My dog barks at night and strangers. Is he anxious? How can I stop it?

Poor Rascal! It sounds like he's very fearful of many things outside, which is why he barks at them. This problem is usually very treatable, but you really need to work with a professional who can give you some hands-on guidance in how to help him with his fear - it sounds like he may also be a good candidate for anti-anxiety medication, at least in the short-term. Your best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Rascal in person and help you put together a detailed plan to help him. This plan would normally include recommendations on how to help manage him so that he isn't put in situations that are scary and overwhelming for him, training techniques to help with his fear by teaching him to associate good things with the things he's currently afraid of, and possibly medication as discussed above. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Relentless barking is typically a sign of anxiety. The anxiety is probably due to one a few different causes. If Pilot is typically used to being with you during the daytime and is forced to be separated at night this maybe a root cause of the anxiety. Another possibility is that Pilot is simply not being provided with an area in which he feels comfortable to rest. If you haven't already, I would recommend crate training him. There are tons of articles and YouTube videos on how to properly do this, the dos and don't of the training, and the size of crate you might need. Once the crate becomes Pilot's "den", it will be a comfortable place for him to stay. I think this is a good place to start. You also have to remain strong in terms of ignoring the barking. I realize it is extremely loud and irritating, but EVENTUALLY Pilot will stop on his own and tire out. If you give in to him, you are only shooting yourself and him in the foot unfortunately. Hope this helps!

Poor Ruger! It sounds like he's extremely anxious - barking at things like this is how dogs communicate that they are scared and uncomfortable. Especially in a 5-month-old puppy, this is very concerning because this behavior is likely to get worse as he gets older without proper treatment. There is also a significant risk that this may progress to lunging and biting when he is an adult, which is extremely serious in a large-breed dog like a GSD. Because of this, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Ruger in person and put together a detailed, step-by-step treatment plan to address this problem - success rates for treating behavior problems like this are highest when treatment starts while the dog is still a puppy, so I would do this now. Don't wait until he's older, or it will be much harder to make progress. The general approach to treatment for anxiety and barking like this involves teaching Ruger to be comfortable seeing strange people by associating them with treats and other good things - but for anxiety this severe, it will be extremely difficult to do this successfully on your own, which is why I really recommend seeing the behaviorist as soon as possible for some hands-on guidance. Medication may also be helpful, and the behaviorist can talk to you about this option as well. You can search for a veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Although I can't be exactly sure there may be something causing Kenai's anxiety in he middle of the night. Sometimes a noise that occurs (perhaps snoring or something while sleeping in your case) is causing Kenai's anxiety. If there are loud noises outside like thunder, gun shots, cars back firing this could also trigger this response. It may even be a sound imperceptible to you. My first suggestion is to try an Adaptil collar to see if this lessens some anxiety. This is a pheromone collar that tends to work nicely with mild anxiety. There are supplements like Solliquin that may also be helpful. Even adding a white noise machine may be worthwhile to block out some sound. It may be helpful to crate train Kenai at least for sleeping. Sometimes have a "settle location" like a crate can help reduce a dog's anxiety. Finally, if there is no improvement it would be a good idea to have Kenai examined by your veterinarian to ensure there isn't any underlying health problem contributing to the behavior. Sometimes pain or infection can manifest in anxious behaviors. If necessary your veterinarian can prescribe a medication for anxiety. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck to you and Kenai!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This would be considered some type of anxiety which you could say it is separation anxiety specifically. This is not uncommon actually. I would recommend you discourage this behavior as much as possible. You can try doing positive reinforcement which basically means to praise and reward him with treats when he does the desired behavior which is staying quiet when locked in cage. Persistence is really the key to success. Eventually they can do great. Good luck!

That must be exhausting for you! Harvey could be thinking he's protecting you, so he's barking at every sound to let everyone know that he's there and to stay away. He also could be anxious. I'm not sure if you crate him at night or not, but if you don't, I'd recommend crating him at night. It will give him a safe space of his own to sleep in at night, and you can have the crate in your room if you'd like. I'd also make sure to get Harvey plenty of exercise during the day, especially at night before bed . Tiring him out will help him sleep better. He could be bored as well at night, causing the barking. You can put some toys in his crate to keep him busy, such as puzzle toys that he has to solve to get the treat. Should these methods not work, I'd recommend speaking to a professional behavioral expert on other things you can try to stop him barking all night.

What you can do: First and foremost, figure out WHY your dog is barking Use the list above as a reference to understand the source of the bark, because this will further determine what type of treatment you would want to use. If the bark is directed at a particular object or situation: Avoidance For example: If your dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, they will consistently bark until the vacuuming is done. To avoid this situation, ask a family member to take the dog on a walk while you vacuum the house. If the stimulus is unavoidable: Leadership exercises Before you can begin treatment, your dog must be able to have basic obedience training. Teach your dog to work for everything in life such as treats, attention, toys, and affection. For example: Make your dog sit or perform a behavior to earn every treat. All rewards can be given as long as the dog performs the behavior FIRST. This is a way to establish leadership and consistency in your dog’s life. Desensitization and counterconditioning Desensitization is a process where you SLOWLY have your dog become used to the stimulus to the point where they won’t react. Counterconditioning is process where you focus your dog’s attention into performing a command instead of focusing on the stimulus. For example: Dog barks in the presence of unfamiliar dogs. You and your dog should stand far away enough from the other dog where your dog does not react anxiously or aggressively. Ask your dog to perform a command and then give it a treat. This method allows the dog to focus his attention on performing a command that you ask for, instead of focusing on the other dog. SLOWLY move closer and closer to the other dog while giving it treats. This technique should be practiced in short intervals, no longer than a few minutes, but as often as possible throughout the day. Remember that this may take a long time to change the behavior, as the behavior took a long time to develop. Please refer to your veterinarian for assistance with this technique. What should not be done: Do NOT verbally or physically punish your dog when it is barking. Do NOT emotionally react when your dog barks because your dog will feed off of your heightened emotional state. Try to remain as calm as possible. Do NOT give your dog attention or treats to make them stop. This is especially important if the main reason your dog is barking is for your attention. Do NOT use a bark collar (citronella, electronic) in fearful or anxious dogs because it will further enhance the fear and anxiety and potentially cause other problems. Please contact your veterinarian for a consultation before attempting any behavior modifications, or if you have other questions.