Most times, people who have dogs tend to see their barking as annoying. We are humans and we can barely relate to what the dogs are doing. Sometimes, this could be their emotions or what they feel may be a threat at that point. You don’t have to be mad at your dog when you see them bark suddenly at some point, you just have to watch closely to find out what could be causing it.
Note that you would be bothered when you find the sudden barking of a dog uncomfortable. Do you want to know why your dog is suddenly barking? Do you also want to find out things you can do to make your dog stop barking suddenly? Stick to this article to find out the necessary information.
Now to the main question, why is my dog suddenly barking at night? Dogs barking at night shouldn’t be something that would bother you too much. They are meant to exhibit this characteristic majorly because nighttime is usually creepy, they hear a lot of funny sounds and that is just their kind of defence mechanism.
Hopefully, after reading this write-up, you will get to know why your dog barks suddenly at night and some of the things you can do to stop unnecessary barking. Let’s consider the reasons dogs bark suddenly at night in more detail.
4 Reasons Why Your Dog Bark Suddenly At Night?
Danger
When you ask most people what might be making a dog bark suddenly at night, they would tell you that it’s because of the smell of danger or a potential one. Well, they are not wrong. When a dog finds out something is dangerous around the house, they tend to send an alert to the owner. This is why when someone they don’t know enters the compound, they tend to bark suddenly or scare the person.
It is important that when the barking seems uncontrollable, you should cautiously check out what or who might be outside at that point.
Loneliness
Dogs are similar to humans in some kind of behavioural acts. As a human, when you are lonely you tend to act up or even stay moody. It would be worse when you have people around that are not talking to you. This same thing applies to a dog who has no other dog to play with than humans.
When you keep your pet lonely, they tend to bark and this can happen majorly at night. As a pet owner, you have to be sensitive to their moods. Do not just leave your dog the whole day without having to do anything with them.
Lack of Proper Supervision
When you don’t supervise your dog, there is a tendency for them to start to bark when it is uncalled for. If barking seems to be annoying then this would be the most annoying scenario ever. Just because you are not there with your dog then it starts to bark unnecessarily and probably scare people around.
Not supervising your dog can contribute to them barking suddenly, especially at night.
No Playtime
Unfortunately, not every dog gets as much physical attention as they deserve. When your dog does not have so much playtime, they tend to get bored which will in turn make them start barking suddenly at night. Not having time for your dog could make your dog unhappy.
Sadly, sometimes we can’t even relate to what they are trying to explain but no doubt they are trying to communicate something to you.
Tips To Stop Your Dog From Barking suddenly At Night
1. Check on your dog from time to time
This is one of the things that could be done when you want them to stop barking suddenly at night. Once you notice that the barks are becoming much, carefully check out for danger and when you find nothing threatening then you should check out your dog.
Pat them on the back and just praise them so that they don’t feel alone. If you can do this consistently, your dog might just stop barking suddenly at night.
2. Spend More Time With Your Dog
Loneliness is one of the things that make dogs bark suddenly at night, you must spend more time with your dog. This does not have to take so much of your time, within a few minutes you’d be done.
Do not just leave your dog alone like it was bought solely for security purposes. Although, security is one of the major reasons you just have to make out time for your dog. This way it feels safe and loved.
3. Supervise Your Dog More
Dogs can be funny creatures. When you don’t control them or display authority over them, they may tend to start barking suddenly and then even scare people. It is a great idea when you display authority over your dog. That point is when you can tell them to keep shut and they will.
But, if you do not display authority over them they tend to leverage it and make themselves look in charge. Just so you know, these dogs have an opinion of their own so they could misbehave sometimes.
4. Avoid Putting Them Inside a Cage All the Time
When your dog does not have enough playtime and then you still put them in a cage, just expect that they will disturb you all the time. To avoid them barking throughout the night the best thing to do is to take them out of the cage. This way, they would be able to express themselves and move freely. If you keep them in the cage always, you should expect them to bark more often.
Having seen all of these things, you are no longer unaware of the various reasons why your dog may bark suddenly at night. As an additional note, let’s see the importance of paying attention to your dog.
Importance Of Paying Attention To Your Dog
It Helps Them To Stay Healthy
Paying Attention to your dog helps them to stay healthy and mentally fit. One of the reasons why your dog seems inactive or not okay medically is because you spend little or no time with it. Just like humans, spending time with them makes him/her feel good, it also applies to dogs. It would help them stay active.
Alertness
Dogs are naturally smart and inquisitive animals and therefore can sight the slightest of things that you may not see as a human. A dog would help you stay alert or bring your attention to something that you may not be seeing. Security has been a long-time reason why most people get dogs but if you do not pay attention to your dog, you might not be getting the results you expect from them.
It Helps Them To Stay Healthy
As stated earlier, a dog that is not interacted with will find it difficult to be active. What is the point of having a dog when they are not active? If you interact with your dog more, you tend to bring out the best in them and ensure that they are active. You can interact with them by taking them on walks, teaching them new phrases, and many more. This way, your dog is smarter.
They Stay More Obedient to You
You might be wondering how this is possible but do not doubt the power of attention. Any dog that is lonely or barely gets attention from Its master tends to be disobedient. The disobedience exhibited by dogs is a result of the dog not interacting well with its owners but if you pay more attention to them, they will listen once you give them an instruction.
They Stop Every Form of Destructive Behaviour
Many times, you might have seen videos of dogs destroying something in the home or trying to do something that does not make any sense. It can be quite annoying seeing your dog probably tear up your couch or even start harming themselves. This is a result of not paying attention to your dog. When you pay more attention to your dog, all of these self-destructive behaviours tend to leave them. They would feel loved and comfortable around you.
In Summary
Dogs are lovely animals and therefore have to be treated as such. In a world like ours, you must treat your dog nicely and make them feel all the love. It is not so good making it look like you got them for security alone. Take them on walks, teach them new stuff, and ensure that they don’t lack so much.
If your dog keeps barking suddenly at night and you have tried all of these things as listed above then there is a need for you to take them to the veterinarian so that necessary things can be done. Also, be sure that you give your dog attention. We are not saying that you should spend the whole of your day with a dog but once you have the opportunity to, do it with all joy.
