How to stop dog barking at night: step-by-step guide

If your dog starts barking at night, this sudden change can be a central problem for anyone within earshot, including your neighbors. You may even be sleep deprived because of this. So we’ll provide the best solution on how to stop dog barking at night. It helps to restore quiet to your family.

First, let’s find out why this occurs. If you can understand why the dog barks, then you can stop it.

Main reasons why dogs bark at night

Barking at night is a typical problem for pups and dogs of young age. It can recur with the older dogs too.

The most common reasons for the dog barking at night:

• the dog wants to pee;
• it feels lonely;
• something alarmed your pet;
• the dog is ill or has pain;
• it is bored (not enough exercises);
• misses the owner.

If your puppy starts barking at night, the two first things on this list are likely to be the source of your problems. The feeling of being lonely is a problem for pups.

For older dogs barking at night is more likely to be the result of loneliness. The adult dog could be suffering from a stomach illness, or it might hear sounds from cars driving, wild animals in your backyard, or a neighbor’s dog barking. Also, dogs might begin barking because of their health or cognitive decline problems.

How to stop dog from barking at night

To stop the problem of dogs’ barking, consider one of these suggestions.

Step №1 – check the dog’s health

The first step is to make sure your dog is not sick. It is particularly vital for dogs who are recently experiencing some behavior problem.

Sometimes, an upset stomach or bladder infection could wake your dog in the night. He might cry and bark.

Other health problems that may be a concern can be present in dogs when they get older. If your pet is getting old, it's recommended to bring him to the veterinarian for a thorough exam. You can find treatment options that may help and reduce the dog's barking.

Step №2 – check what may alarm your dog

You need to prevent wild animals from entering your yard and trash can. And your dog may be accustomed to the neighbor’s schedule within one or two days. These kinds of disturbances tend to be temporary, but they could also cause an inclination for the nighttime barking to begin particularly.

To keep an eye on your dog, I recommend a cool device – the Pet Camera Petcube. It’s not only a camera, but also a two-way communication device (you can talk to your dog) and a treat dispenser.

Step №3 – limit the space for your dog

Your dog should be kept in a specific place at nighttime. Stressed dogs tend to move around. It can increase their stress. Mainly, if they move around the hallway or move from one window to another and back again, they are unlikely to calm down by themselves.

What can you do to stop the dog from barking?

• Let your furry friend sleep in a room that is not surrounded by windows facing the street or your backyard. So it’s not tempted to bark when it sees the windows.
• Try to put your dog in a crate to limit its access and prevent it from barking and running around the house. If your dog isn’t comfortable in a crate, offer it the crib slowly with a positive attitude and make sure to use lots of treats. Crate training can help your dog go to sleep rather than observing the world surrounding it.

Also, you may try to use a white sound machine to provide background noise. It works wonders for some dogs.

Step №4 – more physical activity

If your dog is in good health and nothing is affecting his sleep, the first step you can make to stop the barking at night is getting it a more physical and mental exercise. If your dog doesn’t get enough exercise, you’ll end up in a dog with lots of energy that’s not being used.

The amount of exercise will vary based on dog breeds. It will be clear that you’ve given an adequate amount of activity during the day when it’s peaceful in the evening.

It’ll also love more active play, such as playing tug and fetch. There are a variety of great toys that you can get to exhaust physically and mentally. It will also aid your dog sleep peacefully throughout the night and stopping barking.

Step №5 – pay more attention to your dog

Dogs will often bark at night if they’re alone. It is particularly true if you are away from home and your dog is left alone all the time. Dogs are social animals. Тhey needs communication.

Spend more time with your dog while you’re at home. A lot of pet owners let their dog sleep in their bed. If you prefer not, you can offer it their own bed, but keep it as close to yours as possible.

Should I take my dog to the bed? It is not necessary. But if you're not averse, it might be problem-solving for older dogs. Senior dogs with hearing loss might find it a wonderful relaxation to stay at night with their owners.

If nothing works

Indeed, it can happen that barking becomes a bad habit for a dog. If you’ve tried everything and you’re sure your dog is okay, then you can resort to the use of anti-barking devices.
You can choose a stationary device or a collar. Currently, my favorite for dog training is the BarkWise from GoodLife.
It can work in automatic mode or by remote control:

• In automatic mode the device responds to excessive barking and activates vibration and/or ultrasound. It silences the dog.
• If you disable automatic mode you can control the device with the remote control. You determine when you want to stop the dog and press the remote control. You can also give some commands, like “stop”.

Ultrasound is safe for animals and not audible for people.

You can save 10% when you buy a BarkWise collar with this promo code:

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One thing you need to know about a barking dog

The most common thing people do when their dog begins barking at night is to wake up and pay lots of time to their pet. They keep doing it for a long time and sit with the dog until they fall asleep.

However, dogs, like children, find attention satisfying. If you bring your dog to the bed following a bad episode at night, you will find it much more enjoyable. When a reward immediately follows, a new behavior can occur in the future.

If your dog’s bark awakens you, and you go downstairs in the evening to ensure that the house isn’t on fire, possible intruders are not here, and your dog appears to be healthy, keep your visit as brief and insignificant. If you stop restraining the barking behaviour, it will decrease and then stop.

Read the artikle about one of the best anti barking device - Dog Silencer Max.

Does it make sense to punish the animal for barking behavior?

One method that some people are trying is to punish the dog for making it quiet. For example, they spray barking dogs with water or strike them or shock them with an electronic collar.

Numerous studies have the amount of evidence suggesting that dogs’ punishment can have negative consequences. It can increase aggressive behavior and reducing the capacity to acquire new abilities. These results have been proven by using mild punishments for example, simply telling the dog to stay away.

In this regard, almost all professional associations representing dogs today suggest that you put away punishment completely when you train your dog.

If the puppy barks at the night

If your pup recently arrived, then little noises at night are expected, particularly if you anticipate your puppy to rest on its own. The idea of sleeping on its own is a bit frightening for a puppy who is still getting to know his family or his new home.

So we suggest that your pup spend their first few nights in a safe box or the crate next to your bed. The comfort of being close to you in their safe area will calm a newly-born puppy and lessen barking late at night.

It’s crucial not to let them sleep in the bed while you are asleep because they could be let out and wander off in search of trouble. There’s also the possibility of rolling on your dog while you are sleeping.

Maybe your puppy needs to pee?

Your puppy might be a bit agitated when he has to be allowed out to pee. Certain pups may make a few noises, and when they don’t hear from you, they will saturate the mattress.

Since nighttime barking can quickly turn into a habit, it is best to prevent the puppy’s awakening and get the dog out before it beginning to bark. Setting your alarm for halfway through the night. It should be about four hours after the pup goes to sleep.

Then gradually move this time forward as your puppy grows old. Nearly at five month’s age, most puppies sleep throughout the night until an appropriate early morning.

Should I ignore it if my dog barks?

If we are talking about an adult dog that barks out of a habit without an objective reason, you can ignore it. We wrote about such cases earlier in this article. But with the puppies, a different approach is needed.

The puppy will cry because it’s afraid and feel separation anxiety. It may stop crying once it realizes that no one has arrived. However, it doesn’t make the pup feel better. It is just upset in a quiet way.

Additionally, a large percentage of puppies make noises and howl for a few days. It’s a struggle to bear. It also has the problem of giving many puppies diarrhea due to the stress of becoming so angry.

Therefore, it is better not to ignore the puppy – but make sure that it sleeps close to your bed. Then the puppy will get used to your home and will be calm.

Summary

If your dog is barking during the night, follow this guide:

• Begin with identifying any underlying health problems.
• Make sure your dog is not disturbed at night, and make sure you reduce any possible noise.
• The dog’s ability to stop barking is most effective when you make sure the dog is trained, mentally exhausted and ready to sleep.
• Be honest about the expectations you have for young puppies.

Small puppies, elderly dogs and dogs who are not supervised for a large portion of the time are probably required to spend their evenings with a human. It is complicated to sleep alone for dogs that fall in those groups. Many other dogs can adapt to being alone at any given amount of time.

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