Barking at bedtime

[hopeishere]

We had a really good night routine. Pup was toileted and then put in crate. She's be nearly five months. But for the past few nights she has barked and barked. I'm worried it will disturb the neighbours so feel I have to let her out but then I read giving attention is the wrong thing to do!

She does settle eventually though if I take her out and sit with her a while and last night she pooped so that was the problem.

I could of wrote this myself ! I'm going through the same and I am shattered lol I was told by a puppy therapist they bark because they know we will come down and sit with them . I let my pup bark it out last night and he didn't bark again ! 1st time in 6 weeks I have had more than 4 hours sleep

I’m not a fan of crates.
Can she be left in a puppy proof room like the kitchen instead ?

Five months old is a classic age for realising they can change the world around them through their actions. Explain to your neighbours, buy them some chocolates and just keep reinforcing barking doesn't work like she thinks it does.

I'd respond to barking by letting her out to the garden, no fuss no games no fun. Then back in the crate and back to bed. Repeat repeat repeat

If she doesn't like the crate I might be tempted to proof the room and ditch the crate too - personal preference may vary.

How long did it take for her to bark it out?

She's been happy in the crate to now but we could let her sleep in the kitchen. The crate is outside our bedroom and we tried to move it downstairs and she was barking again. I need to wait until my neighbours go on holiday and then try moving it again!

She was fine last night we stayed up a bit later and she went in to the crate no problem!

We had this, it was awful. Worse than having a baby! I was so tired for weeks. We never once went down and it didn’t stop him barking. Anyway about 4am one night I lost my temper, went downstairs, opened the door, looked at him and shouted, ‘Shut the fuck up, shut your fucking mouth’. I was very very annoyed and sleep deprived. He did actually follow my instructions and shut up from then on 😬

we have recently been through this with starpup slept through beautifully from 12 weeks then out of the blue became horrificly anxious at night. He'd go to bed fine but wake up an hour later in a panic crying howling and barking i let him out he'd refuse to come in then when he did come in he'd refuse to come upstairs pacing and crying in the hall. We tried letting him bark it out for two weeks had him vet checked no problems so we tried herbal calming tablets and an adaptil diffuser with almost instant sucess. now he has his tablets at 6pm and by 8:30 is chilled and sleeps through from 10pm till we get up at 5am

@DinosaurDiana

I’m not a fan of crates. Can she be left in a puppy proof room like the kitchen instead ?

No such thing as a puppy proof room for some teething pups. My Labrador chewed the skirting boards one night and I've heard of dogs chewing kitchen cabinet doors!

Crates are much safer for unsupervised puppies during the night so they don't chew something that could hurt them. Alternative is to take them into the bedroom which not everyone wants.