Two year old dog barking in crate at night

[MyDogTails]

Hi, my two year old dog has always been crated at night. He settled with it quickly and as long as he was well exercised, slept through the night. In recent weeks possibly linked to the dark evenings, he is barking a lot at night. I’ve considered everything: is the room too hot or cold, does he need a late walk etc. Yesterday I walked him for 3 hours and he settled quite quickly and yet he started barking at 6am when the first planes flew overhead. I am exhausted and grumpy.

For various reasons, he can’t roam the house so will need to be shut somewhere. He definitely can’t share my bedroom. I’m at a loss what to try next.

I’ve just thought - maybe the start of this were fireworks..

Can you possibly move the crate to the hallway outside your room so he can see/smell/hear you?

Sadly that wouldn’t work as he doesn’t ever come upstairs due to my partner and one child not wanting that. When and where he grew up, dogs stayed outdoors! Mine stays downstairs only.
We’ve just talked about this over brunch and we think the fireworks set him on edge somehow. The question is how we fix it.. He is now sleeping off his tiredness getting ready for tonight

Let him out of the crate.

Have you tried white noise or a quiet radio on downstairs. We normally just set Alexa up where our dogs sleep so they don’t bark at every car that pulls up the road etc

Surely you can allocate the dog a room and just close a door or put up a baby gate?

Dogs aren’t meant to be caged for long periods. However long you walk them for they aren’t going to be comfortable or content if you restrict their movements for hours. Dogs need to get up, stretch, walk around.

Crate training is really useful but I think it’s cruel to have a dog locked in a crate overnight , ours uses his as his den - the only time he is ever locked in is if I have a tradesman or child visiting and the weather is too bad to put him outside for a while

Unfortunately it may be difficult to get him to re-settle if he's on his own in a crate all night long, especially if the fireworks scared him.

There are also lots of studies that suggest crating interferes with their natural sleep patterns. Dogs are polyphasic sleepers and naturally get up and move around a lot during the night, and unfortunately crates prevent them from doing that properly.

If he needs to be restricted somehow, I would try shutting him in a room (maybe the utility or under the stairs) with a baby gate so he can't roam the house but equally has the space to move about, stretch his legs, adjust his sleeping positions etc.

I would also try using the radio, TV or a white noise machine so he can't hear what's going on elsewhere as easily.

Put a blanket over it.We do with out crate trained dog and he loves it and sleeps all night its more cosy and dark for him

Battery operated fairy lights above the crate - classic fm on quiet snuggle him down - pop in with a biscuit and snuggle again etc reward when quiet

You cant influence his behaviour if you're not in the room with him. Can you sleep downstairs with him for a few nights to reset his confidence?

Thanks all for the brilliant messages.
@ThesecondLEM, @Gribbit987 @icedcoffees and @mrsbyers - I do have a room that would be fine for him to sleep in and where his crate is. I guess I could just keep the door open, leave an extra bed and see what happens.. That room is a long way from where we sleep so he’s barking loudly for us to hear him at all! There is nowhere that is warm downstairs where he could still sense us.
@SexyNeckbeard I’ve slept on the sofa a few times recently to be near him and of course he sleeps like the proverbial baby! It’s when I’m not there we have issues.
@IAAP and @GumsAndTeeth I never thought of Alexa and the radio! I might try it.
@MintyGreenDream he has a blanket over the crate but thanks for the suggestion anyhow.

We had this, the neighbours could hear her. Vet said we had a choice,speak to the neighbours,tough it out,or let her in the bedroom. We have an open plan bungalow,chose the latter. 6am isn't early

I would let him sleep "free" in that room - leave his crate open so he has the choice to sleep there, on the floor or on another bed in the same room.

While I think crates are fantastic in some circumstances - to keep puppies safe and to soothe dogs with separation anxiety (for example), I don't believe they're really necessary for adult dogs on a permanent basis.

A dog choosing to go in his crate (ie. with the door open) is very different to a dog being locked in his crate.

If he must be in a crate, can't you leave the door open? Put the radio on quietly, perhaps make it warmer for him too.

I would allocate a room with the crate door open so he can get up and stretch his legs if need be.

Howl long is he in a crate for? Dogs should not be locked in crates.

It's not a safe space if he's locked in, it's just a cage. How big is it - did he have food, water? Can he move around and stretch his legs?
He needs to be in a room with a baby gate

I would suggest you let him out of his crate, 2 is really old to still be crated.

@Gribbit987

Surely you can allocate the dog a room and just close a door or put up a baby gate?

Dogs aren’t meant to be caged for long periods. However long you walk them for they aren’t going to be comfortable or content if you restrict their movements for hours. Dogs need to get up, stretch, walk around.

Exactly.

themuttyprofessor.co.uk/2017/07/20/crate-debate-crate-not-crate/
“Dogs are polyphasic sleepers. This means they sleep in short periods, like to get up and move around as well as changing positions.
Changing surfaces that they sleep on also helps them regulate their temperature.
Therefor, crating dogs goes against their natural way of sleeping and removes all option of them fulfilling this instinctive behaviour.
It’s worth noting that to enter deep REM sleep dogs need to have the ability to stretch their legs out, as full muscle relaxation is part of the process of slow wave sleep (the stage before REM sleep). Should your dog not enter REM sleep their brain may not be getting all the repair and recharging that it needs to function efficiently. It’s during REM sleep that the brain receives energy and also cortisol (stress hormone) levels lower. We all know how cortisol affects our mood and brain, so it’s vital we all get our REM sleep – dogs included!”

Please don't lock your dog in a cage.
It isn't any less cruel calling it by a different name.

Hes probably too restricted and needs to move around. Dogs need to get up and move a lot during the night. Is there a reason he's not just in a bed? I though crates were just for tiny puppies to keep them safe

Hi,
So following advice here that the dog may have "graduated" from the crate, I have left him to roam in a large area with his crate (open), various dog beds etc. He is still barking - more in fact. I secretly watched him and he's climbing back into his crate as his preference so clearly that wasn't the issue. I also added a temperature control heat source so he isn't cold.
I'm going to try two new things:

• Buy a bigger crate so he fits a nice bed in there and has more room
• Walk him for an hour in the evening. He gets long walks but as summer has passed, these have got earlier in the day so he's only having garden trips most evenings.

If these fail to sort the issue out, I'm going to bring him to the vet just in case. I'm still here and reading if anyone else has any more ideas.

Bit of long shot but are there lights going on in the night that set him off barking? Eg neighbour's motion sensor light? We had that for a while with our dog when he was young - a blanket over the crate (door open!) suited him and kept him calm.

What time is his last opportunity to piddle?

We have a blanket over the crate @Scrunchcake

@fallfallfall - he last wees just before bedtime. He seems in no rush to go out again in the morning either.