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barking goes on till 2am
my dog is a maltese and turning 2 years old [ i guess 14 in dog years ] and lately has been barking a lot at night. he used to when he first got here but stopped. about a week ago he started to bark after everyone goes to sleep. so i have to keep going down stairs and wake up and either hit his cage or take him out to the garage for him to run around and come in...but he keeps barking a few minutes after i go up. what should i do? should i try to tire him out by running with him or something right before we go to sleep? or will that have an opposite effect and have him wanting to play more? please i'm desperate - i havn't been able to sleep at all because i'm the only one who is willing to go downstairs. thanks in advance.
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bark collar
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Something has started to bother him at night. Are there any unfamiliar noises or has something changed in the house to unsettle him? If nothing has changed try taking him for a good run last thing at night, settle him with water, make sure he is not too cold or hot and has something comfortable to sleep on. Is it really necessary to keep him in a cage? He could be objecting to his freedom of movement being restricted. Maltese terriers are essentially 'lapdogs'. They love human company so he could just be lonely. Don't smack him or use a bark collar, he's trying to tell you how he feels, listen to him and try to see what he sees. Would you smack a crying baby? If you try to understand where he's coming from, you may be able to resolve the problem. If you are completely sure there are no health problems (see a vet to check this) or issues with comfort, exercise etc, try ignoring him for a few nights, you won't sleep but he should eventually get the message that it is unacceptable for him to bark constantly. Good luck.
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barking collar.
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Um you could get a mussle to put over his mouth. Sounds kind of mean though. I would use that as a last resort. I think maybe he is either lonly at night or just might wanna play. You could let him sleep by you that might stop the barking. Other wise yeah I would go with the mussle
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is he neutered? that would be my suggestion you might want to consult your vet and make sure there's not something really wrong
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Try to get your dog into a consistant routine. Exercise in late afternoon, give him food and water in the early evening. Take him out to the bathroom and make sure he goes before putting him in the kennel at night. Keep the room cooler, give him a comfortable pad or blanket to lay on, turn on a radio and turn the lights off. He has learned how to push your buttons. If you keep going to him when he is barking he will continue the behavior for as long as he lives! In other words the dog has become the pack leader. You need to take charge, be firm but fair. I don't recommend a bark collar or taking him to bed with you. You can curtail the behavior with time and patience.
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Can the dog go upstairs? Mabye he's lonely. My dogs get upset if they can't be with my mom at night...
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my dog does that... we got a bark shock coller. it basically shocks her when she barks... it works well for us and our dog is like twice the size of yours. also make sure she doesnt sleep in the day if you can help it. dogs are like people they need so many hours of sleep and she will sleep better at night if she doesnt rest in the day. also make sure he (sorry ive been calling her a she) went to the bathroom before hand and ate. if he did all that he prob. just wants attention. make sure hes getting played with and all. if youve done that take him to the vet.. then can either getting him like sleeping pills or maybe he is hurt and thats his way of telling you
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Shock collars do not work, neither does banging on his cage. Really, giving him any attention at all while he's barking will just make him realize that barking gives him attention. That's what he's looking for, so he'll continue doing it because he knows he'll get attention.
You should definately try to tire him out before going to bed. Take him for a walk, a run, just play a bit with him. He is bored, therefore he is barking to get someone to come play with him.
If possible, then let him out of his cage at night. If he has a little more room, then he may be able to find stuff to do himself, and won't have to wake the entire house up to get somthing to occupy his mind.
If he isn't potty trained yet, then keep him in the cage and try putting a blanket over it, so that it is more of an enclosed "den". It tends to work with my puppy. Once the blanket is over her cage, and she has a darker "den" then she will fall asleep.
After you have tired him out before bed, if he still continues to bark... then ignore him. Sure, your going to have a few more sleepless nights, but once he realizes that barking doesn't get him any more attention, then he will soon give up and just go to sleep.
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Smack him on the nose and say no or SHUTUP! Worked for my dogs.
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well first of all im really sorry you cant get any sleep! Second of all, since he is 2, there must be reason he barks, maybe try sleeping where he sleeps, or set up a camera or something to find out WAHT is causing him to bark. If that doesnt work then yes you definitely should try to tire him out before going to bed. That is a definite, if you tkae your dog OUT of his cage when he is barking then he will think that it's okay to barka nd he'll bark more and more and more because he knows you will tkae him out so therefore no matter hwat keep him inside his cage. After a while he should gtet used to it and if you are really really desperate theres always shock colers.
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