Exercise

Many of the reasons listed above can be drawn back to your dog having too much energy. You want to make sure your Cockapoo is getting sufficient physical and mental stimulation. While this won't stop barking entirely, it will cut down on how often it happens.

Conclusion

So, do Cockapoos bark?

Yes, barking is a very normal thing for a dog to do. In fact, it would be far more strange if your dog didn't bark at all!

While Cockapoos bark they don't bark a lot. And when your dog does bark you can be sure there is a reason for it. Knowing this is the key to knowing the cause of it and if there are any underlying issues you need to deal with.

No matter if it is separation anxiety or excitement built up from playing too much, there is a way to cut down on a dog barking excessively.

And please remember that positive reinforcement is the only way to stop your Cockapoo from barking. Any other training methods or just won't be as effective.