Are Cockapoos Clingy? Dealing With Puppy Separation Anxiety (Solutions)

Cockapoos, just like every other dog breed, are incredibly clingy. In fact, some people would argue that Cockapoos are a bit clingier than most other dogs. They seem to have a higher need for social interaction. This is probably down to their high levels of intelligence. It means that they need to be regularly stimulated.

cockapoo puppy at a party — Are Cockapoos clingy?

A small amount of clinginess from a Cockapoo is to be expected. Dogs do have social needs, after all. However, if your dog does seem to be excessively clingy, then you have a problem.

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Your dog could be suffering from social anxiety, and this needs to be dealt with.

On this page, we are going to talk about the clinginess of the Cockapoo. We also want to give you a ton of advice on dealing with those clinginess issues. Don’t worry. They are much easier to deal with than you may think. However, you must start to deal with them sooner, as opposed to later.

The longer you take to deal with the problem, the harder it becomes to correct it.

In fact, if you leave it too long, you may be dealing with a clingy Cockapoo for many, many years to come. Scary, right? Yes. So start dealing with the problem today.

Are Cockapoos Clingy?

Yes. In fact, some see the Cockapoo has one of the most clingy dogs imaginable. If you have one, they will be trying to follow you every place that you go. They will never leave you alone. If you are not close to them, then they will do their best to track you down and find you.

wavy fluffy cockerpoo puppy — Photo by Kathleen Conklin /CC BY

The chances are pretty high that if you have a Cockapoo, you will be dealing with separation anxiety at some point. They need human interaction, and they need a lot of it. If they don’t have it, it will cause the Cockapoo all sorts of mental health issues.

While we genuinely believe that the Cockapoo is one of the best dog breeds you can own, you should not consider picking this breed up if you are not home most of the time.

are cockapoos clingy — Are Cockapoos clingy? Dealing with a dog shadow (separation anxiety)

Suppose somebody isn’t interacting with that dog every couple of hours when they are awake. In that case, you will have a dog that is dealing with severe separation anxiety.

Over time, you will train that dog to deal with being alone for more extended periods. However, even this is going to be tricky with a Cockapoo, to begin with. They naturally social animals, after all.

How Do You Know if Your Cockapoo Has Separation Anxiety?

Before you can deal with separation anxiety in a Cockapoo, you need to know whether they actually have separation anxiety in the first place. Luckily, there are a few telltale signs that could indicate that your dog may be feeling a little bit lonely.

Destroying your home

If your dog is left at home for long periods, then the dog will get bored. This is a very common problem with Cockapoos. If they are lonely, they will start to destroy your home.

They may chew your furniture.
They may eat your plants.
They may destroy household items.

Basically, suppose your Cockapoo is destroying your home when you aren’t there. In that case, you can virtually certain that you are dealing with a lonely dog.

Regressive Behavior

Another sign that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety is if they regress on their training. This means explicitly toilet training.

Now, dogs can regress on their toilet training once they hit about a year old. It happens. It isn’t that common, but it happens. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety. Still, it is going to warrant further investigation just to make sure.

Cockapoo on the floor — Cockapoo lying on the floor.

The dog hates their crate

Overly clingy dogs tend to loathe going into their crate. This is because they know that if they are put in that crate, they will be alone and won’t have any access to you.

putting Cockapoo inside crate — The puppy looks upset for staying inside the crate for a long time. (Image: Instagram/@brady_the_cockapoo)

The dog barks or whines a lot

If your dog does a lot of barking or whining when you are not at home, they are probably feeling incredibly lonely. Obviously, you will not be able to tell that your dog is doing this. You won’t be there. However, you can bet your bottom dollar that your neighbors will be telling you if there is a problem. You can also set up a camera to check on your dog if you really want.

whining Cockapoo on bed — The Cockapoo whined a lot after being left alone for long hours. (Image: Instagram/@the_life_of_monty_the_cockapoo)

While we are on the subject of cameras, you can also take a look to see whether your dog is crying when you are not there.

They hate it when you leave.

Does your Cockapoo seem to go crazy every time it looks like you are about to leave home? Well, there is now a strong chance that you are dealing with a puppy that hates you leaving.

leaving Cockapoo for vacation — The owners are leaving their Cockapoo for a vacation. (Image: Instagram/@marley__the__cockapoo)

They know they can’t stop you, but they are going to be doing their absolute best to try and stop you from leaving the house, or at least try and get you to take them with you.

Can You Ever Leave a Cockapoo Alone?

As we said, the Cockapoo is an incredibly clingy dog. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t leave it alone a little bit. However, they generally cannot be left alone for more extended periods like other dogs.

Wavy Cockapoo Puppy Ears — Photo by Ray Larabie /CC BY

If you have a puppy, then you should be leaving them alone for no longer than 4-hours. However, you shouldn’t just be jumping into the 4-hours. You should be building that time up. Start out with 10-15 minutes, and gradually let that time get longer.

Adult Cockapoos can be left alone for a couple of hours more than this.

If you really have no choice but to leave your dog alone for hours and hours on end, then please send somebody to check on them every so often. This is particularly important if you have a puppy. They can’t hold their bladders for that long. You will end up with toilet problems, even if the dog doesn’t end up getting lonely.

Dealing With the Separation Anxiety in Cockapoos

So, now let’s run you through a few tips that you can use to deal with separation anxiety in Cockapoos.

Do bear in mind that none of this information will be a substitute for actually interacting with your dog. This is purely for when the dog is left alone. When you are with your dog, make sure that you pay them as much attention as you can. Let them know that you are always going to be coming back for them. This will help to deal with the separation anxiety as well.

Give them access to food and water

A lot of separation anxiety in dogs is because they feel that their needs are not being fulfilled. If you can always ensure that your Cockapoo has access to fresh water and food, then they will be far happier. It means that they can go and drink and eat whenever they want.

happy cockapoo puppy running — Photo by Ray Larabie /CC BY

This will also help when it comes to dealing with clinginess in dogs. Even if you are at home, you will probably notice that your dog follows you around a lot. If they have food available at all times (not too much, you don’t want your dog to be obese, do you?), then their clinginess will go down. They will leave you alone a lot more.

Get them some toys

Dogs tend to suffer from separation anxiety when they are bored. So, your best bet is to make sure that they do not get bored in the first place.

One of the best types of toy you can get would be a frozen treat puzzle. The Frozen KONG is the best here. The idea is that you fill it up with treats, and your dog spends the next few hours trying to get to the treats. The time will just fly by for them. They will be barely aware that you are not there.

Of course, give them tons of other toys too. The more they have to play with, the less bored they will end up getting.

Treat Dispensers

There are automatic treat dispensers out there. They are great because it provides your dog with a little bit of entertainment. It is also a reward for them being good when you are not there. It is likely that the treat dispenser also makes the dog feel as if they are not alone at home.

There are some pretty jazzy treat dispensers out there too. For example, some will have a camera and speaker built-in. With an app, you will be able to talk to your puppy no matter where you are. It may ease a little bit of their anxiety.

Leave the Radio or TV On

If you leave your TV or radio on, then your dog will be able to feel as if somebody is there for them. It just provides a little bit of background noise. This ensures that they are not living in silence.

Praise the Dog

Once you get home, make sure that you praise your dog with a ton of love. You should be rewarding them for being well-behaved when you have been gone for hours and hours on end. Trust us, once your dog knows that they will be getting a ton of praise when you walk through that door, they will be on their best behavior.

dog bluebell field cockapoo play — The beautiful Dora (Cockapoo) in a field of bluebell flowers. Used with written permission from the talented Jayneboo.

Now, this is not something that will deal with their separation anxiety. However, it may stop them from destroying your home when you are not there, so at least you would have dealt with one of the symptoms of your Cockapoo’s problems, right?

Leave them alone for short periods.

As we said earlier, it is crucial that you gradually work your dog up to being left alone for more extended periods. You shouldn’t be leaving them for hours right away. Start with 10-20 minutes. Once they seem to be comfortable with that, increase the number.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that dealing with a Cockpoo’s clinginess will not be a quick fix. You can’t eliminate the puppy separation anxiety overnight. However, you must persevere. With exceptional consistency and patience, eventually, your Cockapoo will no longer be dealing with separation anxiety.