How to Stop Your Dog from Barking at Night

Imagine this, you are fast asleep, you have to get up for work in the next few hours, suddenly your dog starts barking at high volume. What do you do? How do you deal with the noise? Is there an effective way of stopping your dog from barking at night?

In this article we are going to focus on providing you with effective ways of preventing your dog from barking at night.

Find Out Why

Why is your dog barking at night? Before you can solve the problem, you have to find out the reason why the dog is barking in the first place. Without a full understanding of why your dog is barking, you will not be able to fix the issue.

So firstly, identify the reason why your dog is barking. To find out, the best thing to do is take notes, create a journal or log of the days and times your dog barks. Was there a small change in your dog’s daily routine? For example, did he consume a different meal? Did he eat at a different time?

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Once you have worked out the reason why your dog might be barking, then you can start tackling the problem.

Also, take note of how you react when he barks, sometimes the way you react to his barking can be part of the reason why he is barking in the first place. Sometimes dogs bark at night because they are bored, they are scared of something or it could be something more serious like a medical reason. Therefore, it is important to find out the reason why your dog is barking.

Here are some reasons why dogs bark at night:

Boredom

Some dogs bark because they are bored, this could be as a result of a reduced exercise routine or lack of stimulation throughout the day.

For example, if you work all day and leave your dog at home, your dog would have probably spent the day sleeping.

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Therefore, at night sleeping is the last thing that he wants to do. If this is the case, you should try and spend some quality time with your dog before he goes to sleep. Take him for a walk, play with him and provide him with some stimulation.

Mental boredom can be just as irritating to dogs as physical boredom, here are some ways of alleviating mental boredom:

• Puzzle feeder games
• Hide and seek
• Hide your dog’s toys around the backyard and let him run around looking for them

There are plenty of books out there that provide you with valuable information on how to mentally stimulate your dog. One excellent, highly recommended book is Brain Training for Dogs, in here you will find a wealth of information regarding mental games and puzzles for your dog.

Physical and mental stimulation will facilitate sleep therefore, if you want a restful night’s sleep for yourself and for your dog, try your best to give your dog some mental and physical stimulation.

Pain

Your dog will most likely bark all night if he is in pain, it is vital for yourself and your dog’s wellbeing to check the source of the pain, if necessary, take your dog to the vet to identify the origin of the pain.

Fear

Fear can certainly affect your dog’s behaviour especially at night. Fearfulness can happen as a result of lack of socialization according to Humansociety.org

You can quickly solve this issue by taking your dog to different places to experience new things, new people and different animals.

It is vital for dogs to be adequately socialized in order to be healthy and happy. Socialization should not just focus on other dogs, it also focuses on other animals, and diverse environments.

Providing your dog with the opportunity to experience different things is necessary because it boosts confidence, self-esteem and it makes your dog feel more secure and happy.

Requesting Something

Sometimes dogs bark when they want to get your attention to request something. For example, if your dog has become accustomed to going for a walk every evening and for whatever reason, one night you did not get the chance to take him for a walk, your dog will most certainly bark to alert you that he wants to go for a walk.

The most effective way to stop your dog from barking is to simply ignore the barking. Your dog should stop barking eventually, when he does, reward him with some kind of treat.

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However, if he does not stop barking, continue to ignore him, at some point he will stop. Bear in mind however, that you should ensure that your dog is not in pain or unwell before you make the decision to ignore him.

Aside from ignoring your dog make sure you try your best to stick to an effective routine. Feed him and walk him at a certain time and try to provide him with some security and consistency. Without security and consistency your dog will begin to feel insecure and agitated, this is a sure-fire recipe for constant barking and bad behaviour.

Health Issues

Remember that a serious health issue could be responsible for your dog’s constant barking therefore, if you have tried everything and your dog still continues to bark at night, be sure to get a professional check-up to find out if there is something seriously wrong.

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Never dismiss constant barking, especially if it is night after night and it does not cease. Make a conscious effort to get a professional diagnosis if your dog continues to bark at night on a regular basis.

Note: One of the reasons your dog might bark at night is if an intruder is in the house. Therefore, make sure your house is secure before dismissing your dogs barking. Try some of the tips mentioned in this article to prevent or stop your dog from barking at night. A happy dog is a dog that sleeps soundly at night without disturbing his owners.

Other reasons why your dog might bark at night

• Loneliness
• Old age (dementia)
• Separation anxiety

These are some of the other reasons why your dog might be barking at night. Remember that ignoring your dog’s cries for attention can be dangerous in some situations. Therefore, it is always best to check on your dog before you take this course of action.

If you utilize the tips outlined in this article, you will certainly be one step closer to reducing your dog’s night time barking once and for all.

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