How to Get a Puppy to Quit Barking at Night

Puppies bark at night for a number of reasons, including boredom, loneliness and being scared---especially if they are placed in crates. Barking is a form of communication for puppies and they are displaying how they feel when doing so. Even though most owners wish their puppies would stop this annoying behavior, many are reinforcing it without knowing they are doing so. By following a few techniques, you can stop your puppy's unwanted nighttime vocalization.

Things You'll Need

  • Blankets
  • Treats
  • Toys
  • Citronella-spray collar
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ignore the barking puppy, states VeterinaryPartner.com. If you answer to your puppy's beckoning call, you are teaching it that if it barks, you will come. Even going to your puppy to tell it to calm down is still reinforcing that behavior. You can quickly check on the pup to make sure that it isn't hurt or uncomfortably sitting in its own waste, but do not talk to it or make eye contact. In addition, if you wait until the puppy has been barking for a while to go to it, you are showing it that persistence pays off. The puppy may bark for longer and longer periods of time, waiting for you to come rescue it like you have done before.

    • 2

      Give your puppy comfort items at night. Place blankets, treats and toys in the puppy's crate or area so that it has something to do if becomes bored. In addition, reward the puppy with a treat when it enters the crate, to show it that the crate is a nice place to be.

    • 3

      Place a citronella spray collar around your puppy's neck. When the puppy barks, the collar is designed to omit a spray of citronella into the dog's face, providing a negative association with the barking action. The citronella doesn't hurt, it is just unpleasant-smelling to dogs, plus it is annoying to have it sprayed in their faces. They will eventually associate barking at night with the spraying and should stop.

    • 4

      Exercise your puppy during the day. Take it for walks or play with it so that its pent-up energy can be released. Exercising the puppy will also help it to become tired and may encourage it to use the nighttime for sleeping.

    • 5

      Establish a routine with your puppy. Just like human babies, puppies do not have any knowledge of time and need to be shown a sequence of events for them to know that it is time for bed. Perhaps feed the puppy, then play, then take it outside every night, then cuddle and finally place the puppy in the crate at the same time every night. This way, your pup knows that after it cuddles, it goes in the crate to sleep.