How to Train Your Dog to Stop Barking at Night [2024]

You understand as a dog owner what it exactly means when your dog keeps barking all night long making sure no one has a good sleep including the next door. While the annoying nighttime barking might be one major part of your decision, it also could be hiding other things like anxiety, boredom, etc. Thankfully, you can train your dog to stop barking at night using some methods. 

We are going to break down how all this happens and then give you some tried and true methods that work to help prevent nighttime barking.

Train Your Dog to Stop Barking at Night

Why Do Dogs Bark at Night?

The first step is to understand why your dog barks at night. However, why might it be required so often?

Some common reasons for dogs bark at night include:

1. Separation anxiety:

   
   

   Some dogs become anxious when their owners leave, and may bark at night. As pack animals, dogs can experience anxiety when left alone.

   
   

2. Attention-seeking:

   
   

   As with the other types of noise, that are used to attract the owner's attention, dogs may have learned to claim that this type of aggression after dark can wake everyone they want.

   
   

3. Boredom or lack of exercise:

   
   

   A dog who has not been played with, walked, or mentally engaged throughout the day may bark simply out of boredom and some dogs have too much energy to burn and walk around the apartment from wall to wall.

   
   

4. Discomfort:

   
   

   A dog may howl because there are strange new night sounds that some dogs don't know away from during the day, or maybe your temp has dropped at night, causing Fido to whimper or even cry.

   
   

5. Medical problems:

   
   

   Dogs bark during the night for many reasons, and among these is pain or discomfort due to a medical problem. This may happen, but it is always recommended to have a vet check before simply assuming it's the result of separation anxiety.

Importance of Addressing Nighttime Barking Behavior

If you want and need to get a good night's sleep, working on nighttime barking is an area you will have to address for everyone including your doggy, to be happy. However, ignoring it potentially develops into chronic anxiety or behavioral problems.

A few reasons for doing it early on:

1. Better quality of life:

   
   

   You cannot deny this fact since sleep is basic for you and your dog. Barking at night too can keep your dog up and that can make the pooch restless, tossing and turning all night leading to a lack of sleep cycle influencing fatigue.

   
   

2. Establish a stronger bond with your dog:

   
   

   You can train your dog to stop barking at night by communicating mutual respect and establishing trust between both of you. This makes your relationship stronger.

   
   

3. Less stress for your dog:

   
   

   Solving their separation anxiety or boredom problems will lead to a happier, healthier dog.

How to Train Your Dog to Stop Barking at Night?

1. Identify the cause

   
   

   Find out the cause of why your dog is barking, only then you can cure this problem. Depending on whether it is boredom, lack of exercise, or separation anxiety causing the problem you can modify your training to work from the root cause.

   
   

2. Create a bedtime routine

   
   

   Creating a routine before bedtime is crucial because then your dog knows it's about time for bed. For example, one last potty break, a relaxed walk, and some soft pets. One crucial piece of sleep training and reinforcement is providing the consistency that nighttime means sleeping.

   
   

3. More mental enrichment and daily exercise

   
   

   If a dog is tired, they get in barking at night. Ensure your dog receives adequate levels of physical exercise and mental stimulation during the day. Play chase and fetch, go running, or use food/puzzle toys to engage your dog and work off some of the crazy energy.

   
   

   Mental stimulation is important as well, so try things like interactive toys or training games to provide a good mental workout for your dog.

   
   

4. Ignore the barking

   
   

   For those younger dogs, when they bark and bark to get your attention the only thing you can do is ignore. Recognize that barking is a behavior and reinforce the behavior. Even though it is easier said than done, do not give your dog attention until they are done. With time, they will understand that barking at night gets them no attention.

   
   

5. Use positive reinforcement

   
   

   Reinforce the quiet behavior at night with positive feedback. This might be food, hugs, or a favorite toy. As time goes on, your dog will learn that keeping quiet leads to desirable results.

   
   

6. Crate training

   
   

   Your anxiety-plagued dog might do well with crate training. Keeping a dog in a crate is like having your little haven to cuddle up when they are tired. When you leave your dog the first time, you need to ensure that his crate has a comfortable place for him to sleep, bed, and favorite toys; place it close to your bedroom so he doesn't feel like he's alone.

   
   

7. White noise machine

   
   

   You can hear things your dog may be able to hear out the window (cars, neighbors coming home, etc.) before they bark. A white noise machine or other sound-damping material by the windows can go a long way in preventing those triggers. White noise keeps coming in waves, it can be noisy to have neighbors or traffic or animals but white noise will make a soothing area and it helps you relax.

   
   

8. Pheromone diffuser

   
   

   A pheromone diffuser that releases calming scents to replicate natural calming pheromones in dogs. As I have addressed in my other blogs, this helps reduce sleep deprivation, stress, and anxiety in your puppy as well as reducing late-night barking. This is something many pet owners have come across.

   
   

9. Address separation anxiety

   
   

   But if your dog's nighttime barking is a result of separation anxiety, you have to work on weaning them off feeling so threatened by a alone. If you are working 6 hours from home every day, or for longer periods now and then, begin by leaving your dog calmly for incrementally more minutes to hours during the day.

   
   

   You can also leave something behind. It can be an old sweater of yours, so it still carries your scent to comfort him while he's asleep.

   
   

10. Seek training from a professional

    
    

    If nothing you try seems to be working and your neighbors are close, hiring a professional trainer may be the best option. Specialized trainers can assess the specific reason your dog acts this way and work with you to implement a personalized training regimen.

    
    

How Long Does It Take to Stop My Dog from Barking at Night?

It is not something that occurs overnight, dog training to stop barking at night. How long it will take depends on what your dog is barking at, the personality of your dog, and your consistency in training. Typically, you will see major improvements in anywhere from a few days to perhaps a couple of weeks. 

Keep the training methods and be patient. Always remember that consistency is vital. If it continues to growl and bark constantly, well there is a solution for that, but likely you will want the aid of a professional.

Conclusion

Barking at night is not just a stressful behavior for us but also for our dogs and with the right training techniques and patience, you can teach your dog to sleep soundly all 12 hours of the night. There is a big list of ways to combat this issue including crate training, more exercise, or even using things like a pheromone diffuser or white noise machine.

The Brain Training for Dogs program if you want a more comprehensive and structured dog training approach. It is guided by professionals and provides step-by-step solutions to many behavioral problems, one being barking at 2 am. This program uses positive reinforcement tactics to help you make real, lasting change. Discover more and join us today!

Get your Dog the Training they need and have Relaxing Nights with Quietness Again!