# Barking at night



## RacingSnake (Nov 3, 2008)

Hi guys,
I've been reading through the numerous posts on here, but really not got any clues (that we haven't already tried).
this one http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/11893-night-time-barking-help.html suggested a couple of things, but we've already covered them.

Basically, about 4 weeks ago for no apparent reason our cesky terrier (10 years old) started barking in the middle of the night (around 5am), and repeatedly, and almost exactly the same time each night.
the first week we ignored him and put it down to something like the neighbours going off to work (they're posties).
but then we realised this wasnt the case, we thought it could be the heating/hotwater coming on, so we switched the time to come on later and nope, nothing changed.
the 3rd week we shouted down to him to shut up and he would... for about 20 minutes.
this week we decided to ignore him, but last night was ridiculous  he just didn't stop, and mixed in with his barking was whining... so I thought he might need to go for a pee.
I went down and let him out, but he just sat at the back door and looked at me, so I put him back and went back to bed, for him to start barking again about 15 minutes later, causing my g/f to then shout at me (for reacting to him), and she just then got up for the day.

We have a crate for him (he's been crated all his life), he faces into our dining room, with no view to any windows or any way to see any movement.
The house is pretty well sound-proofed too, so we can't generallly hear stuff from outside.

He does this all through the weekends too  so I have been up at 5am every single morning for the last month and am really getting a bit annoyed 

any tips?

As was mentioned in a couple of the other threads on this, when we did 'attend to him' he'd stop barking as soon as he'd hear us get up to come down stairs, so there isn't really time for any form of "NO" command


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## fluffybunny2001 (Feb 8, 2008)

i can`t really help with the barking at the same time thing but is there a chance your dogs sight is going?my dog is part albino so has always ahd bad eyesight and his reaction to something he can`t see properly or at all is to bark incessently.maybe there is something he can`t sse properly at that time taht he barks at?


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## RacingSnake (Nov 3, 2008)

maybe? I hadn't considered it to be honest, he doesn't seem to bump into things (any moer than usual!), and he seems to be able to see the ball when i throw it for him.
something I'll watch out for though.


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## dragonlady1380 (Dec 6, 2008)

have you tried putting his crate in the bedroom with you maybe he is feeling a bit lonely.

good luck with him im having problems with our pups they r barking and crying during the night and wont shut up we have tried feeding them later so they dont get hungry as fast, we keep their toys with them to play with, they have their mum with them. i guess with puppies comes insomnia too.


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## RacingSnake (Nov 3, 2008)

another sleepless night 
it was 4.45 this morning, so after 2 barks I went downstairs to and covered the cage with some towels (to make it darker).
he didn't bark again in the morning (which was a first!).

I don't really want to take the crate upstairs, he's 10 yrs old, and has always been downstairs in his crate  plus we don't allow him upstairs.


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

sorry to hear u had another early start.
but it sounds like you may of found a solution - perhaps the towels make his crate more save and cosy or he can't see whatever it was that was disturbing him.
try the towels tonight from when u put him 2 bed and let us know if h wakes up or not


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## RacingSnake (Nov 3, 2008)

Well, it worked for another couple of nights, but then he started up again 
Now we're at christmas, with family staying... this is going to be great fun! 

Would he learn if I spent a week coming down and spraying water in his face? or would the time for me to get down the stairs be too long?

Ultimately we wanted to do away with the crate, but since he's been in it for 10 years, I don't understand why he's doing this :frown5:


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## Shazach (Dec 18, 2008)

At ten years old I would doubt he's doing it to be naughty, is he sleeping more in the day or starting to slow down with his age at all?

Have you tried setting a radio to go off near his bed, at about the time he's started waking - low enough volume to keep him company without waking you until it's time for you to be up and about too?


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## RacingSnake (Nov 3, 2008)

I would say he's sleeping more during the day tbh, he's actually asleep now!

We did (sadly) have a disturbed christmas  I'll give the radio idea a go, though I think if we set it to come on quietly, it might set him off expecting us to come down?

maybe if we leave a radio on overnight all the time?


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## Shazach (Dec 18, 2008)

It's got to be worth trying both ways! Anything to try break the pattern.

The morning "alarm" method worked with one of our previous dogs for a while - it bought an hours extra sleep. But tbh we eventually gave in and she came upstairs with us. She'd sleep by the bed and all it took was a hand on the head to reassure her if she woke. 

Let us know how it goes.

Sh.


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## RacingSnake (Nov 3, 2008)

Okay, last night was the first night we didn't have a peep out of him.
We bought him a new 'comfy' bed for christmas, which usually sits in the living room with us.
3 nights ago instead of putting him in his crate over night, we locked him in the dining room (where his crate is), and moved his comfy bed in there with him. This sort of worked, and we had a bark at 8am (yes I was still asleep  )
Next night we moved the comfy bed actually into his crate and left the door open... again only 1 single bark (at about 7).
Last night, he had the comfy bed in his crate, and we locked the crate back up again, and amazingly he didn't make a sound (until I came downstairs, then he went mad! lol ).
Anyway, this seems to be having an effect in one way or another, so I'll persist with this for the next few days and see if we can break the habit.
Fingers crossed we caan crack this, I'm not sure how much more broken sleep I can take!


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## Shazach (Dec 18, 2008)

Fantastic - obviously likes his christmas present then!
Good luck that it continues.


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## alidan (Aug 22, 2009)

I totally sympathise with you. My 14 year old labrador is bevaing in just the same way - its got progressively worse so that now it starts at 3.30am. He has also started barking during the day. For an old dog his eyesight and hearing are prob about 80% ok but this has been a gradual decline so not sure that its the cause of the barking. He is used to being alone at night and has 3 beds to choose from as he wanders around quite a lot now. I leave a lamp on for him as it helped to start with, then the radio idea worked for a while. The bark is about every ten seconds and he is still lying down whilst he is doing it - nothing is getting his attention. I have slept with him on the settee and even on his bed. Neither are successful. He cannot get upstairs to be in the bedroom. I am suffering from extreme tiredness and it is causing me problems in health and work. He is on tablets for rheumatism and painkillers - does anyone know a solution or even why - I don't think his quality of life is suffering - could it be dementia - and what could help?


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