It's time for bed. You've unglued yourself from your phone, you've had a busy day, and you're ready to get some quality sleep. You turn the lights off, snuggle into your cosy bed, and manage to keep the thoughts out of your brain long enough to drift off.
But alas, your dog senses your will to sleep and has decided now is the perfect time to bark, whine and howl. If you "shush" your dog, you teach them that you'll give them attention when they bark and whine. But if you leave them be, they'll bark and howl endlessly.
The solution to fixing this lies in figuring out why they bark in the first place. Then we show you how to stop your dog barking at night with effective anti-bark collars and tools, or how to stop it without any tools!
Learn about why your dog might be barking at night, how to stop your dog from barking at night and if you need any tools to stop the barking!
Why is My Dog Barking at Night?
1. Attention
Your dog might be an attention seeker - they might be barking because they want food, a belly rub or something else from you.
If your dog is known to bark at you when it wants something, it may be why it continues to whine and bark at night.
With an attention-seeking dog, giving them no attention to their behaviour is the only way to stop. That means not telling them to "shush" as well.
2. Fear
Remember how you were scared of the dark when you were a kid?
Your dog has the same anxiety, and if they are fearful, they will bark at any noise that feels scary or is startling. It's an alarm for others, and it's their way of telling everyone, "Hey, something is going on, be aware".
3. Loneliness
Loneliness is different from attention-seeking; lonely dogs can never seem to settle down.
The dog sounds like this because they want to sleep with you or near you; being separated goes against their pack animal instincts.
4. Boredom
Bored dogs are likely to make more dog sounds than entertained dogs. If there is nothing for them to do, they feel like their only option is to vocalise their feelings.
The best cure for bored dogs is lots of interactive, enriching toys that are also quiet for night time. Invest in toys like KONG or other dog puzzles, or create your own.
An example of a good, quiet enrichment toy is tying an old towel into a knot and shoving some treats into the knot. It will keep your dog busy without creating more noise.
5. Noise Sensitive
Dogs are better listeners than we are, but that also means they can't shut out noises and distractions as easily.
Your home may be quiet to you, but it might be pretty loud and busy for your dog.
The best way to tackle a noise-sensitive dog is to help them block out some of that external noise with some white noise. You can keep the TV or radio on all night or invest in a white noise machine.
6. There is Something Outside
Some dogs do only bark at triggers. For example, your dog may bark at night because it can see a cat walking around the backyard.
If there is no pattern to the barking, it may be worth filming your dog's sleeping area to ensure no stimulus triggers them to bark. Then you can direct your efforts to prevent triggers from coming near your dog. So now you understand a bit more on why your dog might be barking at night - let's dive straight into how to stop dog barking at night.
Here’s How to Stop Dog Barking at Night
There are a couple of different techniques you can try to stop your dog from barking at night. If you don't want to use anti-bark collars, then you'll need to teach them that no matter how much they bark and whine, it won't capture your attention.
Unfortunately, this will suck a bit. To fix this problem, you have to ignore your dog, which means the barking will worsen before it gets better!
You have to stay strong and not respond. That means no calling out, no yelling and don't let your dog out of their sleeping space.
Another thing you can try is tiring your dog out before bed. Try taking your dog for a late walk, play together in the backyard or play some tug of war in the house before bed. Whatever works best for you, physically wearing your dog out will hopefully drain their energy enough that they sleep instead of bark.
You can use other tools to stop your dog from barking at night which might make you feel a little less guilty!
Tools to Stop My Dog Barking at Night
We recommend three excellent options to get your dog to stop barking at night.
These devices aim to distract your dog from its excessive barking. So you can focus on rewarding calmer behaviours at night.
Option 1: Ultrasonic Devices
Ultrasonic devices emit a high pitched ultrasonic noise that only dogs can hear.
This device works similar to a whistle for humans. When you hear a whistle, you stop and look in that direction - an ultrasonic device is like a whistle only for dogs. It is a safe and effective way to manage barking without attaching anything to your dog.
They also effectively manage more than one dog, so if one dog triggers your other dogs to bark, like a chain reaction, all your dogs can hear the ultrasonic noise.
You have to have the device facing your dog and turn it on. It will auto-detect barking and emit an ultrasonic noise upon detection.
It is worth noting that not all dogs respond to ultrasonic noises. Going back to the whistle analogy, if you've ever watched a human play sport, the stubborn ones will ignore the whistle and continue playing.
Some dogs are the same; there is no doubt they hear the noise, but if they are determined enough, the noise won't deter them. If you think this might be your dog, options 2 and 3 will suit you better.
Option 2: Citronella Collars
Our citronella collar range is one of our best sellers - and it's easy to understand why. They're one of the most effective tools in distracting your dog.
You place the citronella collar on the dog's neck, with the receiver sitting on the side. When your dog barks excessively, the collar detects it and emits a mist of a non-toxic citronella spray towards your dog's muzzle. The spray and scent are an unusual sensation for your dog, which is why it's so effective in distracting dogs.
The receiver isn't big enough to affect how your dog lies down or sleeps, so you can both get a peaceful night's sleep.
Option 3: Bark Collars
A Bark Collar otherwise referred to as an 'e-collar', is another type of auto-bark detecting collar. Instead of emitting a mist of citronella spray like before, they emit another distraction.
Bark collars can come in different modes; sound, vibration and static shock. These distractions are never painful. They simply aim to divert your dog's attention.
Many are intimidated by the static shock option on a bark collar. However, the shock isn't painful. It's no different from the 'zap' you get from rubbing your feet across a carpet and touching something else. This option may be necessary for stubborn dogs that can ignore light distractions.
If you're worried about the static shock, we recommend testing the collar yourself in the palm of your hand.
Most of our bark collars give you the option to choose the intensity of the distraction, so you can tailor the collar to suit your dog's needs.
If you are exhausted, tired and need a solution, there are ways to stop your dog barking at night quickly. Browse our range of anti-bark collars here, and if you're struggling to decide, check out our buying guide or call our helpful customer service team.
