Adolescent dog waking in night and barking for hours

[Muddywelliescleansocks]

14 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback, female. Slept through from first night home in a crate downstairs. Never any issues at bedtime. For last 3 nights wakes at 03.30 barking the house down. Taken to loo and does go then returned to carte where will bark and not settle rest of night. Doesn’t seem unwell. Prior to this barely barks, not even for doorbell. What could the cause be and how to resolve? I came down at 06.00, toileted and now asleep in playroom whilst I am sat on sofa. She is a nervous dog despite socialising but not horrendously so. Never been unhappy to be left in crate prior to this. Any advice gratefully received. Should we move crate? Should we leave door open?

She's done with the crate. They can be useful for puppies to help with toilet training but adult dogs like to move around at night to regulate temperature and sleep pattern.

Thank you very much for replying. I never knew this was a thing. So leave crate door open or just let her sleep in kitchen or playroom or elsewhere and ignore crate?

We just packed ours away. He was much younger at 5 months when he'd had enough so I spent a few nights downstairs just checking he didnt get up to mischief but he was really good and we gave him the run of downstairs. He could come up to us if he wanted but he doesn't. He sleeps between sofa, his bed, kitchen floor depending on how he feels.

Agree on crate, I wouldn’t be closing the crate door anymore.

Another thought - do you have foxes in the area? Peak fox noise season is upon us, so if you’ve ever seen foxes nearby it might be dog reacting to this. In this case you’ll have to ride it out, but moving her sleep area, white noise or a radio left on overnight can help.

Yes, get rid of the crate and let her stretch out.

Thank you ever so much. I really appreciate your advice.

Can you try a night light in the room that might help make her feel reassured. It's only been 3 nights so far, have you got wild weather at the moment, my dog often finds the sound of the wind scary at night when it's loud and stormy. He will happily go outside in it and potter about and sniff the air, but when indoors he's upset and clingy.

Another good idea - we have night lights so can easily try it. No wild weather. Looked at CCTV as it’s same time each night she wakes but can’t see anything that could be disturbing her. In the house she is usually very calm and content (outside can be over excitable) so this non-stop night barking is a total mystery. We leave crate door open and she has access to other beds and pop a nightlight on. Many thanks.

@Muddywelliescleansocks
Take her upstairs with you at night?
Dog bed on the floor so she's not alone?
I will admit this is a slippery slope as next thing is she'll be on the bed then under the covers 😂
I agree with a PP re foxes, it's prime fox time where we live (N. Yorks) think it's mating season, the noise they make is horrendous and drives Ddog demented

This is true 😆 my dog hasnt got under the covers yet, but he has his own bed next to mine now and we occasionally & find him on top of the bed with us when we wake in the morning

We let our dogs sleep where they want to and we’ve never had any sleep issues they sleep all night and wake up when we get out of bed. If it’s making everyone miserable don’t carry on the crate, open the door and see if she settles better

Thanks everyone. Due to nature of staircase the dog can’t use it, so upstairs isn’t an option. Plus she is enormous if she was in the bed we would be on the floor 😂 Tonight we will leave crate door open and another bed so she can sleep in or out of crate and move about in utility room where crate is. If that doesn’t help then we will allow free range downstairs. That could be an issue in summer as open plan in large part and lots of glass so come summer will be very bright but that’s an issue for another day. I shall report back tomorrow and many thanks.

How was last night OP?

I’d bet quite a lot of money its foxes…. you’ll know if there was some running about and barking- attempts to bust out of the room

I only posted early this morning so will try new tactics tonight. Will update tomoz

Update - tried to give option of sleeping in crate with door open or out of crate on another exactly the same bed in same room but she couldn’t choose so that led to an hour of walking between the beds whining and barking. After an hour put her in crate door shut and she slept well for 5.5 hours (can see on camera she woke only twice and settled herself whereas other nights constant shuffling about). Then woke for say on schedule of 03.30. This time didn’t take her to loo but let out of crate and seemed fairly clear she thought it was morning- usual morning behaviours so I kept repeating “bed” and she went to sleep outside her bedroom/the utility but on a bed and slept through until we got up. So guess now is her body clock is out. Maybe after Christmas holidays as this started 2 days after kids back at school. Tonight will try the preferred room and see how that goes. This morning she is behaving as usual so awake and alert and waiting for walk.

Has she had her first season yet? If imminent, that can make a bitch more clingy and prone to out of the ordinary behaviour

Yes she has had first season. Will see what tonight brings.

SUCCESS! We did usual bedtime routine and left utility door open and crate door open if she wanted to sleep in there. She chose playroom. She slept peacefully to 03.30 when she woke and I could see on camera she was properly awake but she left playroom (can’t see what she did after that) but periodically would turn up again in playroom. Did her morning clean, had a little whine and kept moving until 04.00 when she nicely went back to sleep until we got up. She was really well behaved - no climbing on sofa, no pulling curtains etc. So I think first post (thank you @Nickyknackered ) nailed it. Why she wakes daily c.03.00 could well be foxes as so many of you said. Thanks a million everyone as we would never have thought to stop the crate as didn’t know they could go off it when she had been so keen on the crate previously.

Ah I am so pleased! Yes could be foxes, a neighbour leaving for work, boiler coming on, she gets chilly, bladder gets full... ultimately the option of moving and resettling is what will help. Well done!

Thank you. I’ve been really touched that strangers shared their knowledge and that we got through this quickly. I’m too old for broken sleep!