my dog--half lhasa, half maltese

Question
Hi! I hope that you can help me. I have a sweet almost-seven year-old dog named Jake, who has lived with me since he was a baby. Last summer, I had to leave him with my parents while I worked in England for six months--I didn't want to subject him to the long flights or quarantine process, and they were happy to have him. I knew that he would be safe and happy.

I told my parents that sometimes, when Jake goes to bed in his crate, he barks because he's not ready for bed yet. I told them to ignore the barking, because he was testing them. And they did. But he's a smart little guy and likes to get his way, so he made his barks louder and longer and eventually (after a few weeks) made a noise that sounds like he's being tortured. Of course, my parents rushed in to make sure that he was okay. He made that noise several times and they kept on rushing in... until they realized that HE was training THEM. Now, he makes the tortured screaming noise EVERY time he gets put to bed, and it's making me crazy.

I'm trying to figure out how to get him to stop. Ignoring it doesn't seem to make it go away, but opening up the door of his room to yell at him seems to reinforce it. Can you give me some advice?! He's a lot less fun to live with this way...

I would be so grateful for your help.
Thank you!
Amelia

Answer
Sounds like a real problem! I know how you feel because my maltese barks when he goes to bed too. It is because he wants more attention and love, and because he is afraid of being left alone in the dark or during the nightime.

I have tried several things, some of which worked for a while, and others which might work for you. First I gave him a nightlight. Every time I put him to bed, around 9 or 10 p.m. I give him lots of love before he is put in his crib, and I reasure him that I will come back to him in the morning. Then I put on the blue nightlight. It seems to calm him down a lot. I also give him lots of stuffed animals and "contact conforts." Something soft and cuddly that he can bring with him everywhere around the house to feel secure, since part of my dogs problem is insecurity.

Another reason I believe he barks is that he wants to get out of the crib and be with the family, ecspecially if the door to the bedroom is closed and the tv is on. He gets jealous and feels left out. My dog also has started whining to a point that it makes me feel really unconfortable. Can your dog see the bedroom or room from where his crib is placed? If so, it might help to move his crib so that he cannot see being left out and so that he can concentrate on falling asleep, and on the last bit of love that he has just received. Running back to him every time he whines or barks reinforces that it is working to get your attention so he will keep doing it. Yelling back also makes him happy because he thinks your barking back!  Of couse I understand why you go to him because it sounds like he is in pain. He heart may be in pain. He may need a little more love and support, ecspecially if he is pining for you while you are gone. :)

A possible other explanation is that if you live in the city, the traffic, noise, and planes can really bother your dog. Every plane that would seem like it would land, would cause my dog to have a panick attack. I know that to cut down on some of the external noises, I would put towels over his crib, since it is just a cube crate (3 by 4). The towels would help make it feel like he was in a cave, and the dim light helped alleive some of his stress.

When I went away on trips, every time I returned, he would be absolutely ecstatic to see me and would love me to death when I allowed him to jump all over me in the house. I believe that some of your problems may be due to the fact that while you are gone that he knows you are missing and that you are not there giving him the  love that he normally gets. I have tried this, and it has worked for a while. If your dog loves underwear, socks, and shoes, then this might work. If you can sacrifice some of your personal belongings that Jake may like a lot and give them to him as signs of affection while you love him on a normal basis then he will associate those belongings with you loving him. When you are gone, your caregivers can give him the prized belonging(s), and he would feel loved and hopefully stop barking at least for a while. I have a sacrificial shoe that my dog adores. When I am gone, I give him the shoe and it distracts him, enough so that I can escape. He is smart and eventually figures out what is going on. However, I make sure that I love him a lot when I return. For at least three of four days after I return from a trip, he is clingy and demands a lot more attention and love, like he has a "love quota" that must be met.

Another possible explanation for the noises could be hunger. Ecspcially if you feed your dog two times a day, and it is around summertime. The longer days extend the dogs need for food. Giving him a quick snack or leaving cereal in his crib, can help alleviate his humger pains until the morning. Be careful through not to reward him with the food for barking or making noises. He might dump it all over the floor in rejection, or he might eat it. It is a risk you might want to take.

I wish you the best with your dog. I hope my suggestions help you and Jake. If you need more help, feel free to leave another question and I will be glad to brainstorm more ideas.

Lots of Love,
------Georgia