Are you starting to get concerned about your dog continuously barking at night? It is not rare for dogs to bark at night at the slightest sound or movement, and there are many reasons why your dog could be barking at night. This article will focus on how to stop dog barking at night.
If you want more information about why dogs bark and what it could mean, check out the article Is your dog barking at night? Here’s what you need to know. In that article, we go into an in-depth discussion about the reasons why your dog could be barking at night.
The different reasons for dog barking at night and how to stop it
Many people ask the question “how to get my dog to stop barking at night,” and there is no one way to solve this problem. As mentioned earlier, there are many different reasons which can make a dog cark, whine, and howl at night. Some of those reasons and how you can stop it are as follows.
How to get a dog to stop barking at night in a crate?
The most important method to stop your dog from barking during crate training is to ignore their barks. Crate training dogs usually bark at night for the sole reason of loneliness and getting the attention of the dog owner.
If you feel sorry for the dog or puppy and give it attention in the form of offering treats and petting it, the dog or puppy will stop barking. But what this reaction does is; the dog or puppy will learn that barking will bring you to it and repeat this behavior even in the future.
You can even leave aside a treat or toy for the sole purpose of crate training and give it to the dog only when it is inside the crate. Or, you can give the dog treats and rewards if they stay quiet. The only effective way to stop dog barking at night in a crate is to teach it that barking will not get them anywhere.
If it is a puppy that you are crate training, it may be barking at night because it wants to relieve itself. In this case, the dog owner will need to free the puppy from the crate every two hours so that it can do its business without making a mess inside the crate.
How to stop dog from barking when you leave for work or other activities?
Some dogs are genetically prone to barking. These types of dogs bark at every little movement or sound. Some territorial dogs bark at strangers and other dogs regardless of the presence or absence of the dog owner.
In big rooms or houses, some dogs may feel the need to be extra alert and bark excessively to keep themselves and the home safe. If your dog keeps on barking when you leave, you can provide a crate for it. A crate-trained dog will find comfort and security inside the crate. With the crate or container, the dog will not have to worry about a lot of space.
You can also give your dog a toy or something to keep it occupied while you are away. One of the dog owners’ and dogs’ favorite toys is the ZippyPaws. This toy is a mess-free chew toy for dogs. Another way to keep a dog occupied is by giving it a special treat only when you go out. Jerky Sticks have excellent reviews for this purpose and are sure to treat your dog to an enjoyable taste experience.
There are some dog toys which can dispense dog treat and hence, killing two birds with one stone. OurPets Treat Ball is one such product. These tips are very effective ways which you can keep in mind to take care of how to stop dog from barking when you leave.
How to get a dog to stop barking at night if it is not in a crate?
As mentioned earlier, some dogs are naturally more prone to barking than other dog breeds. In this case, the dog may bark at night even if you are not crate training it. Dogs bark at night for many reasons like noises, barking at other dogs and night critters, yelling at slight movements, and so on. However, these barks stop after some time.
If your dog keeps barking even though it is not inside a crate, how to get a dog to stop barking at night is quite easy. The first thing to do is get a vet to check your dog for any health problems which may be causing it pain. Pain equals barking. A dog with Urinary Tract Infection or any other illness may be barking because it is in pain.
Dogs may be barking at raccoons and other nocturnal animals at night. Check your surroundings for such animals and get rid of them if necessary. All of these night critters are intruders in the eyes of a dog. They are sure to bark at these intruders.
Some active dogs need to get more exercise and training so that at night, it can rest well without feeling the need to release energy in the form of barking.
Another answer to “how to get my dog to stop barking at night” is to stop giving it attention when it is behaving in a wrong manner. Scolding your dog or giving your dog treats when it barks at night to silence it is the worst thing you can do. Your dog will continue to keep barking at night because now, it has learned that barking will get your attention and get what it wants.
How to stop dog barking at night at nocturnal animals?
If you live in a rural or semi-urban area, there are sure to be some animals like raccoons, bats, badgers, and mice that come out at night. Dogs naturally bark at intruders and will see these animals as intruders too. Hence, a dog will bark at them until the night critters run away or hide.
As long as you have nocturnal animals roaming around at night, your dog will keep barking. To stop this problem, you can install motion-detecting lights or alarms to keep these animals away.
This particular problem is an environment related issue which is out of the control of a dog owner, so it might be more challenging to solve.
How to stop a puppy from barking in a crate or outside crate at night?
When your puppy starts to bark at night in a crate only after you leave it alone, the puppy is likely crying out of loneliness and its need for companionship. There are some ways to solve this problem.
On the first day of crate training, you can keep the crate close to your bed at night so that even if you don’t give it direct attention, the puppy can smell your presence and know that you are close by it. In the following days, you can start moving the crate along with the puppy a little further from your bed, then further from the bedroom in the coming weeks.
You can also allow the puppy to bark itself to sleep, so to say, without giving it attention when it barks. Ignorance of barking out od loneliness is the most effective way to stop a puppy from barking at night. Remember that you have to let the puppy out of the crate to relieve itself every two hours. Puppies have smaller bladders and are likely to want relief after short periods.
