Do Curly-Coated Retrievers Bark A Lot?
Nothing is more annoying than being woken up in the middle of the night to your dog barking only to find out that they started barking at the neighbor going in or out of their home.
Dogs that bark a lot can be frustrating to you and those around you if your dog isn’t trained properly.
Thankfully, curly-coated retrievers don’t have this problem.
Do Curly-Coated Retrievers Bark A lot?
Curly-coated retrievers bark an average amount. Compared to some breeds of dogs, this breed doesn’t bark as often. They aren’t the kind of dogs who will bark at anything and everything. Instead, they typically bark at normal things like someone being at the door or while playing.
What Kinds of Things Do Curly-Coated Retrievers Bark At?
Most dogs out there bark at something, though some are naturally more skittish than others. Curly-coated retrievers are not fearless, some things will cause them to bark.
Because They Are Afraid
As semi-stated before, curly-coated retrievers will bark when they are scared.
If someone is getting too close to the house late at night or if something crashes down near them, they will begin to bark out of fear.
Usually, they will stop barking once the thing making them afraid is no longer there.
When They Are Being Protective
Curly-coated retrievers will also bark when they are protecting their owner.
This is the other side of barking when someone gets too close to the house.
These dogs, like many other kinds of dogs, will bark to show the intruder that they are not welcome.
They are trying to scare off the possible threat.
When They Are Playing
Just as kids laugh or scream when they are playing around, your curly-coated retriever might start barking when you play with them.
This is to show that they are playing with you and that they are having fun.
They also may bark when they are playing with other dogs.
Curly-coated retrievers have high energy and love to play so you may hear this kind of barking more frequently.
When They Want Attention
Just like people, curly-coated retrievers don’t want to be neglected.
They like having plenty of attention given to them from playing to pets.
If they are in the mood for some attention, they may start barking to get your attention.
These dogs can also get lonely. When they are lonely, they may bark to get someone’s attention.
Along with loneliness, curly-coated retrievers can get separation anxiety when their owners aren’t around. They may bark out of anxiety or loneliness.
Anxiety barking may be paired with other destructive behaviors.
Proper training can help with teaching them not to bark when they want attention.
Untrained curly-coated retrievers will bark a lot more than trained curly-coated retrievers.
If the barking is not rooted in anxiety, attention-based barking can be reduced through training out the behavior.
How To Get Your Curly-Coated Retriever to Stop Barking
Not everyone wants their dog to bark at anything and everything.
If you are noticing that your dog is barking a lot outside of play or in the face of danger, then you may want to have your curly-coated retriever bark less.
One way that was already talked about was training.
Usually, training starts at a very young age for your puppy.
In obedience training, you can have your dog trained to not bark so often. You can also have them trained to bark at any new stranger, be that animal or person.
Since these breeds of dogs can be extra cautious around strangers, having them learn to not bark can give you a better conversation with your friend at the dog park.
When faced with fear-based barking, the easiest solution is to remove the thing that is scaring the dog.
This may not always work, as some dogs can be scared of thunder or something else that simply can’t be moved away.
Working to ease the dog’s fear will help them stop barking.
Sometimes, to get your curly-coated retriever to stop barking, you have to ignore them. This really only applies to barking for attention, as over time they will learn that you will give them attention if they start barking
Showing that the correlation will no longer be true will over time get them to bark less.
What Breeds of Dogs Bark the Most?
If you think that the average barking amount is a lot, you should hear some of the dogs on this list.
These breeds will bark at any little thing that moves or even at seemingly nothing at all.
Here are the top breeds that are known for barking the most:
- Beagles
- Yorkshire Terriers
- Mini Schnauzer
- Fox Terriers
- Carine Terriers
If you are looking for a dog that doesn’t bark a lot, do not get a terrier.
They seem to be the biggest barkers out there.
Dogs that bark often is okay if you live in a large house or have a lot of land for them to explore.
That way, they aren’t disturbing nearby neighbors as you would in a closer-knit community.
The easiest way to have a bad relationship with a neighbor is by having an excessive barker.
What Breeds of Dogs Bark the Least?
If even the amount of barking that the curly-coated retriever is still too much for you, you might want to look into one of these dogs that hardly bark at all.
These dogs would also be better for apartment living as they will give some more peace and quiet to your neighbors.
Here are the top breeds that are known for barking the least:
- Whippets
- Italian Greyhounds
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- Golden Retrievers
- Borzois
There is also a kind of dog that is known for not having a bark.
The basenji, which is also known as “Africa’s barkless dogs” don’t bark at all.
Instead, they make interesting sounds that are similar to yodel.
There are also bulldogs, which may be quieter in barking, but they sure do snort a lot. Bulldogs, no matter what breed, are pretty heavy breathers.
What Is the Personality of Curly-Coated Retrievers?
Now you know that these dogs don’t bark a lot and that they love to play, but what else is there to know about curly-coated retrievers?
Why do these dogs love to play so much? Well, the curly-coated retriever has always been a very active breed.
They originated in England and were bred for their hunting and retrieving qualities.
These dogs were mostly used for retrieving waterfowl, so they spend a lot of time outside.
This then turned into a very active personality who needs about 40 minutes of exercise a day.
Playing is the common way that they use up their energy now, though many owners will take them along with their own outdoor adventures.
The Intelligence of a Curly-Coated Retriever
Curly-coated retrievers are super intelligent which makes it easy to train them. That is why it’s good to train them from an early age as they can pick up the commands and behaviors from when they are a puppy.
These dogs can be intelligent to a fault sometimes as curly-coated retrievers can be quite stubborn from time to time.
If they are being stubborn while being trained, having the owner around can encourage them to stop being so stubborn and be more receptive.
Loyalty
Curly-coated retrievers put their owners and families first, being incredibly loyal from the time they first come home.
Their loyalty makes them super protective, which in turn can lead to more barking from them trying to protect you.
They aren’t trying to be malicious in their barking, they simply want to protect you.
Their loyalty also makes it easier to train this breed as they want to make their owner happy.
These dogs love their families and will always want to be around them. They can be attention-seeking in this way.
It is important to establish boundaries through training them.
For example, setting and training a rule that they aren’t allowed in the kitchen when food is being cooked.
Final Thoughts
Curly-coated retrievers are amazing dogs and they make amazing pets, even if they do bark from time to time.
They have their reasons for barking and you can train them to not bark as often for certain reasons.
Most often, a curly-coated retriever will bark from fear, protectiveness, attention-seeking, and/or playing.
However, curly-coated retrievers are still average in their level of barking.
There are many dogs that bark so much more, like terriers, and there are dogs that hardly bark at all, like golden retrievers.
Each dog has their unique level of barking, so it is important to consider their barking level when choosing a breed to bring home.
Dogs that bark often isn’t the best for apartment living as they can really disturb your neighbors.
You may also not want to be woken up in the middle of the night from random barking.
If you are okay with the curly-coated retrievers’ level of barking, then they’ll be good for you.
