How to Stop a Pup from Barking or Howling at Night
By Scotty Valadao – Accredited Animal Behaviourist (Canine) (ABC of SA™)
By Scotty Valadao – Accredited Animal Behaviourist (Canine) (ABC of SA™)
Let's put ourselves in our pups shoes (paw's?) for a second. This little bundle of fluff has been taken away from it's mom and litter mates, very often without being prepared for the separation at all- no wonder it is crying!
A good breeder will start to get a pup used to being away from it's litter mates and mom for short period from about 5 weeks of age for longer and longer periods. Additionally, a good breeder will get the pups used to travelling in a car and if possible will have the new owner come to interact with the pup a few times before going home - unfortunately not all 'breeders' are reputable, responsible breeder who only have the best interests of their dogs and pups in mind!
Here are some tips that can make it easier for the pup to settle.
- 1. Do a little bit of the TTouch Ear Work on the pup during the day and before it goes to sleep. All this consists of is gently stroking your fingers over the ear - from the base to the tip. The ear contains over 100 acupuncture points and the tip of the ear especially, will help to calm any animal down.
- 2. Make use of the FOTD Dog Behaviour Spray General Anxiety . Actually this would be a wonderful tool to help right from when you pick up the pup at the breeder. They are 100% organic, herbal and go a long way to helping to reduce stress.
3. Take your pup outside to eliminate at late as night as possible in order that it has an empty bladder. On average a pup at about 8-10weeks of age should be able to hold its bladder about 3 hours at night at a time. As in humans, all dogs are different and some can hold longer than other. The one thing about a crate is that the pup will be less likely to eliminate where it sleeps and will whine to tell you it needs to eliminate.
4. Place the crate in your bedroom which will make the pup feel more secure as you are nearby. Cover the crate with a thin blanket or sheet. This will give more of a feeling of security.
5. Have a cozy (but not too thick) blanket in the crate for the pup to cuddle up in. It often helps to put in an old shirt or item of clothing that smells of you which will have a calming effect on the pup.
6. When the pup wakes up after a few hours, pick it up (to avoid accidents) and take it to its elimination place. When it has finished, take it back to the crate and pop it in with a nice chewy rawhide bone or similar chew toy. Care must be taken that this is big enough that no choking can occur. Place the cover over the crate again.
7. If the pup starts whining or barking – IGNORE IT! It has just been put back in – the bowel and bladder are empty – he is just looking for attention and if you give in now the pup is successfully training you to come when called!
8. Replace the chew toy daily to stimulate the pup and provide a change. What I find works very well is to keep the pups favourite chew toy for night time only.
9. If the pup keeps on whining or crying, make sure it does not need the toilet and if not, try leaving a light on close by or music playing very softly on the radio for a few days. This is just an adjustment period and the pup will soon get used to its new environment.
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