Are Schnoodles Easy to Train? How Obedient Are They?

Schnoodles win big points in the cuteness factor but how do they fare when it comes to intelligence? Are they easy to train? Can you count on your Schnoodle to be obedient and listen well? Why isn’t yours doing what they should be? Sit back and enjoy as we reveal the answers to all these questions and much more.

Schnoodles are easy to train as long as they have the right environment, and their basic needs are met. They are an intelligent breed – ranked 7th in the top ten smartest Doodles. They will be obedient and willing to follow commands in the right conditions.

Perhaps you are reading this and wondering why your Schnoodle isn’t picking up new commands? Are you concerned you are doing something wrong in the training process? Keep reading as we uncover the best ways of ensuring your Schnoodle sails through its training.

Schnauzer and Poodle History

There are three sizes to the Schnoodle: Miniature, Standard, and Giant. Out of the three sizes, the Miniature is the most popular.  

Schnoodles come from two intelligent breeds – the Poodle and the Schnauzer. This fact alone will give us an insight into what degree of intelligence you should expect from your dog.

Miniature Schnauzers originally were bred to catch rats and to guard dogs. They were even used to carry messages in the war and used as police dogs. From this, we can ascertain they were obviously very clever and also physically active. The bigger Schnauzers (Standard and Giant) were used for herding the animals ready to take to the market.

Poodles, coming in three sizes, were a breed of waterdogs. The smaller Poodle breeds were once used as circus performers in France – quite the life they had! Waterdogs need to be agile, obedient, and very focused on their task. Judged on their historical upbringing we can assume Poodles were active, highly motivated, great listeners, and hard-working.

We can safely assume looking at the parentage that Schnoodles will be intelligent creatures with a natural ability to learn. You can see from our very own article What is the Smartest Doodle Breed just where Schnoodles factor into the top ten of clever dog breeds.

The Schnoodle Temperament

Let’s do a quick summary of the Schnoodle personality because they are all different with their own quirks. In general, Schnoodles are active, loving, a crowd-pleaser, and are happy dogs. They love to be on walks and enjoying playtimes but will equally be happy curled up next to their favorite humans.

They make great therapy dogs due to their empathic nature. Many Schnoodle owners enjoy running with their pooch and it is a great bonding experience for both. If you were thinking about running with your Schnoodle our Labradoodle running guide will offer plenty of tips.

How Easy are Schnoodles to Train?

Schnoodles currently rank as the 7th smartest Doodle breed. Let’s take a look to see if this transitions to their training ability or if anything else has to be factored in.

Generally speaking, Schnoodles should be easy to train. They want to learn new skills and they are also keen to please their owners. They are very clever dogs who thrive from being around their human owners. It’s important your dog feels motivated to learn by using methods such as reward-based training.

By bringing home a very clever dog but then not stimulating that mind may result in destructive and unwanted behaviors. Intelligent dogs who aren’t exercised properly or who don’t get to learn new things will wind up being unhappy and unfulfilled.

Training a clever dog takes commitment from you, the owner. Whether training takes place at classes or at home is a personal choice. The great thing about training your dog yourself is that you are strengthening the dog-owner bond. When this bond is first formed, and then nurtured, training becomes a lot easier.

However, Schnoodles do tend to be a little stubborn at times which can impact training sessions. They are also renowned for being fiercely independent which can also sometimes hinder things. They are known to bark more than average (which is why they can make good watchdogs). Their barking nature can also be somewhat distracting. All this can be dealt with early enough with consistent and positive training.

Our Top 5 Tips for Successfully Training Your Schnoodle

  1. Be sure they are getting the exercise and outdoor play they need. Smaller Schnoodles can adapt to apartment life but do need regular activity outdoors. These exercise requirements are important because an agitated and highly-strung Schnoodle won’t want to learn new commands or tricks.
  2. Make sure the bond is there. When your dog first comes home be sure to spend lots of time getting to know your puppy’s personality. You’ll learn very quickly about any quirks, likes, and dislikes. Your dog needs to know you are the boss so that they will happily take instructions from you and, more importantly, will listen to you.
  3. Have a good feeding regime. You might not think a connection is obvious but a good diet is key to a happy and healthy dog. An underfed dog won’t have the energy levels required to exercise properly. An overfed dog can quickly become overweight which can impact its stamina.
  4. Positive experiences are key to successful training. Training should be fun and exciting for your dog. They shouldn’t be in fear of being punished and instead should enjoy positive reinforcement-based training. Rewards, treats, and praise will all have your dog soaking up new skills quickly.
  5. You need to be consistent with your training. You can’t do an hour’s session one day and then not do another for two weeks. Training should be in short bursts as often as you can. It’s also best done when you and your dog are in a good frame of mind – the last thing at night might not be a suitable time.

How Obedient are Schnoodles?

Schnoodles are eager to please and in turn, comes obedience. However, obedience does take time to nurture and involves vigorous training first. You can’t expect your Schnoodle to obey your commands from the get-go.

Obedience also comes from a bond being formed, respect being earned, and from a desire to please. Starting on the right foot with your dog is key to bringing up an obedient dog.

An obedient dog is so important – especially in the outdoors when it will potentially be off the leash. Your dog should remain on the leash until you are confident of their recall. You can practice this in your yard, in another safe enclosed area, or using a long leash. Even if your dog is distracted and chasing something, it should come back once called.

You should meet your dog’s daily exercise requirements – which for Schnoodles ideally entails an hour’s walk each day. A well-exercised dog will be keener to learn and listen as opposed to one who has energy bubbling up inside waiting to spill over. Of course, obedience training can also be carried out in specialized classes which can take the pressure off you.

Be in Tune with Your Dog’s Personality

I shall leave you with my final thoughts which are basically to remember each dog is very different. As a dog grows and learns they will pick up their own habits, their individual character, and their own ideas. No two dog breeds will ever be the same because the mind works in mysterious ways. Some dogs may develop a fear of cars and therefore, training outdoors can become very difficult. Some might get too easily distracted by those around them to be able to listen to you properly. Dogs’ brains, like ours, are like sponges and are just waiting to soak up new skills, tricks and commands.

These factors don’t mean your dog isn’t clever or won’t respond well to training. It simply means you need to be patient, consistent, and enthusiastic when it comes to these one-to-one training sessions. Rome wasn’t built in a day, together you will both get there. Training should be a very positive and fun bonding experience.

Related Questions

Are Schnoodles Barkers?

Looking at the parent history and especially in the case of the Schnauzer, they are prone to barking. This is why Schnauzers made good watchdogs and were often relied on to alert people of potential dangers. Schnoodles may inherit this trait to bark but like most things, it can be curbed during training.

Are Schnoodles Aggressive?

One of the common traits found in Schnoodles is their desire to protect their loved ones. This is generally achieved through wary behavior and barking. They are not known to be aggressive in nature, quite the opposite. Aggression should not normally be a worry within the Schnoodle breed.