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My senior dog barks all night. Could it be anxiety or dementia?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Saint Bernard | Male | 86 lbs

My 12 yr old st bernard barks all night. He sleeps in our bedroom on his own bed. If you get up he stops barking until you get back in bed then it starts again. Is it anxiety? He also does it when you leave the room. He has lost the use of his back legs due to hip an back problems. Could this be the problem?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Makenzie Kurth, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 27th, 2018

This could be anxiety as you suggest, or it could be canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia). CCG often includes restless/wakeful behavior at night and sleeping during the day. It can also include loss of house-training, failure to recognize family members and confused or wandering behavior. Melatonin and/or Benadryl are considered generally safe medications to give before bed to help promote sleep. There are also medications and prescription diets made especially for CCD if that is what’s happening to Sherwood. Talk with your vet to see if s/he agrees and to discuss options and doses.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD
Veterinarian
Published on March 22nd, 2017
This can be extremely frustrating and exhausting for all of you! These behavioral changes do occur commonly in older dogs as a result of canine cognitive dysfunction, which is essentially dementia. Daphney is displaying the most common signs of pacing aimlessly at night with random barking. Some dogs also stand in a corner and seem to be lost. While there are no medications or management options that work in all cases, consider discussing selegiline, melatonin, antioxidants and acupuncture with your vet. I hope this helps and that you can get caught up on sleep!
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on November 4th, 2019
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. Some dogs can develop canine cognitive dysfunction which is similar to Alzheimer's disease in people. This can be accompanied with night time anxiety like sundowners syndrome in humans. If this is the case, I typically administer anti-anxiety medication at night to help calm the dog. Ask his veterinarian if this could be helpful in his case. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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