My dog is barking at 'nothing' in the middle of the night. How can I help her?

Hi everyone, I need advice about my Rottweiler, Kyra.

Kyra is one year and two months old and has always been a quiet dog, barely barking at all. During the day, she’s generally very well-behaved. However, at night, we’ve been having some issues. She’s slept in our bedroom since she was eight weeks old, and the only problem we had before was her wanting water in the middle of the night. But recently, she’s started barking at seemingly nothing. She does this deep, half-bark, half-howl thing that’s very alarming to hear. She’s been doing this between midnight and five in the morning every night for the past week or so.

We have sensor lights outside that respond to things as small as cats, but they’re never on when she barks. We can’t hear or see anything when we check, and she usually wakes up, barks a bit, and then goes back to sleep. This is disturbing our sleep since she’s doing it several times a night. Our other dog, Jane, never reacts. When Kyra barks, Jane might sit up but that’s it, and Jane is usually a very hyperactive dog who barks a lot.

Any ideas on what might be causing this? How should I be reacting to it?

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I hear you, Kyra’s nighttime barking sounds super frustrating! Even though she’s barking at “nothing” from our perspective, there could be a few reasons behind it:

  • Hidden stimuli: Dogs have amazing senses. Kyra might pick up sounds (like nighttime critters) or movements we can’t hear or see.
  • Separation anxiety: Even though she’s slept with you since a puppy, something might have triggered new anxiety at night.
  • Boredom: Rottweilers are smart dogs who need mental stimulation. Maybe she’s just bored in the evenings.

Here are some tips to help Kyra (and your sleep!):

  • Investigate the room: During the day, walk around Kyra’s sleeping area and see if anything could be causing noises (creaky floorboards, etc.).
  • Nighttime routine: Establish a calm bedtime routine with Kyra, including some playtime before bed to tire her out.
  • Ignore the barking (kind of): When she starts barking, avoid talking to her, petting her, or making eye contact. This might seem counterintuitive, but attention (even negative attention) can encourage barking.
  • Crate training: Consider crate training Kyra if she’s not already crate-trained. It can provide a sense of security and limit nighttime barking.

Here’s the most important thing: If none of these tips seem to help, talk to your vet. There could be underlying medical reasons for the barking.

Good luck getting some shut-eye!

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Sometimes dogs bark because they are anxious or lonely. Providing a piece of your clothing or a comforting toy can help soothe her.

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Are you sure there isn’t a mouse or something living in a cupboard you just don’t know is there?

Probably just ghosts

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