OLDER DOG BARKING

Question
HI PATTI MY DOG IS 16 YEARS OLD AND STARTED BARKING AT NIGHT USUALLY AS SOON AS WE GO TO BED HE STARTS BARKING AND BARKS HOURS.I TRIED GETTING BACK UP AND WATCHING TV TILL HE GOES TO SLEEP WORKED FOR A WHILE THEN MUSIC SEEMED TO HELP FOR A WHILE NOW NOT MUCH HELPS.I GOT A CALMING COLLAR AT THE STORE AND IT SEEMS TO HELP A LITTLE AT TIMES BUT HE IS STILL BARKING.FOR EXAMPLE IT IS 2:09 IN THE MORNING AND HE HAS BEEN BARKING SINCE 8:30 LAST NIGHT.THIS IS MY SECOND TIME UP UP WITH HIM AND HE HAS FINALLY STOP WALKING AROUND AND LAID DOWN.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

Answer

Hi Evaline,

Since your dog is elderly, it's possible he has some joint pain or arthritis which makes settling down uncomfortable for him. If you haven't already done so, you should have your dog examined by your vet and get a prescription for a pain relief medication. If your dog already receives pain medication for joint pain, his prescription may need to be adjusted, or it's possible he's having a side effect to the medication. Barking at night might also be due to the loss of vision or hearing. You might want to discuss these possibilities with your vet.

Another thing which causes a dog to bark for seemingly no reason at night is a condition called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), which is similar to Alzheimer Disease that elderly humans can develop. The symptoms are changes in your older dog's habits or behaviors. There is a long list of possible symptoms associated with this condition, a dog doesn't need to have all of them to be considered to have CDS. Amongst the symptoms to watch for are: agitation and/or barking for no particular reason, aimless pacing, and sleeping less at night. Your vet would need to evaluate your dog to see if this is a case of CSD. There is medication available to treat the early stages of this condition.

Because it's possible your dog's behavior is due to a medical condition, you should not scold him for barking.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti