Why is my 7-year-old pit mix suddenly barking all night long?

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!

Increase his activity during the day, if possible, to tire him out. Use a cover on his crate to block light. Let him out to use the bathroom just before bedtime. Try a pheromone product such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser. This may decrease any anxiety he may have at night.

This is definitely a difficult situation, because you have a dog (with the mindset of a puppy) that has a normal amount of energy for his age and seems to view the crate as a negative place to be. The crate should be a place that the pup likes to go to, so there is a great deal of training that will be required to get him to associate the crate with good thoughts (like treats). Also, the crate should not be overused. If a dog is spending more than 8 hours a day in a crate, then there's a good chance that they will eventually go stir-crazy. The other thing that needs to be addressed is Ollie's energy. The best way to release this pent-up energy is regular exercise. In his case, it may be best to have exercise where he is running - like when playing fetch at a dog park. I recommend starting two hours of this (AM and PM) to start with. He may need more. Working seven days a week and raising young kids must make free-time for training and exercise very difficult. If you are able to hire help (i.e. a dog walker, or trainer), then this may be your best option. If it is not possible for the dog to get adequate exercise and training, then the only other option I can think of is a consult with a veterinarian, or a veterinary behaviorist. Sometimes medication is needed for certain circumstances in order to facilitate training. I hope that helpful for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well with Ollie.

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.

This sounds like something upset Luna Sunday and now she is still worried. This can become a habit so I like to stop this behavior right away. Many dogs bark at night, mine especially when the moon is bright as they can see more things outside. I recommend putting her in a crate to sleep and ignoring her like you have been. Giving her a good walk or playtime before bed will help get her tired as well. If you have her in another room I would make sure it's dark, and you can play soft classical music so she doesn't hear noises in the house and outside. She's still a young dog so this should improve as she ages. When she's gone several weeks sleeping quietly in the crate then you can try letting her free at night. If the barking starts again have her go back to sleeping in the crate. She'll learn to control her barking that way. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Luna.

That would be very annoying for you! It could be that he is bored, something has frightened him, he could be lonely, or he could be hearing something you cannot (dogs have better hearing than humans). If he doesn't sleep in your room with you, you can try bringing him in with you, and he could sleep next to the bed. If that's not an option, you can give him a toy to play with, or one that is a puzzle toy he has to solve in order to get a treat. You can try doing a big walk with him before bed to tire him out, which will help him sleep through the 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.