Does the constant barking of your or your neighbor’s dog at night get on your nerves? Are you eager to stop that noise immediately to get a good night’s sleep? If yes, you got it here!
Dogs usually bark at night when they sense an animal, human, or danger in the vicinity. Other reasons can be discomfort, loneliness, hunger, attention-seeking, anger, or pain. Dogs also bark in response to the howling of other dogs heard at night.
But not only that, there are many other reasons which we will discuss along with their quick solutions later in this article. By the end of this article, you’ll get to know why dogs bark in the middle of the night, i.e. 3am. Plus, we will also tell you how you can stop your dog from barking at night. So, let’s get deep into it!
Why Do Dogs Bark At Night When There’s Nothing Going On?
Dogs bark at night without any reason because they have spotted a wild or domestic animal nearby, seen small animals scurrying across the home premises, heard wind rushing through the trees or bushes, or felt a sense of danger in the vicinity.
Dogs can do that as they can hear and see things much better than humans do. All of this means that they are not barking at “nothing” but at something out of your sight. Here are all the possible reasons that make your canine bark all of a sudden at night.
Sense Of Danger
The primary reason for your pooch to bark at night is the sense of danger. If they feel any slight change in environment, be it the rustling of leaves or a squirrel in your yard triggering their alerting senses.
In such cases, your dog only barks on rare nights. Plus, the bark will visibly sound aggressive and defensive than usual.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is one of the significant reasons for your dog’s disturbing behavior. It usually happens if your furry buddy is a constant attention seeker and you haven’t been able to properly spend time with him. On the other hand, it can be that you recently started making your pup sleep in a different room alone.
So, how would you know if they are anxious or not? Here are some major signs of separation anxiety in dogs that you should look out for.
- Outrageous salivation
- Constantly following you
- Excessive urination
- Vomiting
- Marching
- Scratching
- Destroying valuable things
If your dear fido suffers from separation anxiety, the barking sessions will continue for nights. Moreover, they will sound dull and desperate at the same time.
Noises
Your furry friend will be barking in response to noises for sure. You can’t tell if he’s barking to the noise of a bug or the horns of a car passing by. Since dogs are sensitive to noises, they will bark at the slightest and the loudest noise with the same intensity.
If your dog is super sensitive to noises, then the barking at night will be more frequent. But if they are minorly sensitive, then it would be a rare case. The bark of your canine, in this case, will apparently sound excited.
Sense Of Threat
If your canine doesn’t generally bark at night but has recently started barking at certain times, then you need to determine the cause because it has probably sensed an incoming threat. If they eventually stop barking after a few minutes, they are getting the sense of threat.
It can be a person or an animal trying to invade your property, alerting your pooch. In response, your dog will bark aggressively, and growling can be heard as well.
Pain
Pain can be another possible reason for your dog barking at night. Whether they got stung by a bug, hit themselves, or got a medical condition, then the barking will be constant. In this scenario, the bark of your dog will sound clearly painful.
However, if you have an old doggie, their joints are more likely to hurt at night. In case you are having even the slightest doubt, head straight to your vet.
How Long Does It Take For A Dog To Stop Barking At Night?
There is no known or specified duration it will take for your dog to stop barking at night. Stopping your dog from barking solely depends on the reason behind it and how efficiently you try to solve it.
There are, however, some cases in which you can instantly calm down your canine. Otherwise, it can take the whole night to do so. Let us elaborate for you!
Instant Scenarios
For instant scenarios, all can be fixed only by paying a visit to your dog. These scenarios include:
- Separation anxiety
- Boredom
- Hunger, take their favorite food with you
- Noises, play along to distract them
Time-Taking Scenarios
Here is a set of scenarios that require time and attention based on how the problem is addressed.
- Pain: To visit a vet and address any medical issues.
- Sense of danger: To calm down your canine and help them relax, as well as eliminate potential danger triggers.
- Sense of threat: To provide comfort and help them relax, as well as look into putting security measures to address the threat.
- Noises: If they are hypersensitive to noises, then proper training to curb their hypersensitivities will be needed.
Both the instant and time-taking solutions are short-term reliefs for you. So, to achieve the long-term solutions for peaceful nights, head to the next section of the article.
How Do I Tell My Dog To Shut Up?
Train your pup to follow your commands, get him proper treatment and sessions, politely comfort them according to the situation.
Your “Shut Up” isn’t going to work until your pup understands the meaning behind it. Yelling at your doggie is another bad idea to stop him. Here’s how you can stop your dog from constantly barking at night at once.
Involve Your Dog In Socialization
If your dog is hypersensitive to other people or animals passing by, they need to socialize. Dogs that are not well aware of the outer world are more likely to bark at everything and everyone they see.
The easiest way is to have your canine accompany you during grocery shopping or at parks and let a few people pet them or give them treats. If they bark at your friends or service people at home, ask your friends or other people to pet and treat your buddy as well. And the uncomfortable feeling of your doggie will be gone!
Toys Of Your Dog’s Interest
If your doggie usually barks out of boredom or discomfort, make them a habitat for playing with toys. Furthermore, teach them some suitable activities that they can carry without you. This will prevent them from barking at night out of boredom or sleeplessness.
Control Your Dog’s Environment
No more worrying about what to do if my dog barks in a crate at night? One of the easiest ways to curb its barking is to control their environment.
You can play a familiar song or radio to them at a low volume such that they do not get distracted by outside noises.
Other than that, you can block their view of unusual activities by placing them in a wooden or closed fence rather than the net fence. If your dog sleeps indoors, close the blinds and block the window views for peaceful nights.
Make Your Dog Learn Commands
It certainly takes time and effort to train your canine for taking commands. However, once your dog has been taught the commands, it will become a forever solution to their night barking. Rather than making them respond to “Shut Up,” it is better to make the command “Quiet” with a soft voice and positive attitude to stop barking.
Seek Professional Help For Your Dog
If your pooch suffers from separation anxiety or any other mental or physical issues, the best solution is to let the professionals handle it. Your doggie needs adequate sessions and treatment to get through the situation where your cooperation stands first.
Stop Responding To Unnecessary Barking
Should I ignore my dog barking at night to change their behavior? Yes, in some cases! Take it as part of their training. Do not respond if your dog barks constantly to have food, go outside, or get attention.
You must wait till they stop barking to provide what your dear fido needs. This way, they will not generate a positive vibe for barking. Condemn them politely for barking at people or animals too.
What Can I Do If My Neighbor’s Dog Won’t Stop Barking At Night?
You can talk to your neighbors and offer solutions, meet and play with the dog, make the dog familiar with the mailman, block the sight and sound, get a noise whistle, or finally file a complaint.
Here are the various options and solutions you can adhere to or use to hopefully put an end to the barking of your neighbor’s dog at night.
Talk To Your Neighbors And Offer Solutions
The first thing to do if your neighbor’s dog is giving you a tough time is to go and have a talk with them. They may not know that the constant barking of their fido is a huge problem and will figure out something to save the situation.
Other than that, you can offer some of the solutions stated above to them for better and quick remedy. You can advise your neighbors to get a trainer for their pooch or buy some good toys for the doggie.
Meet And Play With The Dog
Since dogs are sensitive to their territories, they may see you as a threat near the house. If they bark at you whenever they see you close to the house or standing in your window, you need to pay a visit to this dog.
Meeting and playing with dogs will help them to recognize you. This way, you will be free from sudden barks at night if you want to stand in your window.
Make The Dog Familiar With Service People
Dogs mostly bark at the mailman or delivery man. In such a case, try to make your neighbor’s dog familiar with the service people. Otherwise, you can ask your neighbors to socialize their dog or let the service people pet their pooch.
Block The Sight And Sound
Dogs barks at you in response to hearing or watching you. If nothing suits you and you can’t compromise your comfort anymore, consider making your room soundproof. You can build high walls or opaque fences to block the sight of dogs as well.
Get Yourself A Noise Whistle
Noise whistles are designed to distract and stop noisy dogs with an irritating high-pitched sound. Whenever the dog starts barking out of reason, blow the noise whistle, it will irritate the dog, eventually giving him the signal to stop barking. It is recommended to talk with your neighbor before getting a noise whistle.
File A Complaint
If nothing worked, and your neighbor’s dog is still a huge problem, then file a complaint against them. For example, Massachusetts law does explicitly allow neighbors to lodge a formal complaint about barking nuisances.
You have every right to sleep peacefully. Reach out to the management of society, landlords, or police to get the right solution.
