How to Stop Dog Barking at Night

I love my dogs as much as I love my cats. But right after adopting my first dog Limo, she started to keep me awake all night from barking for no reason at all. Every night it started, and I felt like tearing my ears off in annoyance! So, much like you, I also went searching for information on how to stop dog barking at night.

First of all, I learned that a dog howling at night is not a bad dog, she’s not doing it just for the kicks. It’s another one of those behavior problems that are seen with pets, and there really aren’t any shortcuts or quick fixes to stop this. So I steeled myself to spend some time training my dog out of this habit.

Today, I will tell you how to stop a dog from barking at night, dear dog mom/dad. I’ll start by explaining why they do this, and how you can stop this behavior. I will also give you tips to make your journey smooth as butter. Let’s get started!

Why Do Dogs Bark at Night

Knowing the reasons behind this irritating, troublesome behavior is the first step in learning how to control dog barking. Most often, the reason is stress or boredom. I know, you’re sleep deprived because the barking kept you up half the night! Grab a cup of the flavored coffee, and focus!

What Does the Barking Sound Like?

Just like humans have different voice tones to express a range of emotions, dogs also express their emotions by different types of barking. You’ve probably noticed that your dog barks happily when you get home, but her barks are more aggressive when she meets a stranger dog on the street.

What does the barking at night sound like? Is she alarmed? Is she bored? Or is she responding to the other dogs in the area barking in unison. Figure it out! That will take you one step closer to stop dog from barking at night. Before you go looking for these reasons though, make sure your doggy isn’t simply hungry or wanting a bathroom break. Making sure he is comfy in his bed or crate is also important.

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What Is the Problem?

Identifying the type of bark helps you get an idea what your dog is feeling that prompts him to bark! Here are some pointers-

Boredom: Just like humans, doggies can get bored too. The fix is quite easy in this case. Just provide him with some stimulating toys. That’s simply how to stop dog barking at night in this case.

Alarm: You might notice this behavior if you adopted the dog recently. They may be stressed and nervous, and the new environment makes them feel alarmed easily. They could be barking at noises that your ears can’t pick up, like a rodent scurrying around under the floorboards.

Loneliness: Have you been keeping your dog in an outdoor house or a crate where they’re alone? They could just be lonely. If you’re irritated about the barking and put him outside, it’s going to make the problem worse. That’s definitely not how to stop dog barking at night.

Illness or Old Age: Your dog might be ill or in pain. Alternatively, he might be old, he could be suffering from dementia. Consequently, it’s best to seek help from a vet as they know the best that you can do, and whether anything can be done about it at all.

Lack of Exercise: Perhaps you haven’t given your dog enough scope of spending his energy all day, and now he’s just not tired enough to sleep. All that pent up energy is what prompts him to bark all night.

Attention Seeking: It’s possible that your dog is actually an attention-seeking diva and just wants you to dote on him. In this case, how to stop your dog barking at night? Ignoring the dog sounds cruel but it’s effective for this kind of problem.

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The Road to Teaching Your Dog Not to Bark

So now that you know the cause of the barking, it’s time to know how to stop a barking dog at night. Like I said already, make sure your dog is comfortable, that he’s fed and doesn’t need to pee or poop anytime soon. Also, check if his bed and house/crate is cozy.

Then, make sure your dog isn’t suffering from any illness or pain. Take him for a trip to the vet and if he gets a clear bill of health, only then go about fixing any other reason he might have for barking. Dogs are very active pets and if you don’t play with them sufficiently, they’ll just take out that energy later with barking.

Even if you’re too busy, hire a dog-sitter to walk him or take him to the park, this will prevent dog barking at night. Also, keep in mind that some dog breeds are more energetic than others. Noise can be a big reason for your dog’s barking.

Even if you think it’s a nice and silent night, he’s probably hearing all sorts of noise like bugs and rodents crittering around, appliances humming, far away car honks etc. However, there are products that help with this sort of anxiety induced barking, like white noise producers. Additionally, I would suggest you keep the dog in the house, preferably near you.

You can let the dog sleep on your bed, or near the bed in a dog bed or crate. This helps a lot to stop dog barking at night. Lastly, in case your dog is just being an attention seeker, staunchly ignore the barking. He will get the memo that barking is not doing him any favors. This tactic worked great to calm down my Limo!

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Training Tips

Now that you have an idea how to stop dog barking at night, I’m going to give you a handful of tips that are going to come in handy, you’ll see!

The first thing is, try to remember if you, the dog owner, had any change in routine lately. Do you come home later? Are you going to sleep at a different time than before? Have you been using a different bedroom? Surprisingly, all these can cause your dog to be noisy late at night. In this case just wait for the dog to get used to this new routine.
If your dog starts barking at a set time every night, try to understand what is it that’s triggering this behavior. Does he start barking soon after you turn all the lights off? Is there a neighbor that comes home late around that time? Try to identify the trigger, it will help to fix the barking.
Another thing to consider, when did you first notice the barking? Maybe right after a change in his lifestyle, or a new puppy that you brought home!
I’ve already given you pointers on how to train a dog to not bark, but if it is excessive, you really might need to invest in a dog trainer. Help from a professional will give you peace, and your sleep routine will be saved.

How to Stop Your Puppy From Excessive Barking

Young age is a great time to teach dogs not to bark! If you notice your puppy is barking (more like cute woofing!) at night, you can easily train him to get rid of the behavior. Mostly, the reason could be that you adopted this pup recently and he’s still adjusting to the brand new environment.

Do all the things you can think of to make him relax, give him lots of love, and he’ll stop barking soon. Crate training a puppy is necessary for your and your dog’s future comfort. A puppy who’s comfortable sleeping in the crate will be much calmer when he’s older.

The little furball could also be lonely as he does not have his siblings and mother anymore. Giving him a toy or blanket that has the scent of his family will do wonders to calm him down and stop puppy barking. A big reason why your beloved puppy is being noisy could just be that he needs to pee.

A lot of times puppies pee in their sleep and soil the crate. Other times they will bark to be let out for a bathroom trip. This is a good time to figure out a routine for their bathroom trips. Make sure they are let out for potty in the evening, so you don’t have to suffer barking or accidental crate soiling later in the night. House train your pup as soon as possible, too.

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The Takeaway

So! Do you think you now know how to stop dog barking at night? I have outlined the reasons your dog or puppy might be barking up a storm every night. Depending on the reason, you should now have an idea how to stop the barking. Try using the the nifty little tips too! If you know a better way to change this behavior in dogs, come and tell me in the comments!