Dog Barking At Night

[naomi24]

One of my dogs, a big boy aged almost 14, has taken to barking in the night. He’s driving us nuts! We get up and let him out into the garden, he comes back, settles down, and within half an hour or so is barking again - and he has a big bark! He doesn’t do it during the day – just at night when we’ve gone to bed – so I’m pretty convinced it’s an attention thing. My husband works long hours and gets very little sleep at the best of times so this isn’t helping. Any ideas for a solution would be gratefully received.

[B00]

There's a similar question in related questions and some of the suggestions seem to think it could be dementia??

May be worth a trip or at least a phone call to your vet.

Good luck :-)

[Cloverjo]

A muzzle?

[woofgang]

Has the vet checked him out? At 14, the night barking could be due to dementia and there are treatments for dogs that can help to delay/reverse this. I am sure that you have already gone the route of checking for disturbance at night? Mine like to hunt the foxes that are so active at the moment but happily they do it quietly. My other suggestion, if the vet can find nothing would be to try a gentle sedative, melatonin seems to work well on dogs.

[woofgang]

Cloverjo, muzzles do not stop barking and dogs should never be left unsupervised when wearing one.

[B00]

A muzzle? Throughout the night!

I'm sure I don't need to tell naomi how incredibly cruel that would be!

[naomi24]

I wouldn't muzzle him - and that wouldn't stop him barking anyway. One of my other dogs who recently died, age almost 18, suffered from dementia, but that hadn't occurred to me with this one. He's very rickety now and is on medication because he keeps falling over, but he still behaves like a puppy and always has, so other than the night barking I've not noticed any difference in his behaviour. He saw the vet a couple of weeks ago, but thanks for the suggestion. I'll speak to him again today.

[Baldric]

The 'Big Boy' at the front of my Avatar was diagnosed with CCD about 2 yrs ago, when he was 8-8½ yrs and about the same time he started night barking, we've found that leaving a Radio on quietly where they sleep has stopped it except for the odd relapse, so worth a try imo.
CCD is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_cognitive_dysfunction

[naomi24]

Thanks Baldric. I think this could be the reason. I've called the vet - he's ringing me back when he's free. Isn't it sad when beloved pets get old. :o(

[Baldric]

It certainly is, we'll have to keep a sharp lookout here, we're a house full of ageing juveniles!

[woofgang]

yes indeed naomi, heartbreaking :(

[horselady]

Our GSD was like this when she was getting older, she seemed to get a bit frightened in the night, a couple of times we came down to find her stuck in a corner as though she'd forgotten the lay out of the room, then she couldn't turn round because she was becoming arthritic, heartbreaking, as you say.

[naomi24]

As I said, one of my dogs recently died - her twin, almost 18, is still with us and on two lots of medication a day, and with the big boy on medication too I feel like I've been running a nursing home for years! My gardener says I'm a 'carer' - but I don't mind. I know both my dogs' time is limited, but it's hard to accept. I'll keep them going as long as I can keep them comfortable and happy.

[naomi24]

horselady, my dog is rickety and can't turn around when he gets stuck between furniture. When he falls over he can't get up - and when he lays down he just 'flops' heavily. He can't lie down gently any more because his joints are stiff. Another thing, he does appear to be quite deaf and I thought that was due to old age - but now I'm wondering if that is another symptom of dementia. I wish the vet would hurry up and ring.

[Cloverjo]

Sorry about the muzzle suggestion. I don't know anything about dogs, and shouldn't have answered the OP.

[woofgang]

fair comment cloverjo. probably best not to do it again.

[whirlyhurly]

I'd just like to say how fortunate your dogs are to have you as such a caring owner. My own dog is now 12, it is such a worry as they get older, mine has the occasional seizure, but otherwise is fine.

[naomi24]

Cloverjo, not to worry.

whirlyhurly, thank you.

[ladybirder]

Naomi have you noticed anything else that he's doing that he didn't used to? For instance staring blankly at a blank wall for a long time?

[Xeronema]

I sympathise with you Naomi. One of our sanctuary dogs has started barking continuously at night also.

We've got a vets appointment for 15:00 today to take one of our others to be PTS; he's very old, blind, deaf and unable to get up. When we help him up he constantly falls over and gets stuck down the garden. It is no longer fair on him and despite medication he isn't getting any better.

[jennyjoan]

not the answer you want to hear but he sounds pretty sick and I am glad you you got 18 years out of him - mine died last October at 10 years. It is a hard thing to come through.