While some barking and other vocalizing is perfectly normal, in many cases barking, howling and whining can become problematic. This is particularly important for those living in apartment buildings, or in closely spaced homes. So, we dive into why dogs bark and how to stop dogs from barking at night.
Barking is a perfectly natural canine behaviour. Birds sing; frogs croak; and a dog barks, whines and howls. If you have a dog, you had better expect some barking, whining or howling. It is unrealistic and unfair to think you can train your dog to stop barking altogether. However, you, your neighbors, and your dog will all be much happier if the barking is under control.
Why do Dogs Bark?
Dogs bark for appropriate reasons, such as when strangers approach our house or when they hear an odd noise. Most of us want our dogs to be “watch dogs” and alert us to anything unusual, but dogs can also bark inappropriately and at the wrong time. To address the behavioural problem one needs to analyse it and make “dog sense” out of it. It’s easy to do so when we know why the dog is barking but what if the dog is barking at nothing?
Why Do Dogs Bark and Howl at Nothing?
There could be many reasons for this behaviour, and while it may seem that your dog is barking at nothing and for no reason, there is always a rationale behind it. For example, is that dogs that are socially isolated or confined for long periods without supervised exercise need some outlet for their pent-up energy. A dog that is left alone all day is likely to take up barking as a hobby because no one is there to control him. In no time at all, barking becomes an enjoyable habit. And for many dogs, once they start barking, they tend to continue barking for the sheer fun of it.
Your dog may be barking excessively because you unintentionally trained him to do so. Your dog speaks and you obey. He woofs and you look at him to see what he wants. He may want to warn you that someone is at the door, or he may want to go out to do his business, or maybe if he is hungry and wants a snack. At the beginning, you are happy with his intelligence and communication skills. Now it is a “Woof!” to open the door, “Woof” for a treat and another for a tummy-rub, and things get out of hand. Your dog has learned to get attention through barking. It becomes all too easy to fall into the trap of reacting to his barking and forgetting to praise or reward him for not barking.
How to Stop Dogs from Barking at Night
The first step in obtaining peace and quiet is to realize that your dog’s excessive barking is usually caused by loneliness, boredom, frustration, and fear. These are all situations that you can help to alleviate. A well-exercised, happy dog is more likely to sleep all night, therefore, we recommend you to spend enough time playing, training and exercising with your dog.
Most Common Reason Why Dogs Bark and Growl
Alert Barker
Dogs that bark at strangers approaching the house, regular visitors, and the delivery guy or the mail carrier will naturally have their barking reinforced if it causes that person to jump up and leave. The dog thinks, “Boy, I’m good. My barking made that person leave.” In modifying the dog’s behaviour, we need to overcome this reinforcement.
The dog has to understand that alerting does not mean raising hell and that excessive barking can bring a correction. To solve the problem, you can give him the sit or down stay command before opening the door, this sort of physical restraint command helps him calm down.
With practice, a dog learns to be alert and sit quietly facing the door. Signal the dog after one or two barks that he was a good dog for warning you, but now we will take control of the situation.
Fear Barkers
Some dogs may start with an alert or warning bark, but then progress to a bark that is associated with fear. One of the more common examples of this is the dogs that bark at approaching strangers. If your dog is barking out of fear of people, first he must learn to be obedient, defer to you for his behaviour cues, and relax. Then you can start setting up situations in which people approach from far off and allow your dog to remain relaxed and give him treats.
Slowly (over days and weeks) have people approach him only to the point where he remains relaxed and you can reward him. As people come even closer, have them throw treats his way so he starts associating people with good things happening. While this controlled training is going on, it is best to not put him in situations in which you do not have control – for example: walking down a busy street.
Do not encourage your dog to bark at people. You may set a bad habit in motion and he may become suspicious and even fearful of people and will bark unnecessarily at odd situations and strangers.
Attention-Seeking Barkers
Young puppies, as well as adult dogs, soon learn that barking will incite attention from us. The problem is that dogs will be happy with any attention they receive – both negative and positive. A firm “No” from you is still attention and the puppy you are trying to train just got what he wanted and you have unexpectedly reinforced the unwanted behaviour, therefore, it is best to just ignore this type of barking (as hard as that may seem).
When the dog stops barking, you can reward the dog. Now the dog will relate the attention and the praising of his owner to stopping the barking. Just make sure he stops barking before you give the reward or he will perceive it as a reward for barking.
Play and Excitement Barkers
If your dog barks excessively during play, it is best to let him calm down and slow down the game. If he continues to bark, stop playing until he has settled down.
Bored Barkers
Dogs who bark when they are bored may be similar to those who are lonely and are simply seeking attention. These dogs need something to do besides barking. We need to give them a more stimulating environment and usually a lot more exercise. A tired dog is less likely to be bored. Also helpful are chew toys or toys that can be filled with treats to get your dog’s brain and teeth working.
Lonely / Anxious Barkers
With these types of barkers, we need to address the separation anxiety
that is the usual cause of the unwanted behavior. We can start out by leaving or acting like we are leaving for a short time – and before the dog gets nervous and barks (this may be one second at first), we come back. This way, we are not rewarding barking, but rewarding relaxation and silence. We gradually extend the time we are gone and return before the dog gets anxious.
We have observed that behavioural problems are easier dealt with when the dog has gone through some kind of formal obedience training. People take time to change their bad habits. It is the same with dogs only it takes teamwork (you and your dog) to work through the habit breaking cycle.
While you are gone make sure your dog is in a comfortable environment — a warm, light area with toys and a radio playing is usually a good choice. Some indoor dogs will be more content if they have access to a window where they can see what is going on outside. You will need to decide what makes your dog less anxious and provide it consistently. Make sure you give your dog a lot of exercise. As tired dogs tend to become less anxious.
Behavioral problems are easier to address with dogs that have gone through some kind of formal obedience training. It takes teamwork between you, your dog and sometimes a professional trainer to change your dog’s behavior. Just as people, dogs need time and dedication to change their habits.
Your Patience: A Key-Element
Adjusting your barking dog’s behaviour, especially night barking, usually takes six weeks of consistent training and behavioral corrections. During this time you need to remain patient and tolerant. You will be faced with many frustrating moments and may even think that there is no remedy for your dog’s barking problem. Our advice to you is not to give up on him and keep working with your dog consistently. The reward will be a peaceful life for you, your neighbors, and your dog.
