nightly barking

Question
I have rescued a six year old shitzu.  he is a delight during the day but neither one of us has slept for three nights.  He falls asleep but then he wakes up growling which excelerates into a full blown bark which goes on all night.  Can you help?

Answer

  
Hi Cheryl,

You didn't say if your dog is crated at night, or kept in a separate room from where you sleep. If the dog is kept alone, in a separate part of your home at night, that could be a reason for the barking. If this is the case, have you tried allowing your dog in your bedroom? If you dog is alone all day because you work or go to school, and then separated from you at night, he's not spending enough time with you. That said, some dogs are crated in their owners bedroom still bark because they don't want to be crated.

Many times a dog is unintentionally trained into barking, because when the dog barks it gets attention. Because the dog is getting something it wants (your attention) the barking continues. Your attention in essence is a reward to your dog, even if you're yelling at your dog to be quiet, it's still attention being paid to the dog! The solution is simple. Ignore your dog. Get a pair of ear plugs and do not pay your dog any attention when he barks at night. If the barking has been going on long enough, it might already be a habit, so it's going to take some time to "retrain" your dog into being quiet.

It can be helpful to startle the dog into be quiet when he starts barking at night. Get a water pistol or squirt bottle, and the instant your dog starts barking, give him a squirt in the face while firmly staying "QUIET!". Then go back to sleep, don't talk to your dog or try to comfort him (that would be a reward). Repeat the squirting as necessary.

Most dog need about 40 minutes a day of running, panting, aerobic exercise every day. A dog that's restless at night may be a dog who needs more exercise to tire him out. This is best achieved in the way of leashed walks, or taking your dog to a park to run. Letting a dog outside by himself is not a good way of providing exercise.

Dogs absorb energy from their food differently than humans do, because their food is a little different. Generally, dogs get a big energy push right after eating, so if you feed your dog late at night, he may be too energetic to get to sleep. Try feeding your dog earlier, and be sure to let him relieve himself before bedtime.

Assuming your dog's restlessness isn't due to a health condition, you can try giving him Melatonin. Melatonin is produced by the brain's Pineal gland to regulate the sleep cycle. In the evening the level of the hormone in the bloodstream rises sharply, reducing alertness and inviting sleep, and in the morning it falls back, encouraging waking. In dogs (and other animals, including humans) Melatonin helps to settle you down, and provides relief from anxiety. It does not make your dog groggy and it is not a sedative. Melatonin can be purchased in most drug stores over the counter in the vitamin/supplement section. It comes in 1/10mg, 1mg, and 3mg tablets and in liquid form.
For a small dog, Melatonin is dosed at 0.5 to 1 mg orally whenever necessary up to every 8 hours.
Once your dog starts to get onto a pattern of more restful sleep you can wean him off the Melatonin and just use it when needed. Melatonin has very few side effects and is very safe, but it may interact with other medications. If your dog receives any medication you should talk to your vet about using Melatonin.

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

Patti