How do I get my dog to stop barking at night?

Question

I'm not sure what my dog is barking about... she stays on the large screened porch that we have and i let her out to go potty and run around. well she barks nonstop at night and I go outside n let her out to see where she runs but she doesn't leave the porch... so i have no idea why she barks. what can i do to keep her from barking?

Answer 1

It could be anything - a discussion with the neighbor dogs, an unfamiliar smell, raccoons in the neighbors' trash...the possibilities are endless.  Why not let her sleep inside with you?  She'll be more relaxed and content.  Dogs are social pack animals and don't like to be alone.

Answer 2

I do not allow my dog to bark all night. Yes it is his job to protect and alarm but once I have checked and there is no threat, he cannot be waking up the entire neighborhood. I would not give your dog access to outside. Since she has proven that she barks for no apparent reason- I would let her out to go potty then bring her right back inside the house. She may be very sensitive to stimulus and should be kept indoors so she can sleep and your family can as well. I lock the dog door at night, My dog does not need to be out at night while he should be sleeping.  

Answer 3

Your dog probably has seperation anxiety. Our dogs does and we had no idea for about a year. At night she would bark uncontrollably at nothing, she would break out of the area that was " her room" ( gated off entrance way). And she would even soil her bed sometimes and even go in the house. The main thing that our vet told us to do was to keep a radio on a station with talking for them to listen to at night or while you leave. And to pretend to leave the house sometimes so that they don't get stressed out. In the end we got another dog to keep her company, they are best friends and she hasn't barked during the night since.

Answer 4

well i dont know if this will help but when my dogs used to bark all the time i would but pennys in a emty bottle or can and whenever they would bark i would shake and and say no bark! and trust me i worked for me! they dont bark anymore

Hope i helped!

Answer 5

She might be lonely. I had to lock the doggie door at night and the barking stopped. One of my dogs barked at any little sound usually neighbors talking a few yards over. He also would go out early in the morning to bark at birds and squirrels. My other dog doesn't bark at people or animals. Instead he scratched his back on the bushes and barks because he enjoys the sensation.  

Answer 6

Buy a muzzle. I know it sounds cruel but its not.  I had to get one for mine once because the neighbors were driving me crazy over her barking. Boy she really hated it. She tried to get it off but couldn't and after about 20 minutes I took it off of her.

The next time she started barking I came out with the muzzle, and she hid in her dog house. She got the message. She quit barking almost all the time, unless she thought someone was coming too close. I only used that muzzle about 3 times and it worked for my dog.