The Reasons Why a Dog Barks at Night

As far as dogs are concerned, barking is an expression of the fact that they are excited. The common reasons why dogs bark at night are below

• they are startled
• they want to play
• they could be stressed
• they may be suffering from separation anxiety
• it could be an aggressive or reactive response
• they could be bored and frustrated

So, if your dog is barking in the middle of the night, it could be because they are feeling anxious or excited. In most cases, this happens because they have heard something.

Since dogs are great at hearing sounds, pet parents sometimes fail to understand what has set their baby off. In some cases, they may even think that their dog is barking without any reason at all.

Why do dogs bark at night even when nothing seems to happen?

As we have said, if a dog is barking in the middle of the night, it could be because they have heard some sound that has them all excited. As you would have seen above, there could be plenty of reasons why they are barking in the middle of the night, but the most prominent one is that they have been startled by a sound.

Perhaps the sound they heard is making them feel nervous or threatened. Several sources from which such sound may emanate tend to be significantly various. It could be an animal outside their homes like cats or a wild animal like a raccoon. The sound of wind in the trees could be a source as it may be a car driven outside the home. They may also bark when your neighbors come to or leave their homes.

Dogs are prone to barking at night, especially when there has been a change in the environment they are used to. There are many ways in which it can manifest like:

You moved to a new house with them, and they are yet to get used to it

Your neighbor is working on a new schedule, and they are now coming home late at night

Your neighbor has replaced the front gate, and it is making an unusual sound that your dog is not used to

Should you ignore this habit?

The way you address this situation would depend on the overall disposition of your dog. Moreover, it is significant to note certain factors like the time they have been behaving like this, their age, and the extent to which such a habit causes you to be frustrated. First, it is always better to restrict your dog to an area at night. Dogs who get excited and bark like to be on the move. This motion further adds to the stress that they are already facing. So, if your dog can run from one window to the next or up and down the hallway, it is unlikely they would calm down on their own.

Under ideal circumstances, your dog should be sleeping in a room that does not have a window to the backyard or road. That way, the dog would lack the impetus to bark at the window. You can make them sleep in their crates as they would not have access to windows. They would also not be able to run around and bark this way. If your dog never barks at night, and you know what has caused them to do so, it is okay to ignore such behavior but for a bit.

Reasons why dogs bark at 3 am

You must have noticed your dog barking around the wee hours of the morning, such as 2 or 3 am. Once again, at the cost of repetition, the primary reason your dog is barking at that time of the night is they heard something that set them off. Now, if you live out in the wild, a wide range of animals could cause your dog to bark the way they do.

Some animals mentioned below:

• coyotes
• bears
• rabbits
• owls
• squirrels
• foxes
• mice and rats
• hedgehogs
• raccoons
• bats
• badgers

Usually, at night everything is at its quietest. It is a reason there are high chances that your dog may react to any sound at this time. During the middle of the day, dogs cannot hear such sounds. Hence, the dogs do not bark like they do in the wee hours of the night.

Conclusion 

As we have established already, dogs bark in the middle of the night as they hear sounds that get them all worked up. The best way to stop your dog from barking at inopportune times is to restrict them to a room when sleeping. If you live in an area with traffic, the room must not face the road. The room must not face the backyard if you live in a place with plenty of wildlife. If your dog barks at night, they must never sleep outside the home.

That way, they would never be able to settle themselves as they would hear sounds at night that makes them nervous. So, bring your dog inside your home so that you and your neighbors are at peace at night. In case your dog has had a change in their surroundings, they may bark at night. It could be that you moved to a new home, or perhaps your neighbor got a new pet. It is their way of getting used to the new surroundings. However, once the dogs get habituated to the new setting, they become quiet and sleep properly at night.