Kona is 5 month old and in the last few nights has started waking up in the middle of the night and barking like crazy. We take him for a long walk several times a day, and put him in his crate after his night walk around 930-10 pm. Previously he's been sleeping through the night until about 6am. My question is how to not encourage the behavior. Last night I tried to wait it out after telling him to quiet, but he barked nonstop for thirty minutes. Since it was 1 in the morning we eventually let him out to make sure he didn't need to go outside, back in the crate, and he started barking again.
We are worried he's going to wake up the neighbors, but I don't want to encourage him either. Eventually two hours later at 3 am he won--I know...bad, but he just would lay next to me chewing, and then he lost another tooth. I think he's probably too little for a bark collar. Has anyone had this happen when the puppy is teething? He lost two teeth yesterday so I'm wondering if it's just because of pain??

I don't know if it is pain or the fact that the behavior has been reinforced (it is so easy to fall in to that trap! )

What I do know is that at almost seven months, my pup needs to be TIRED and put up late in order to sleep until 6:00. By tired I mean that we definitely go for a walk, then do some training, and then either a game of fetch down the hallway or a wrestling match with my adult. All this within the hour and a half before bed. And for him, bed is about 11:00. He goes in his crate and sleeps through 'til 6:00 at which time he is wide awake with a full bladder and an empty stomach. Since I sleep later than 6:00 most mornings (or at least try to...) I let him out to potty and give him a frozen chicken breast to munch on. It buys me the hour I want.

We do have a bark collar for him, and he wears it during the day (started at five months), but for the morning I know that he needs to go, so I don't put it on him until after he has been pottied and fed.

For a mid-night barker, I would make sure he is pottied and exercised and then put him up with a collar on and cover the crate.

Thanks Jessica! We do marker training after walking, but maybe we'll try a later bedtime, and some more fetch too. Last night was awful he slept maybe an hour or two broken in 30 minute increments even after staying up until 1 am. I think there is more to it than just tiring him out. He seems fearful of his crate. He used to run in when told and now he hovers outside the room with his ears down. He's actually scared. Nothing has ever happened to him in his crate. The other thing that is contributing is that he has started alarming at noises, and we have teenage neighbors who just got out of school and seem to be "celebrating" accordingly. All these factors are contributing and I'm not sure how to handle it. He barks first an alarm bark, and then an anxious bark, banging on the crate, and more or less hyperventilating. I'm ok with the alarm bark but he needs to quiet after we acknowledge him. This is way worse then even when we originally crate trained as a baby. This does seem to be the beginning of a " fear period" and the crate has somehow become a source of fear for him. I feel awful for him but really don't want to reinforce his fear either.

I think we will need to get a bark collar or an e collar? Would it be best to do an ecollar and correct him for this--and later be able to use it for off lead training? or is a bark collar a better solution? ---trying to save some cash if I don't need both :-) Any opinion is welcome I have never used either.

Once last thing...if we do a bark collar will Kona still alarm if appropriate-like someone coming to the door etc?

How about feeding him in his crate and/or giving him a stuffed, frozen Kong to chew on when he's in there? It will help him build a positive association with the crate.

We have been doing that since we first introduced the crate. Last night he was in such a frenzy he didn't even care- and it had cream cheese his favorite. He ate his breakfast fine in his crate, and right now he is finally taking a nap in his crate. He went in reluctantly, but is so tired from no sleep he was falling asleep by me. However it's nighttime when he's really out of control and works himself in to a anxious frenzy.

I agree with Angela. That is what I do for every meal plus the frozen and indestructible toys.

Desensitizing to a crate when there is a problem can be a long process. But maybe he needs it. You could also try a different crate, as in if you are using a plastic one now, try a metal or vice versa. Make the new crate very positive from the get go.

Is he hearing a lot of strange noises that are keeping him up? Can the crate be placed in a different, and more quiet, area? What is his schedule like during the day? Is he sleeping all day or is he out and awake? I know if the kids (when younger, but probably now to if I could get them to) had long naps during the day, it was harder for them to sleep at night. Finding that perfect balance is the same for babies of all species.

As for the e-collar vs. the bark collar, I would say bark collar. Your timing will never be as great as the bark collar and there will be times that he barks and you won't get him, thus creating inconsistencies. I did use the e-collar at first, as I had one on hand, but bought a Tri-Tronics Bark Limiter recently and am very happy I did. Never needed one until this pup, but will always have one on hand now.

Just be carful, as this is sounding more and more like SA or another serious fear based response. I would try to change things up and fix the problem if possible...

I can't be certain about the noises. I know last night there were kids across the cul-de-sac so there were noises and car doors--sadly this is kind of normal. However this is the first time that he's gone so hysterical. Does SA mean separation anxiety?

This is our first puppy and I think that's why we are so nervous about this behavior. It was very sudden and drastic. Honestly he loved his crate. I would tell him to go and he'd run in and down. We varied length of time and everything. It's just the last two nights. I did try last night putting him in his soft crate that I use in the car and put it in the family room (he normally sleeps in the guest room).. it didn't seem to really change his barking.

If i move him to our room--the only other real option (as far as away from sources of noise) am I reinforcing his behavior by allowing him to be with us in the room...i don't really like this as a long term solution..sleeping in our room. We live in suburbia so there are always small noises, but last night he would alert even to just our ice machine filling.

I'm so torn I know I can't let him out but I also feel like he's really anxious and scared. It's been two nights now, and he has gotten out a few times when we were trying to problem solve---potty, water, noises, too dark etc. so I feel like I'm already leading him down the wrong path. However I did hold out for almost two hours and he wasn't slowing down. He was covered in saliva, panting, and all hot. Poor guy. ( I also don't want the neighbors complaining- when he alerts he's found his big dog bark)

I really can't thank you both enough for your advice and help! The bark collar says six months minimum age-- in this situation would this work at five months old or only make his fear worse?

"If i move him to our room--the only other real option (as far as away from sources of noise) am I reinforcing his behavior by allowing him to be with us in the room.."

Have you ever done this?

I don't like the sound of "covered in saliva, panting, hot" ..... So my own route would probably be to try that move, moving the crate well before bedtime in preparation, very casually, but definitely also making sure he went to bed tired, changing the bedtime (later), and working every day in short frequent sessions on confidence (marker work) and crate-desensitizing.

Your own anxiety is counterproductive, so I'd practice a very calm and upbeat (but NOT shrill or loud) voice and movements. This puppy needs you to be calm, no matter how you feel. (You'll find that "fake it 'til you make it" works on this, too: act confident, stand up straight, be calm and authoritative and upbeat .... rehearse this in the daytime and then do it at night. )

Your last post sounded to me like a fear cycle that I would want to interrupt now.

Hi Jennifer,

I understand completely about not wanting the dog sleeping in your room, but am curious as to if you know IF you did move his crate into your room, would this new behavior stop? I honestly don't know if this is the right course of action or not, but it might help the more experienced figure out what is going on all of the sudden. If he were to be fine in the crate in your room, we could rule out that the crate has become an issue.

The only other thing I can add is that my 10 month old GSD can read my emotions perfectly; if I'm stressed - he knows it. If I'm nervous, he knows it. Can you think of ANYTHING that may have triggered this new behavior which you may not have attributed to having an effect on him at all? I know it is a long shot, I'm just trying to think of things I've read in other posts over the past few months.

Hang in there!!!

Barbara, we were typing together -- and we might as well have saved one of the efforts. LOL

Same thoughts ......