Why does my dog bark at night and what to do?
There are many reasons why your dog may bark at night, sometimes you just have to look at a few details of his daily life to understand them. I propose today to discover the 4 main causes that explain this excessive and very constraining behavior on a daily basis.
The protective instinct
First of all, it seems obvious that many dogs take their guardian role very seriously, especially at night, simply because they understand that their humans are in a vulnerable situation during this period.
In fact, the slightest suspicious noise can worry them and make them react. In some cases, it's very useful, but in others, it's a bit like the story of the young shepherd who cried wolf for no reason: by dint of warning for everything and anything, when a real danger arose, no one cares anymore.
What to do?
" Here, it is always more effective to prevent than to cure. Let me explain: if you have a puppy of a guard breed, it is very important to make him live a maximum of (positive) experiences and especially to accustom him to hearing many noises without them not have unfortunate consequences."
Especially if you live in town, don't skimp on this socialization because a dog will always be afraid of what he doesn't know. And fear means potentially noisy reactions such as barking or growling, etc.
Read also: How to reduce the guarding instinct in a dog?Boredom
There's nothing worse than a bored dog and I personally don't understand how some owners can be surprised at the annoying behaviors their dogs adopt given the non- respect they have for them.
In short, owners who go to work in the morning leaving their dog alone all day, without having walked it before leaving (because there is no time) and without offering it a walk in the evening either ( because too late, too tired and/or too night) shouldn't be surprised that their dog barks all night long.
What to do?
Keep your dog busy to avoid boredom! Spend it, offer him walks every day, stimulate him mentally and olfactorily, etc. A dog that is well spent and a dog that sleeps well. Thus, if good activities have been offered to him during the day, he will have only one desire at night: to sleep!
So, it's true that some households lack time, so I wonder about the interest of adoption, but that's not the question. Know that one-hour walks in the middle of the forest are not not the only ways to actively expend a dog: an occupation toy, a search for treats in the garden, a Kong filled with goodies, a search mat, etc. So many activities, simple, quick to set up and fun that allow you to occupy and spend your dog without “wasting time” for the most rushed masters.
Anxiety
It also happens that dogs bark at night out of anxiety, so it looks more like vocalizations. Personally, I have already observed howls worthy of a wolf in one of my dogs, when I make him sleep alone in a place that he does not know. This “song” is typical of anxiety, the dog “calls for help”, means that he is in pain and needs a presence to reassure himself.
If these howls are systematic, even at home, then you have to ask yourself about the learning of loneliness and the detachment that you are doing with your dog, because there is necessarily a problem at this level.
A dog must be able to feel safe in his own home, if this is not the case, it means that the environment does not suit him and/or that a much too intense attachment exists between you and him.
What to do?
Here, it's about positive habituation to loneliness, even when you're at home. Your dog should be able to stay alone in a room, knowing that you are in the house, without feeling insecure.
To read also: How and why prohibit a room of the house to his dog?This must be put in place as soon as the puppy arrives at home. If this learning has not been done or you have adopted an already adult dog, then you should go back to the basics, gently, with patience and consistency.I invite you to consult our article specially dedicated to this subject.
Then, to appease your dog, you can also reduce his space, do not leave him completely free in the house because his anxiety will be proportional to the space dedicated to him. Thus, in a small room or even in an interior niche, insecurity decreases. Do not hesitate to leave a cloth with your scent for your dog at night so that he can also reassure himself in an olfactory way.
The case of older dogs
Older dogs who suffer from involutional depression and/or canine delirium can take day for night and vice versa. They also tend to become more anxious and start barking at night when they never did before. Solutions exist to help your old dog. They are detailed in our article devoted to the syndrome of cognitive dysfunction in dogs which I invite you to consult.
Requests for attention
This reason is directly related to the previous one. Often, a dog's anxiety stems from an inconsistent attitude of the owners on a daily basis. Let me explain: a dog who is used to getting satisfaction every time he demands attention will then be anxious or very frustrated if, at night, he can't get you to react.
So, when at night your dog demands your attention but does not get satisfaction because by definition you are sleeping, he does not understand and intensifies his requests by barking excessively until you “yield”! Note that this cause is also linked to that of boredom because it is very often dogs who lack energy and who are bored who constantly demand the attention of their master.
But be careful, why do these dogs continue to adopt this kind of behavior? Simply because they find that it works.I will put my hand to cut that many masters “give in” and get up at night to put their dog outside, to give him a little comforting caress or worse, to scold him. And There you go ! The dog understands that by barking at night he gets satisfaction, so why stop?
What to do?
The watchword here (and in general for all dogs) is: ignore your animal's requests for attention. I remind you, ignoring a dog is: not talking to him, not touching him or looking at him. Total ignorance!
If you adopt this behavior every day, your dog will eventually understand that this attitude, his excessive demands, no longer work. You must then arm yourself with patience (just like your neighbors), especially if your dog is an adult and you have always accustomed him since he was a puppy to answer all his requests!
A tip: do not hesitate to call on a dog trainer to accompany you throughout the process and find solutions adapted to your situation and your animal.
What does the law say about barking at night?
The first thing to know is that the law does not prohibit dogs from barking during the day: it's normal and natural behavior! If your neighbors complain about it, be aware that there are “criteria” to be met before your doggie's barking is actually considered a noise nuisance. A few barks during the day cannot therefore be subject to sanctions, but if they are frequent and intensive, that's another story
Article R1336-5 of the Public He alth Code stipulates that "no particular noise must, by its duration, repetition or intensity, affect the tranquility of the neighborhood or the he alth of the public. man, in a public or private place, whether a person is himself the origin or whether through the intermediary of a person, of a thing of which he has custody or of an animal placed under his responsibility. »
Thus, you can be penalized for noise pollution if your dog barks repeatedly, for a long time and/or at high intensity.Only one of these three criteria is enough for your neighbors to be legally able to point the finger at you. At night, on the other hand, it is more severe because an infraction is then possible without this noise necessarily being repetitive, intensive or lasting over time because it is enough that "offensive or nocturnal noises or noises disturb the tranquility others'.
Read also: Dog barking: update on the legislationWhat to do when you are a "victim" of the neighbor's dog barking?
In the event that you are disturbed by the barking of your neighbor's dog, for example, think, before notifying "the authorities" , of informing the owner of the noisy dog because in many cases, said owner absolutely does not realize the inconvenience caused.
On the other hand, if this simple reminder is not enough, there are of course many procedures: information letter, formal notice, finding of nuisance by the police, constitution of a report, complaint filed at the police station, etc.