6 month old started barking non stop at 2am! Help!

[Istoletherainbow]

Hi,

So apart from the odd blip, we've been lucky with nights. Lucky in the sense she tends to go to her bed and we don't normally hear from her before 6.30am. When we do hear from her though, it's CONSTANT barking until we get up. It's rare she needs the toilet at that time. I think she just wants to come out of her crate tbh...

Last night she started barking at 2am and originally we let her bark it out, thinking we'd shoot ourselves in the foot if we went down to her and she'd do it every night. After 30 or 40 minutes though, it was just too much. We have neighbours to consider and also, as much as I was feeling the rage, as I'm already massively sleep deprived, it's cruel. Anyway, went down, let her outside and then for the first time kept her out her crate. Nervously, as she's still a bit of a chewer. So this was a bit after 3 or 3.30 and she whined a bit, but no barking at all. Yes, she was likely on the "no go area", the sofa, but sleep wins I'm afraid.

Would it be silly to just get rid of the crate from tonight? I'm worried about accidents as well as destruction. Should I keep the crate and hope last night was a blip, or just take this as a sign that she prefers to be out of her crate?

I was planning to transition soon anyway, but just wanted a bit of advice please.

TIA

No practical advice but the irony struck me. I just tried getting rid of our dog's crate. We've had three nights of barking and whining. I gave in last night and got the crate back out and not a peep! Can you put your dog in the kitchen or somewhere where there are no soft furnishings for her to damage?

Mine was fine in the crate at night but we did have one night around the 6 month mark if I remember correctly and once again when he had come back from being away from us for a few days at a pet sitter. When he barked I got up and took him outside for a toilet break and ignored his attempts to be up and playing so did not speak to him and put him back in the crate (essentially what I used to do when he was a young puppy). This seemed to work because the next night he went back to his normal self and we didn't hear a peep.

Thanks for the replies.

So we decided to go for it. First night I heard a couple of whines and scratches at the living room door- this was at about 3 when I went to the bathroom, so she could hear me (creaky floorboards and cardboard walls ) Was wondering whether I should go and let her out, but she wasn't barking and she was quiet after 2 minutes and she always lasted the whole night in her crate with no accidents. Second night, absolutely nothing. Just got up when we did, no accidents, just seemed happy that she was able to have the run of downstairs. Third night, ie last night, no whining,but this morning there was one wee on the carpet.

I don't know what to do tonight. Do I put her back in the crate? Do I keep going with the free run and accept the fact she'll have the odd accident? I'm just worried she'll now think it's ok to go in the living room and so it won't be the odd accident.

What would you do?

We have had the crate/no crate discussion at home as we have our dog in the bedroom at night watching tv before he goes out for his final pee and in his crate in the kitchen.

I feel keeping our dog in the crate is useful as he can't get up to any mischief, any accidents or illnesses would be contained and when he goes to a petsitter or if we take him on holiday having a crate at night is his familiar 'safe place'.