We all love our dogs but there are times they act in ways and we can’t help but get irritated. A good example is when they can’t stop barking at night, maybe you had spent the entire day playing and cuddling together, and you didn’t notice any issue.
Dogs won’t stop barking at night because of sensitivity to noise, hunger, boredom, separation anxiety, physical discomfort, a way of alerting, and lack of exercise.
This article will help you understand better the reasons why your dog won’t stop barking at night and what to do about it.
7 Reasons Why Dogs Won’t Stop Barking At Night
Sensitivity to Noise
You might wonder why dogs bark at nothing at times. Dogs are extremely sensitive to stimuli and may be reacting to sounds that you are oblivious to. This could be distant noises, high-pitched sounds from other animals within or outside your home, or any other disturbance that bothers the dog.
Solution
Check for noises that might be bothering your dog if you find him or her barking a lot in one room. You can get your dog-ear muffs if you can’t get rid of the cause of the noise.
Hunger
If your dog was not satisfied with the amount of food you provided him, he will have a hard time sleeping at night which will lead to excessive barking. A dog should be fed food depending on age, size, health, and breed. You might also be following the right feeding program but with the wrong type of food. Food with low nutrition levels can make your dog not to be satisfied.
Solution
Buy the right food as recommended by your vet as per your dog’s age, breed, and size. Also, buy high-quality food and supplement it with fruits and vegetables. Ensure that your dog does not go to bed without eating if he had eaten more than two hours ago. You can also give him treats between meals.
Separation Anxiety
When dogs feel lonely at night, they will frequently bark. This is especially the case if you work away from home during the day and your dog is left alone. Your dog is a sociable creature. Loneliness in your dog might lead to unpleasant habits such as late-night barking.
Separation anxiety can also be brought about by placing the crate in a place where your dog will feel isolated or locking him in a crate for long hours.
Solution
Spend as much time as possible with your dog on your leisure days. You can place the dog crate inside your bedroom so that your dog can feel your presence and stop barking. You can also place his bed near yours, it is not advisable to sleep with him in your bed to prevent accidents. Remember not to keep your dog in a crate for many hours.
Physical Discomfort
It’s possible that barking all night is a sign of bodily distress, such as being cold or in pain. If this is the case, listen to your dog’s barking and look at him or her; the bark will sound tense, and the dog may show signs of pain, such as lack of mobility.
Solution
Before letting your dog in his kennel or crate, ensure that there are all the necessities like a blanket and a comfortable bed, you can also turn on the air conditioner. If he is showing signs of pain when you touch him, call your vet.
Alerting
Most breeds, regardless of size, were bred to alert their owners to the presence of an intruder or other potential disruption on or near your property. This explains why your dog barks anytime a person or a vehicle approaches. Your pooch may also bark at night if he detects a nocturnal animal in your yard, such as a possum or squirrel.
Solution
We all want our dogs to alert us whenever they see anything or anyone who poses a threat to us. So, the solution here is just to let your dog be.
Lack of exercise
Every dog breed regardless of its size requires exercising daily. If not exercised, they can direct their excess energy to things like excessive barking at night.
Solution
You can take your doing out for a walk, run or swimming. He should be exercised daily for not less than two hours. An exercised dog will hardly have time to bark unnecessarily at night.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why your dog won’t stop barking at night like boredom, physical injuries, or as a way of alerting you. After reading the above info, I hope you have a better idea of why your dog barks at night and what you can do about it. Remember it is hard for your dog not to bark at night because that is their way of communication to you and other dogs in the neighborhood.
