amber Posted September 25, 2011 Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 hey, we have just got a 3 year old male Chihuahua the problem is he is barking ALL night and has done this the past 4 days we have had him...I think the problem is he is used to sleeping with lots of other dogs at night ( as his old owner had 15 dogs! ) so he must be very confused as to where they have all gone but the funny thing he seems settled in the day and has never barked in the day. I know it takes time for him to settle in at night but I would love to know if anyone has any advice to calm him down at night?? because everyone is not getting any sleep... we let all the dogs out in the garden before bedtime and they all go for a long walk in the evening which he really enjoys! and have put a few teddy bears by his bed which he does seem to like sitting next to ... But this there anything else we can do to calm him down at night and stop him from barking? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owl Posted September 25, 2011 Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 Have you tried putting the radio on low? Some dogs find this settling. My younger dog likes Classic FM but my sister's very people-oriented staffie prefers to hear the murmur of voices on Radio 4. Did your chi have a low light on at the previous home, or street light filtering in, or was it completely dark? And did he sleep in a crate or in a heap with other dogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 Agree with Owl a radio, tv or light may help. Otherwise you'll have to be patient get up, check he isn't needing anything (like to go out) & if not tell him no, quiet etc before going back to bed & repeating as necessary. As you say he's used to sleeping with other dogs is there something you could give him as a comfort blanket (eg something that smells of you or possibly another dog) & see if that helps Thor would do this when he first arrived with me & is normally fine now (though he did bark a couple of times last night / early this morning for some reason until I got up & stopped it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greygal Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 Where does he sleep? Put him in a dog bed by the side of yours and he will probably sleep all night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 How is he when you go out? I am thinking it's possibly because he has SA and doesn't like being away from you? Wouldn't recommend getting up to him every time he barks because you may inadvertently be rewarding him for his behaviour. What are his sleeping arrangements now and how do they compare to where he was previously, ie did he sleep in the bedroom before or was he in another room? He is probably feeling unsettled in his new home and it may well calm down once he gets used to the change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 (edited) Wouldn't recommend getting up to him every time he barks because you may inadvertently be rewarding him for his behaviour. On the other hand uynless they happen to be dog lovers neighbours are often not generally interested in dog psychology - they just want the dog shut up - now so that they can sleep not just when he / she has decided to settle Edited October 4, 2011 by Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted October 7, 2011 Report Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) On the other hand uynless they happen to be dog lovers neighbours are often not generally interested in dog psychology - they just want the dog shut up - now so that they can sleep not just when he / she has decided to settle The OP mentioned they were having sleepless nights. By getting up every time the dog barks, the dog knows that if it barks, it will get attention, which is likely to make the problem worse in the long run and continuing loss of sleep. Edited October 7, 2011 by merledogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted October 7, 2011 Report Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) Yes, I know what the theory is (I was apparently a little sod for it as a baby myself though I'm still far from convinced that a dog isn't able to differentiate between a happy & unhappy owner personally & getting up did work for me in both the short and medium - longer term.) What I was saying though is that the neighbours (and perhaps ultimately environmental health) may well also be having sleepless nights and will not necessarily buy into that type of argument One of my neighbours was reported to the Council without a word of warning by a near neighbour who thought they wouldn't be identified, not being the immediate neighbour) Edited October 7, 2011 by Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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